Josh Brolin Opens Up About His Turbulent Childhood And Journey To Sobriety

Let's talk about one of Hollywood's most versatile actors, Josh Brolin. You might know him from his blockbuster roles, but what you may not know is that his life hasn’t always been a walk in the park. In a candid conversation with The Times, the Academy Award nominee opened up about his mother, Jane Cameron Agee, and how her struggles with demons shaped his childhood.

Meet Jane: The Mother Who Left an Indelible Mark

Jane, a wildlife activist from Texas, was anything but ordinary. Josh described her as “clownish, funny, eccentric, authentic.” Born to Jane and actor James Brolin in 1968, Josh grew up in a world that was both fascinating and challenging. In his new memoir, From Under the Truck: A Memoir, Josh shares how his mother’s influence extended far beyond the ranch they called home.

Josh's life wasn’t always a bed of roses, especially when his father was away working in Hollywood. Life at home, under Jane’s influence, was often rough. “I was born to drink,” Josh wrote. “I was birthed to drink. My mother drank exactly like I did, and I was raised to be a man and drink like the male equivalent of my mother.”

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Life on the Ranch: A Childhood Full of Challenges

The family lived on a ranch in Paso Robles, California, surrounded by farm animals and rescues. Josh’s daily routine included feeding, taking care of, and cleaning up after the animals. But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. He revealed that his mother would yell “Sic ’em” to him and his brother, Jess Brolin, prompting wild animals to go after them.

“You knew if you didn’t get on the other side of that shut door within a couple of seconds, you’d be cleaning up fresh bloody marks somewhere on your body for the rest of the day,” he wrote. Despite the challenges, Josh found a way to forgive his mother. “You know, she was a pain in the ass. I mean, there’s nobody who would contest that — nobody — but you don’t not want her around,” he explained, adding that she made “everything a little more powerful, a little more vivid.”

The Road to Redemption

Once the family moved off the ranch, Josh fell in with the wrong crowd, leading him down a path of violence, drug use, and trouble with the law. His antics resulted in nine stints in jail over the years. James and Jane were married until 1984, after which Josh went to live with his dad in Hollywood. After landing a role in 1985’s The Goonies, he quickly reverted to his old ways.

His mother tragically died in a car accident at age 55 in 1995. Eventually, after having children of his own, Josh realized that his destructive behavior needed to stop. It was during a conversation with his two eldest children, Trevor and Eden, whom he welcomed with his first wife, Alice Adair, about not taking care of a family pet that he had an epiphany.

Then, in 2013, he showed up hungover to visit his 99-year-old grandmother on her deathbed. It was a moment he’ll never forget. “I knew that was going to be the last time I drank,” Josh said. “I like getting older. It’s like a great excuse to finally go, ‘OK, just mellow out, you don’t need to constantly spin.’”

More than a decade later, Josh has embraced his sobriety, living with his wife, Kathryn Boyd, and their daughters, Westlyn and Chapel, while continuing his work in Hollywood. “I love being sober. I have more fun,” the Dune actor shared. “There’s nothing that I go through that I am absolutely certain wouldn’t be worse if I was drinking.”

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If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).