Why Josh Brolin Was Afraid His Hollywood Career Was Nearly Over

Nobody can accuse Josh Brolin of not taking risks or swinging for the fences when it comes to acting. If you look back on his career, starting in the 1980s, it's clear that he's become such a versatile actor that he can transform into any character if the material is right. From the classic 1980s kids adventure film "The Goonies" to "Mimic," "No Country for Old Men," "Only the Brave," "Sicario," and so on, he's someone who throws himself into roles that often scare the hell out of him. That's the point — that's the challenge that keeps him on his toes.

Yet, even for such a talent as him, there are periods and jobs where self-doubt breaks the mould of confidence and makes him question his decisions as well as his career trajectory on a deeper level. In an interview with Empire, Brolin talked about such an instance related to his more recent roles in various films. As he put it:

"There was a moment. [...] I called my agent and had a tiny bit of a freak-out, which I don't normally have. 'Why are we doing all these smaller parts? Is this the end of my career?' All this stuff. It lasted a few minutes, and it didn't need for him to say anything, but it made me start thinking. It made me shift my perspective. And I was like, 'These are the roles that I've been looking for. It doesn't matter how big or small they are — they're with great filmmakers, and they're great roles in great stories.'"

The actor added that he desperately needed the year he's had in 2025. No matter how his movies wound up performing at the box office, he "needed to be able to sink his teeth into s*** and mix it up."

Zach Cregger's intriguing horror-mystery "Weapons" was one of the biggest hits of Summer 2025 (both critically and commercially), and Brolin played a vital part in that. But that role is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the actor's gotten up to lately. "Wake Up Dead Man," Rian Johnson's third installment in the "Knives Out" franchise, is also making a lot of noise, and Brolin once again plays a pivotal character in its larger mystery (this time as Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a prominent priest and domineering figure of his congregation).

Brolin has also got several films on the horizon, including Edgar Wright's "The Running Man" adaptation, in which he acts alongside Glen Powell, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, and Michael Cera. However, his next two projects after that – the great Ridley Scott's "The Dog Stars" and Brian Duffield's third directorial effort, "Whalefall" — might be even more exciting. The former is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film set in a future where a virus wiped out most of humanity, while the latter movie is about a scuba diver (played by "Weapons" veteran Austin Abrams) looking for his father's (Brolin) remains and getting swallowed by a giant whale, forcing him to try and escape the belly of the beast before his oxygen runs out. Yup, that's a "Wait, what?" premise if I ever heard one. So, between all that and his role in a little film called "Dune: Part Three," it's fair to say that Brolin fans have plenty to look forward to.

"The Running Man" hits theaters on November 14, 2025. "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" will follow shortly after on November 26 before hitting Netflix on December 12, 2025.