As a seasoned movie-goer and biography reader, I’ve come across many celebrity memoirs, but none quite like Josh Brolin’s “From Under the Truck.” The book is a raw, unfiltered look into the life of this multi-talented actor, offering an intimate glimpse into his turbulent childhood, his struggles with substance abuse, and his remarkable career journey.
Josh Brolin’s new memoir, “From Under the Truck,” isn’t a typical celebrity autobiography.
“Firstly, the book narrates events in an unconventional manner, jumping between recollections of recent times, childhood memories, and different stages of his extensive career. This journey takes us from his initial success in ‘The Goonies’ to later achievements like ‘No Country for Old Men’ and ‘Milk.’ The book is also remarkably open about Brolin’s mistakes and triumphs, covering a long battle with substance abuse, juicy anecdotes about fellow celebrities, and frequent reflections on his difficult upbringing. Here are four key insights from ‘From Under the Truck.’
Turbulent periods: In the beginning of his book, Brolin writes that he was “destined to drink,” later stating that he was “born to drink.” His mother, Jane Agee Cameron, he writes, was a heavy drinker who influenced his perception of adulthood. He continues by saying, “I drank just like my mother did, and I was brought up to be a man and drink like the male version of my mother.” Later in the book, he recalls his frequent visits to bars during the filming of “No Country for Old Men,” where a crew member distributed T-shirts with the slogan “I BLAME JOSH BROLIN” and a photo of his drunken face taken during one of those wild weekends. On set, he reflects on his mother and the destruction she left behind after waking up late in the morning: “I think of my mother and how she held that .22 rifle on her boyfriend because she didn’t want him to leave.
One particularly poignant moment in the book is when Brolin recounts an incident at the New York Film Critics Circle awards in 2008, where he received the Best Supporting Actor award for his work in “Milk.” (He was also nominated for an Oscar that year, but ultimately lost to Heath Ledger for “The Dark Knight.”) Prior to accepting the award, Brolin tells of how he sat in a hotel lounge, drinking wine to combat a hangover. The alcohol seemed to amplify his fatigue, yet it would always triumph over him, reviving his strength with a sort of battle-ready energy, as if whispering, “Be a warrior.
Brolin inadvertently insults Robert de Niro before heading to the awards ceremony, perhaps the biggest moment of his career. “The dude from ‘The Goonies’ had made good,” Brolin realizes, but he sabotages himself by delivering a profane and rude speech excoriating his perceived haters. “Words like motherfucker and piece of shit rolled off my tongue and onto a growing din of shock and disgust,” Brolin recalls. After returning to his seat, Brolin meets his castmate Sean Penn’s eyes: “Sean smiled a friendly smile, as your brother would while you’re being wheeled back into a traumatic surgery.”
Shooting “The Goonies” and “No Country”: The two films Brolin spends the most time recalling are his first film and the one that revived his adult career. “The Goonies” gives rise to sweet and somewhat melancholy reflections on staying in an Oregon motor inn with the rest of the young cast and getting encouragement from producer Steven Spielberg (“He smiled a little bit once. He told me to keep loose. I’ll remember that.”) The “No Country” shoot is a more raucous affair, marked both by physical setbacks — among them a broken collarbone suffered in a Los Angeles car crash. (Brolin is allowing the injury to “heal naturally” without setting it, and is relieved that the fact that his “No Country” character suffers a shoulder injury makes him, still, an apt fit for the part.)
During their work on the Coens’ movie, Brolin develops a close friendship with Joel Coen, chatting about their careers and joking about how Frances McDormand, Fran as he refers to her, refuses to do press; however, his relationship with co-star Tommy Lee Jones is more formal. Brolin admires him deeply, describing him as “the most authentic cowboy I’ve ever seen on screen.
Building and Maintaining Relationships: Brolin occasionally hints at numerous high-profile individuals he’s encountered throughout his career, such as Joaquin Phoenix, whom he shares beers with following the completion of “Inherent Vice.” He humorously comments on Phoenix winning an Oscar for “Joker,” saying, “What a twist: becoming a well-known actor for portraying someone hardly visible and gaining even more fame from it.” Additionally, Brolin mentions an unidentified actor-director whom he offended while intoxicated at the Chateau Marmont. Later, he tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to apologize through the director’s representative.
In contrast, certain relationships prove to be more enduring. For instance, Oliver Stone, who directed Brolin as George W. Bush in “W.”, maintains a significant presence, earning a dedicated segment detailing what could potentially be an exaggerated account of a peculiar encounter regarding the role. (Stone himself remarks: “You’ve been through a lot. I can tell. (pause) I meditate.” And Cormac McCarthy, author of the novel that inspired “No Country for Old Men”, was a close confidant until his passing in 2023; following this, Brolin pays a visit to McCarthy’s residence, reflecting on the moment he requested McCarthy, whom he greatly admired, to sign his typewriter: “It was a question that undervalued our friendship. Let collectors pay top dollar for some worn-out garments that might contain remnants of genius within them.”)
Brolin frankly discusses personal struggles and victories, including health issues and family crises: Brolin does not hold back when recounting the hardships he and his family have experienced. In one particularly harrowing instance, he was stabbed by a stranger in Costa Rica in 2013; fortunately, the knife struck his navel instead of any vital organs. Additionally, in 2006, Brolin feared the worst when his son Trevor went missing; it was later discovered that Trevor had been admitted to a hospital due to alcohol poisoning.
However, Brolin is just as open about his affection for his family. For example, he regards his stepmother Barbra Streisand as tough and straightforward, with a unique ability to confront him about his substance use. “I’ve always admired strong women,” he notes. “It’s a bit of an Oedipal thing.” He expresses gratitude not only for his difficult mother, whom he keeps a portrait of on his desk, but also for his children. “I’m thankful,” he says, “that everyone seems to be in the right place, even my mother watching over me here at home.
“From Under the Truck” is on sale now.
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2024-11-19 21:17