Josh Brolin has become quite a prominent figure in Hollywood. Having starred in some very critically acclaimed works, he has made a name for himself as an incredibly talented actor. While his face is mainly seen in films like Dune, No Country for Old Men, and Sicario, one of his most successful and acclaimed roles was in films where he did not even look like himself.
Famously playing Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he became the bane of every Marvel fan’s existence. However, long before he became the purple alien, Brolin was like any other actor in the film industry. That was until a Denzel Washington film saved him.
Josh Brolin—A Struggling Actor
Before an actor comes to the forefront of the media, it is a well-known fact that the profession does not offer a lot of benefits. Actors work tirelessly at auditions to get a callback, while they try to make ends meet by working odd jobs to make their dreams come true. Every single A-lister has experienced this kind of rock bottom at some point in their lives, and Josh Brolin was no different in this.
Long before he starred as Thanos in one of the biggest films of all time, he was also a struggling actor, stumbling his way through Hollywood. During an interview with Hawk vs Wolf, he talked about what it was like for him to star in massive films like No Country for Old Men, and American Gangster.
It depends on what kind of success you’re talking about. It’s like success for (No Country for Old Men), I got paid nothing. I mean very, very, very, very little. You know, then I did American Gangster. I got paid a little more.
It would seem that after starring in Javier Bardem’s 2007 film, Brolin was left with no money to support himself. Afterward, he starred in Denzel Washington’s American Gangster, and while he was paid after starring in the film, it was not enough to support himself for a very long time.
But I was broke, and it turns out American Gangster did well, and I was freaking out cause I was broke. I didn’t even know what points was. Do you know what I mean? Somebody in my position at that point, you don’t go, like, ‘I want 5% of first dollar gross.’
Additionally, Brolin was also fairly new to the industry, so he did not know how to advocate for himself. He did not know how to ask for the money he deserved, and he was taken advantage of because of this. However, Washington’s film was different in this regard.
One Zero Changed Josh Brolin’s Life
After American Gangster was released, Josh Brolin very quickly learned just how successful the movie had become. Starting many conversations and being extremely critically acclaimed, it is safe to assume that the movie was earning a lot. However, the actor understood that none of it would be going into his pocket.
While having a successful film is an excellent achievement, if there is no money coming from it, one cannot help but feel upset. Pondering what to do, Brolin received a call from his lawyer, who told him to check his email. There, he read that he was earning $60,000 for his contributions to the film. This made him very happy, as he was struggling to make ends meet. However, things took a turn very soon.
I was totally broke and I got a call by my lawyer and she said, ‘Did you see my email?’ and I looked at it and I was like ‘Thank God!’. I thought it was like $60,000, and it literally saved me, even though that was going to be taxed and all that I’d probably end up with $30,000-$25,000 after commissions and all that. It turned out that it wasn’t ($60,000). I f*cking started crying.
While this is not a small number on its own, Brolin later realized that he misread the numbers. The actor was not earning $60,000, but $600,000. This moment changed his life, and it is safe to say that he was very grateful for it.
American Gangster is available for streaming on Netflix.
