5 Things You Never Knew About James Brolin
James Brolin turns 85 on July 18, 2025, making it the perfect time to look back at the life and career of the man who made Dr. Steven Kiley, George Lutz (The Amityville Horror) and Peter McDermott household names. Whether you first saw him in Marcus Welby, M.D., Hotel or recently heard his voice as Emperor Zurg in Lightyear, Brolin has been a steady, charismatic presence on our screens for over six decades. He’s played doctors, soldiers, cowboys and even came this close to becoming James Bond. In his personal life he is happily married to Barbra Streisand and is father to another famous Hollywood face, Josh Brolin (The Goonies).
In honor of his career and birthday, here are some things you might not know about the actor who’s still going strong well into his 80s:
1 He was once almost James Bond
As Clark Gable in the 1976 film, Gable and Lombard. Everett Collection
Long before Daniel Craig ever ordered a shaken martini, James Brolin came close to being the next 007. After Roger Moore hinted he might leave the franchise in the early ’80s, Brolin actually screen-tested for the role and was reportedly about to move to London to start filming Octopussy when Moore changed his mind according to PEOPLE. Just a couple years later, he parodied the whole thing in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, playing a secret agent version of Pee-wee Herman in a film-within-the-film, complete with Bond swagger and Morgan Fairchild on his arm.
2 He made his mark on medical drama history
Ivan Nagy/TV Guide/Everett Collection
For a generation of TV fans, Brolin will always be Dr. Steven Kiley from Marcus Welby, M.D. The series debuted in 1969 and quickly became a primetime favorite, with Brolin playing the earnest, younger doctor opposite Robert Young‘s seasoned pro. Their chemistry helped make the show one of the highest-rated dramas of the ’70s. He won an Emmy in 1970 for his performance, and picked up multiple Golden Globes along the way.
3 He and Barbra Streisand are a true Hollywood love story
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hollywood marriages are notorious for being short-lived, but James Brolin and Barbra Streisand have been happily married since 1998. They were introduced by a mutual friend in the late ’90s and clicked almost instantly. The couple tied the knot on July 1, 1998, in a private ceremony at their Malibu home. Since then, they’ve remained refreshingly low-key, despite their A-list status, and seem to be very happy together — so happy together that a romantic comment made by Brolin to Streisand inspired Diane Warren to write the Aerosmith ballad “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” says Deadline.
4 He’s had an impressive second act in voice work
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett Collection
Though he’s in his 80s, Brolin isn’t slowing down. In fact, he’s found a whole new audience through his voice roles. He lent his deep, distinctive voice to Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, serving as the narrator from 2021 to 2024, guiding viewers through a post-apocalyptic fairytale. Then came Lightyear in 2022, where he took on the role of the villainous Emperor Zurg in the Toy Story spinoff.
5 He was a real-life race car driver
CBS/Everett Collection
In the late ’70s, Brolin took his love of speed from the screen to the track. He competed in celebrity races and even entered the prestigious 24 Hours Nürburgring in 1979. Driving an AMC Spirit, his team, which included pro driver Lyn St. James, finished first and second in their class. Brolin took racing seriously and trained like a pro. Between takes and during breaks from filming, he was working on engines and improving lap times.
Remind 
Classic Hollywood Hunks
September 2019
Cary Grant, Sean Connery, Rock Hudson and Paul Newman, smoldered onscreen and, in addition to being smokin’ hot, they were effortlessly cool.
Buy This Issue