James Brolin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James Brolin
Brolin in 1974
Born	Craig Kenneth Bruderlin (1940-07-18) July 18, 1940 (age 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names	James M. Brolin Craig J. Brolin
Alma mater	Santa Monica City College University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Jane Cameron Agee ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1984)​ Jan Smithers ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1995)​ Barbra Streisand ​ (m. 1998)​
Children	3, including Josh Brolin
Relatives	Eden Brolin (granddaughter)
Awards	Hollywood Walk of Fame

James Brolin (born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin on July 18, 1940) is a famous American actor, producer, and director. He has been in over 140 movies and TV shows since 1961. He has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for his work.

Brolin is well-known for his TV roles. These include Steven Kiley on Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–76) and Peter McDermott on Hotel (1983–88). He also played LCol. Bill Kelly on Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1997–2000). More recently, he was John Short on Life in Pieces (2015–19) and the Narrator on Sweet Tooth (2021–24).

His important movie roles include Sgt. Jerome K. Weber in Skyjacked (1972) and John Blane in Westworld (1973). He was also George Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979). Later, he played General Ralph Landry in Traffic (2000) and Jack Barnes in Catch Me If You Can (2002). He even voiced Emperor Zurg in the Toy Story spin-off movie Lightyear (2022).

James Brolin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. This was to honor his great work in television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and is married to the famous singer and actress Barbra Streisand.

Early Life and Acting Start

James Brolin was born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin on July 18, 1940. He grew up in Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California. He was the oldest of four children. His mother, Helen Sue, was a housewife, and his father, Henry Hurst, was a building contractor.

When he was young, Brolin loved animals and building model airplanes. He started building and flying planes at age 10. As a teenager in the 1950s, he admired actor James Dean. He even began making his own movies using an 8 mm film camera.

Brolin met another young actor, Ryan O'Neal, through his parents. They became friends and went to University High School together. At first, Brolin was very shy about acting. But his confidence grew when O'Neal invited him to a casting agency. Brolin finished high school in 1958. His family encouraged him to become an actor, just like O'Neal.

Brolin's Acting Journey

Starting Out in Hollywood

After high school, Brolin went to Santa Monica City College. He also studied drama at the University of California Los Angeles. In 1960, he signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. He began his career with small roles in movies starring Sandra Dee.

In 1961, Brolin appeared in an episode of Bus Stop. This led to more TV roles. He was in shows like Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Love, American Style. He also made three guest appearances on the popular 1960s series Batman. He worked alongside actors Adam West and Burt Ward on that show.

When he was 20, Craig Bruderlin changed his last name to "Brolin." He wanted to become James Brolin. While trying to make it big, he met actor Clint Eastwood. Brolin also had small parts in movies like Take Her, She's Mine (1963) and Fantastic Voyage (1966). His first bigger role was in The Cape Town Affair (1967), but it wasn't a big hit. After this, 20th Century Fox let him go.

In 1969, he got a co-starring role in the TV series Marcus Welby, M.D.. He played a doctor in this show.

Becoming a Movie Star

In the 1970s, James Brolin, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, started getting lead roles in movies. He starred in Skyjacked (1972) and Westworld (1973). By the middle of the 1970s, he was a regular leading man in films.

Some of his movies from this time include Gable and Lombard (1976) and The Car (1977). He also starred in Capricorn One (1978) and The Amityville Horror (1979).

There was a time when Roger Moore thought about leaving the role of James Bond. Brolin even did screen tests to replace him in the movie Octopussy (1983). It was said that he was almost chosen for the part. However, the producers convinced Moore to stay on as Bond.

In 1985, Brolin made fun of almost being James Bond in the movie Pee-wee's Big Adventure. In a movie shown within that film, Brolin played a character who was a mix of James Bond and Pee-wee Herman.

Success on Television

Brolin as Steven Kiley in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)

While working for Fox, Brolin had three small roles on the TV series Batman. He appeared in episodes like "The Cat and the Fiddle".

In 1968, Brolin moved to Universal Studios. There, he tried out for a role in the medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–1976). He would star alongside the experienced actor Robert Young. This show became one of the most popular TV shows of its time.

Brolin became very famous for playing Dr. Steven Kiley, a young and skilled assistant doctor. The actors, Young and Brolin, worked very well together. In 1970, Brolin won an Emmy Award for his supporting role. He was nominated for this award three more times. He also won two Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actor between 1971 and 1973.

In 1983, Brolin returned to TV to star in another series. He joined producer Aaron Spelling's show, Hotel, for ABC. On Hotel, Brolin played Peter McDermott, a hotel manager.

For Hotel, Brolin was nominated for two more Golden Globes. He was nominated for Best Performance By an Actor in a TV Series in 1983 and 1984. He also directed some episodes of the show. Hotel ended in 1988 after five seasons.

Actress Connie Sellecca, who worked with Brolin on Hotel, said they felt comfortable together right away. She mentioned that Jim makes women feel safe. Sellecca and Brolin remained good friends after the show.

In 1997, Brolin's luck changed with the TV series Pensacola: Wings of Gold. He played Lt. Col. Bill "Raven" Kelly. His character taught young Marines in a special unit. Brolin also worked as an executive producer and director for the show. The series ran for 66 episodes before ending in 2000.

That same year, Brolin hosted Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. This TV series showed five stories about strange and supernatural events. Jonathan Frakes took over as host after the first season.

Roles Since 2000

Since 2000, Brolin has had many supporting roles in big movies. He played General Ralph Landry in Steven Soderbergh's Oscar-winning film Traffic (2000). He was also Jack Barnes in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002).

In 2003, Brolin played Governor Robert Ritchie of Florida on the TV series The West Wing. In late 2003, Brolin played Ronald Reagan in the TV movie The Reagans. This role earned him his fifth Emmy Award nomination and his fifth Golden Globe nomination.

In 2005, Brolin was a guest star on the TV series Monk. He played a casino owner named Daniel Thorn. In 2008, Brolin guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as astronaut Col. Dick Finley. He also starred in the Sci-Fi Channel movie Lost City Raiders that year.

Brolin appeared in the 2009 comedy movie The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. He also played Sheriff Hank Mendel in an episode of Psych in 2009. This episode was partly a parody of his earlier film Westworld.

From 2015 to 2019, Brolin played John Short, the family dad, in the CBS comedy Life in Pieces. In 2022, he voiced Emperor Zurg in the animated Toy Story spin-off movie Lightyear. This was his first role in an animated film.

Personal Life

Brolin with Barbra Streisand (2013)

James Brolin has been married three times and has three children.

In 1966, Brolin married Jane Cameron Agee. She was a wildlife activist and an aspiring actress. They got married just 12 days after meeting. Their first child, Josh, was born in 1968. They had another child in 1972. They divorced in 1984. Josh Brolin later said his parents met on the TV series Batman. His mother was an assistant casting director there.

In the late 1970s, Brolin also had a short but successful career in sports car racing. He did well in several celebrity car races. In 1979, he entered the 24 Hours Nürburgring race. His team, which included racer Lyn St. James, finished first and second in their class.

In 1985, Brolin met actress Jan Smithers on the set of Hotel. They got married in 1986. They had a daughter in 1987. Smithers filed for divorce from Brolin in 1995.

In 1996, Brolin met Barbra Streisand through a friend. They got married on July 1, 1998. They live in Malibu, California. Brolin is the stepfather to Streisand's son, Jason Gould. Streisand shared in her 2023 book My Name Is Barbra that a comment Brolin made after they married inspired the song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing". This song was for the 1998 movie Armageddon.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

See also

In Spanish: James Brolin para niños