Josh Brolin Recalls Dark Moments With Mother Jane and Alcoholism: ‘I Was Born to Drink’

Josh Brolin is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, but his life hasn’t always been full of positive experiences. The Academy Award nominee opened up about how his mother, Jane Cameron Agee, wrestled with her demons and the impact that it had on his childhood.

Jane was a wildlife activist from Texas. In an interview with The Times published on November 16, Josh described his mother as “clownish, funny, eccentric, authentic.” The Milk actor was born to Jane and actor James Brolin in 1968.

However, while his father was away working in Hollywood, Josh admitted that life at home was rough at times.

“I was born to drink,” he wrote in his new memoir, From Under the Truck: A Memoir. “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.”

The family lived on a ranch in Paso Robles, California, with farm animals and rescues. Josh’s daily responsibilities included feeding, taking care of and cleaning up after the animals. He revealed that his mother would yell “Sic ’em,” to him and his brother, Jess Brolin, to prompt 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.

He gave his mother grace, despite his experiences on the ranch.

“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.”

Once the family moved off the ranch, Josh fell in with the wrong crowd, leading him down a path of violence, drug use and finding himself in trouble with the law. His antics led to him spending nine stints in jail over the years.

James and Jane were married until 1984. Josh went to live with his dad in Hollywood, and after landing a role in 1985’s The Goonies, he resorted back to his old ways soon after. His mother 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. He had an epiphany 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.

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 been embracing his sobriety, as he lives with his wife, Kathryn Boyd, and their daughters, Westlyn and Chapel, and continues 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.”

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).