With a career spanning decades since his film debut in 1985’s The Goonies, fans of actor Josh Brolin may have forgotten his work prior to joining the MCU in 2013. From time to time that period is recalled, and probably will be again in the near future, thanks to Brolin having two projects on the 2025 movie schedule.
But as seen in a recent recollection provided by Brolin himself, his understanding about the ups and downs of his own career has given him the ability to candidly admit that he always brings his A-game, and holds Sir Anthony Hopkins as an inspiration to do so.
Josh Brolin’s ‘A-Game’ Response To Being Asked About Doing ‘C- Work’
As the Dune: Part Two star sat down with host Guy Raz on The Great Creators podcast, the 2009 Academy Award nominee recalled a pretty blunt story about how his career had changed over the years. Through his anecdote about that interview, Brolin also shared his approach to acting in the following context:
I remember somebody said to me in an interview, ‘How does it feel to be doing A+ work now, when you were doing C- work?’ I was like, ‘Fuck you, man. Who said I was doing C- work?’ It may be perceived as a C- movie, but I was bringing an A-game to everything I could, with whatever ability I had. … I did nothing different in No Country [For Old Men] than I did in the one day I did in Milwaukee, when I put on the G-string and the pantyhose.
Similar to that time Nicolas Cage rebuked claims he phoned some movies in, Josh Brolin is someone that I feel we can trust to be truthful in that regard. Whether it’s terrorizing the world as Thanos in the MCU, or running from an invisible Kevin Bacon in Hollow Man, it’s hard to make a case that the man doesn’t show up ready to play. Something like Brolin’s sterling impression of Tommy Lee Jones from Men in Black 3 doesn’t happen by accident.
Further along in this conversation, the member of the Weapons cast actually had another story to tell about when he was struggling in his career. And as you’ll read from Josh Brolin’s continued remarks, the trajectory of Sir Anthony Hopkins’ own resume is a key comparison he still has in mind when looking back.
How Anthony Hopkins’ Career Inspired Josh Brolin’s Take On Acting
Some of the “C-movies” that the Outer Range star may have done could have been due to just luck of the draw in an extensive career. While he doesn’t name any person or opportunity specifically, Josh Brolin continued to talk about his canon by recalling how he roles to "actors who I didn’t think were necessarily really good actors."
That frustration did lead to the wisdom that's helped him temper his reactions. Which leads to this example of Mr. Hopkins, and how the fates of good or bad actors are unknown:
...we know now bad actors can have great careers, and great actors can have no careers. That’s the thing about our industry is you don’t know. It can be a look, it can be a thing, it can be a vibe. Or it can be a great technician, or somebody like Anthony Hopkins - who gets Silence of the Lambs at 55 ... he has a whole career from 55 to 85. He’s amazing … literally one of the great living actors, and was one of the great living actors before that.
In his current state, Josh Brolin can definitely mourn a missed opportunity, but move on to the next gig. We saw it graciously manifest when Brolin’s Lanterns casting rumors didn’t pan out, and we’ll probably see it again. Knowing his work ethic, and the skills he brings to the table, this should only endear this versatile talent to anyone who’s open to casting him.
Both parts of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation are currently available to stream, thanks to access to either a Max or Netflix subscription. The latter option will be important for fans of Josh Brolin as he can next be seen in Wake Up Dead Man: a Knives Out mystery, which will presumably be debuting on that platform at some point during 2025’s calendar.
