Josh Brolin Says Nepotism Made It More Challenging to Prove Himself as a Young Actor During ‘The Goonies’ Audition

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A teenage Josh Brolin quickly got humbled by Steven Spielberg while filming 1985’s The Goonies.

In a recent interview with Rob Lowe on SiriusXM’s show “Literally!”, the 56-year-old actor reminisced about his early acting career, particularly his memorable role as Brand Walsh in the cherished movie directed by Richard Donner.

Brolin reminisced about the making of ‘Goonies’, stating it seemed almost serendipitous. He went on to explain that when he auditioned, they apparently played the Brolin card, asking him if he was James Brolin’s son and whether he wanted to act. Instead of relying on nepotism, they challenged him by saying, ‘So act.’

The famous Avengers actor embarked on a mission to establish himself as a credible dramatic performer, immersing himself deeply in studies with the aim of absorbing as much knowledge as he could.

He shared that he immersed himself in study, acquiring books by Stanislavski, Grotowski, and Antonin Artaud – the pioneer of “The Theatre of Cruelty.” Spending a majority of his time in bookstores, he was engrossed in reading after reading.

In the end, he managed to have a meeting with Donner and Spielberg, who were responsible for producing the movie, and they eventually agreed on his role in the casting process. “I seemed to fit the part perfectly,” the actor from ‘Dune’ explained. “When you consider Sean Astin, the kind of film it is, I had that rebellious look, but also a jock-like quality, and I was in great physical condition. They thought, ‘That’s the man.’ I returned for six auditions just to confirm, and then I secured the role.

Brolin’s recently acquired wisdom sparked some grand concepts as well. Yet, when he mustered the nerve to discuss them with Spielberg, the director swiftly brought him back from his daydreaming by presenting a more realistic perspective.

At some point during our filming, I found myself talking to Steven in one of the tunnels. I asked him if I could share a thought for a moment, to which he agreed. I suggested that the tunnels might symbolize my mother’s womb, and proposed an idea where I would appear to be climbing up the tunnel, symbolizing my attempt to sever the emotional umbilical cord with my mother. I further explained that this scene could depict me crying as I did so. Steven seemed interested in my idea, nodding along as I spoke, and then I waited for his response.

Then he gazed at me and remarked, “Why don’t you just perform? Simply speak the lines from the script, you’ll be alright,” he continued. However, instead of retorting with a sarcastic “Dick!”, I responded calmly, “Absolutely. I understand.”

Or more informally:

He gave me a look and said, “Why don’t you just go ahead and act? Just say the lines, you’ll be good,” he suggested. Instead of snapping back with a smart remark like “Dick!”, I just nodded and agreed, “Got it.

As a gamer, I’d say: “In The Goonies, it was me along with Mikey, Data, Mouth, Brand, Chunk, and Andy, who embarked on a thrilling quest. We stumbled upon an old map hinting at the hidden loot of a legendary pirate, and we decided to chase the dream of treasure hunters.

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2025-01-31 05:54