Actor Josh Brolin has a new memoir coming out that details his difficult childhood and complicated relationship with his alcoholic mother. One story in particular really stands out, though; Brolin admits that his mother used to “sic wild animals” on him and his brother.
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The Oscar-nominated actor was recently interviewed by The Times to talk about his upcoming book. During the interview, Brolin opens up about his wild childhood and “unpredictability of his alcoholic mother”. His mother was a wildlife activist and kept several rescued animals on their property, including bobcats, cougars, and mountain lions.
While on the topic of wild animals, Brolin brought up how his mother used to pull a “trick” on him and his brother while on the ranch. Apparently, the actor’s mother would yell “Sic ’em” to whichever animal was nearby to try to get it to chase after her boys.
Brolin recalls this by writing, “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.”
Brolin Writes About His Chaotic Upbringing
The memoir, From Under The Truck, gets personal about Brolin’s chaotic life as a heavy drinker. The Milk actor talks about how his mother’s drinking influenced him and how, at a very young age, experimented with different kinds of drugs.
The article by The Times mentions this saying, “He was nine when he first tried marijuana and 13 when he first dropped acid. Later he yo-yoed between raging alcoholism and sobriety. He has been in jail nine times.”
The Marvel actor has now been sober for more than a decade. He tells The Times of his sobriety, “I love being sober. I have more fun.”
Brolin is now 56 and married to his third wife Kathryn Boyd. They share two children together, Westlyn, 6, and Chapel, 3. They live on a ranch in Texas.