Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor James Brolin is among the entertainment industry’s most popular stars, with acting and directing credits that range from comedy and drama to big-scale action-adventure.
His early start in film came as a teenager when he began shooting 8mm motion pictures. By 20, he had made his motion picture debut in Take Her, She’s Mine, alongside James Stewart and Sandra Dee. He went on to appear in many feature films, including Sisters, in which Brolin also stars with “Life in Pieces” co-star Dianne Wiest, The 33, The Steps, Traffic, Catch Me If You Can, Antwone Fisher, A Guy Thing, The Alibi, The Hunting Party, Amityville Horror and Westworld. Additionally, Brolin produced and starred in several independent films, including Cheatin’ Hearts, Ted and Venus, We the People, Night of the Juggler, Last Chance Harvey and Gas, Food, Lodging.
While Brolin has proved his versatility in all genres, he is most widely recognized for his starring roles in the critically acclaimed television dramas “Hotel” and “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” for which he earned Emmy and Golden Globe awards. His additional television credits include “The Reagans,” a movie that earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations; “Trapped,” a miniseries on the Network; “And the Sea Will Tell”; and “Christmas with Tucker,” which became the Hallmark channel’s highest-rated film ever.
As a director, Brolin made his feature-film debut with My Brother’s War, which won Best Film at the Hollywood Film Festival. Currently, he is prepping the period script Ruby McCollum, the true- crime story that shook the foundation of the segregationist South, and he directed and starred in a hit Christmas movie for the Hallmark channel, titled I’ll Be Home for Christmas, starring his “Life in Pieces” co-star Giselle Eisenberg, who again played his granddaughter in a role written for her. On the small screen, he directed The Young Riders, which starred his son, Josh Brolin, and he executive produced, directed and starred in Pensacola: Wings of Gold.
Brolin has raced cars professionally worldwide with the B.F. Goodrich Team and France’s Renault Factory, among others. Having grown up around horses, he spent many years breeding, raising and training two-year-olds for both western riding and the racetrack. Also, he is an accomplished dog trainer. He has served as a spec house designer and builder with his Oak Country Lumber company in San Louis Obispo County, and he is also a pilot currently operating Sun Quest Executive Jet Charter, the world’s busiest general aviation airport, located in Van Nuys, California.
Brolin was born in Westwood Village, Calif. He and his wife, singer-songwriter-actress-director Barbra Streisand, are always planning the next movie, whether for watching or making. They both are true cinema devotees, always learning more and always wanting to please others with their craft.
