Josh James Brolin (born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. He is the son of actor James Brolin. Josh became famous as a young actor for his role in the adventure movie The Goonies (1985). After some time away from the spotlight, he made a big comeback with a leading role in the crime film No Country for Old Men (2007). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dan White in the biographical film Milk (2008).
Brolin became widely recognized for playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), appearing in films like Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also played Cable in Deadpool 2 (2018). Brolin has worked with filmmaker Denis Villeneuve on movies like Sicario (2015) and the science fiction films Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), playing the character Gurney Halleck.
Josh Brolin was born on February 12, 1968, in Santa Monica, California. His mother, Jane Cameron, was a casting director and wildlife activist, and his father is actor James Brolin. Josh grew up on a ranch in the Adelaida area of Paso Robles and went to school in Templeton, California. He moved to the Santa Barbara area at around age 11 and attended Santa Barbara High School. Josh did not have much exposure to his father’s acting career. His parents divorced when he was 16.
In a 2014 interview, Brolin shared that he was part of a surfing group called the “Cito Rats” during his youth. This group included kids from both rich and poor backgrounds. Brolin admitted to stealing cars to support his drug use, which included heroin. He mentioned that many of his friends from that time have passed away due to their lifestyle.
Josh Brolin started his career in TV films and guest roles on TV shows. He gained attention as Brandon Walsh in the movie The Goonies (1985). He was almost cast in the TV show 21 Jump Street but lost the role to Johnny Depp. Brolin made a guest appearance on the show later.
Brolin played a small role in the 1994 movie Roadflower. After not being satisfied with his acting in his second film Thrashin’, he stepped away from films for a while. He performed in stage roles in Rochester, New York, and played “Wild Bill” Hickok in the TV series The Young Riders (1989–1992). He was also in TV series like Winnetka Road (1994) and Mister Sterling (2003), both of which were canceled early.
By 2006, Brolin was trading stocks full-time but then landed a lead role in the critically acclaimed film No Country for Old Men (2007). He also appeared in American Gangster (2007) and W. (2008), a film about President George W. Bush. He received an Oscar nomination for his role in Milk (2008) and hosted Saturday Night Live in 2008, 2012, and 2024.
In 2009, Brolin executive produced and performed in the documentary The People Speak. In the early 2010s, he appeared in various big-budget films, including Jonah Hex (2010), True Grit (2010), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), and Men in Black 3 (2012). He starred in Gangster Squad (2013) and Oldboy (2013). In 2014, it was announced that Brolin would play Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Brolin’s performance as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) was highly praised. He signed a four-film deal to play Cable in the X-Men film series, starting with Deadpool 2 (2018). In 2019, Brolin joined the cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune as Gurney Halleck, and the film premiered to positive reviews in 2021. He stars and produces the Amazon Prime series Outer Range, which started in 2022. Brolin also joined the cast of Rian Johnson’s film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery in 2024.
Brolin was married to actress Alice Adair from 1988 to 1994, and they have two children, Trevor and Eden, both actors. He was engaged to actress Minnie Driver for six months and married actress Diane Lane in 2004, divorcing in 2013. In 2013, Brolin started dating model Kathryn Boyd. They got engaged in 2015, married in 2016, and have two daughters born in 2018 and 2020.
Brolin was arrested in 2004 after an altercation with Diane Lane, but no charges were pressed. In 2008, he was arrested after a bar fight but charges were dropped. He was arrested for public intoxication on New Year’s Day 2013, which he later said prompted him to change his lifestyle.
Brolin started trading stocks in his mid-20s and considered quitting acting. He co-founded a now-defunct stock trading website called MarketProbability.