James Brolin

James Brolin (born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin; July 18, 1940) is an American actor. He has appeared in over 140 film and television productions since his debut in 1961 and is the recipient of two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Brolin is known for his TV roles such as Steven Kiley on Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969–76), Peter McDermott on Hotel (1983–88), LCol. Bill Kelly on Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1997–2000), John Short on Life in Pieces (2015–19), and the Narrator on Sweet Tooth (2021–24). His notable film roles include Sgt. Jerome K. Weber in Skyjacked (1972), John Blane in Westworld (1973), George Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), General Ralph Landry in Traffic (2000), Jack Barnes in Catch Me If You Can (2002), and the voice of Emperor Zurg in the Toy Story spin-off film Lightyear (2022).

For his contributions to the television industry, Brolin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 27, 1998. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and the husband of Barbra Streisand.

Early life Brolin was born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin on July 18, 1940, in Westwood Village, Los Angeles, California. The eldest of two brothers and two sisters, he is the son of Helen Sue (née Mansur), a housewife, and Henry Hurst Bruderlin, a building contractor. As a young child, Brolin was interested in animals and in model airplanes, which he began building and flying when he was 10. As a teenage filmgoer in the mid-1950s, Brolin was particularly fascinated with actor James Dean, and he began shooting 8 mm films. Brolin appeared on an episode of Bus Stop in 1961. The part led to parts in other television productions such as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; Margie; and Westworld (1973).

In 1985, Brolin parodied his near-hiring as James Bond in the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure. On Hotel, Brolin played Peter McDermott, a hotel manager. Brolin was nominated twice for Golden Globes between 1983 and 1984 for Best Performance By an Actor in a TV Series but lost both times. He appeared as William Winger, Jeff Winger's estranged father, in the NBC sitcom Community.

In his first role in an animated film, Brolin portrayed Emperor Zurg in the 2022 Toy Story spin-off film Lightyear. The couple had their first child, Josh, in 1968, and a second child in 1972. They were divorced in 1984. Josh said on the October 14, 2008, episode of the Late Show with David Letterman that his parents met on the TV series Batman, where his mother was assistant casting director.

In the late 1970s, Brolin started a brief but relatively successful career in sports car racing. After success in several celebrity auto races, he entered the 1979 24 Hours Nürburgring as part of the AMC Spirit team. Brolin's two-car team, which included accomplished racer Lyn St. James, finished both first and second in class.

In 1985, Brolin met actress Jan Smithers on the set of Hotel, and they married in 1986.