Josh Brolin has acknowledged that Barbra Streisand, his stepmother, was instrumental in his recovery. During his interview on The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday, the 56-year-old actor revealed details about their connection.
“But aren’t you a drunk?” Brolin, who stopped drinking in 2013, recounted a crucial occasion when Streisand forcefully declined his request for alcohol. As he thought back on the incident, he commended Streisand’s candor and steadfast assistance, calling her style “a language that took me a while to learn.”
The actor from Dune compared Streisand to a “typical Jewish mother,” pointing out that she frequently expressed her worries about his welfare. “She was very straightforward … and probably reminded me of a much healthier version of my mother,” he said, expressing his appreciation for her candor despite the fact that it resulted in intense disagreements over the years.
According to Brolin, Streisand’s openness served as a compass, influencing his outlook on life and sobriety. He talked about how her statements resonated with him, especially her assertion that “wine is bad for alcoholics.”
In his forthcoming memoir, From Under the Truck, which will be published on Tuesday, November 19, the actor also discussed his childhood and personal hardships. The book recounts Brolin’s life-altering decision to get sober after waking up outside his home with a hangover and his family’s history of addiction.
Actor James Brolin and his late mother Jane were the parents of Brolin, who had a difficult upbringing marked by addiction and divorce. He attributed his current sober lifestyle to these encounters as well as Streisand’s tough love.
“I knew that was going to be the last time I drank,” he openly admitted to Stern, signaling a sea change in a path that has reshaped both his personal and professional lives.
