Actors take pay cuts to work with the best directors all the time. Pretty common for the Cohen brothers, Nolan, PTA, Tarantino, Scorsese, Spielberg, etc.
This just tells you even a famous actor can be struggling. Josh was already a known actor when he filmed no country for old men which btw is a great movie
What is great about Josh is he came up through the school of hard knocks like old time stars like Mitchum and Lee Marvin and McQueen. And that makes him a more truthful actor
That year, I always remember, Brolin had American Gangster, No Country For Old Men, and Grindhouse, with Milk and W. the following year. He's just a beast. And don't get me started on his performance as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
For Brolin to say that he'd never seen 600K before his payday from AG after making all those movies just tells me that just because actors are on screen or on a red carpet, they can be just a broke as anyone else.
@@videostoragechannel Taxes, Percentages to agents/managers/publicists, alimony, child support & then daily cost of living. I mean if ball players can go/be broke, why can't these folks?
Brolin was great in Inherent Vice, a movie that few people saw. I didn't know he was almost broke by the time he acted in American Gangster, but it makes sense if you see the string of movies he was in from 2000 to 2007. Great that everything worked out in the end.
They all have lawyers to ensure certain contract obligations and legalities between the actor and studio. That’s why he said he thought he’d get 30k from a 60k pay check. Half of their earnings is lost to their agent, lawyer, and taxes. This goes for ALL actors no matter how big or small
That's good info for those that care, but the joke still stands...Josh Brolin doesn't know what broke is. Born in Santa Monica, son of an actor, first role was the Goonies (residuals?), has had film roles nearly every year of his adult life. Broke my ass.
@@potheadpilot I'm not so sure mate. I doubt he was living on the street homeless, but also looking at his IMDB he wasn't in anything substantial until American Gangster. And having a "role" a year probably only yielded a few thousand dollars and even less after all the payments i mentioned before. Also "the Goonies" isn't Seinfeld or Friends so I guess that residuals would be VERY minor. I'd be inclined to say he was probably working civilian type jobs in between for most of his life and living paycheck to paycheck. So kinda depends on your definition of "broke"
That's the thing that's crazy is you see him in so many movies because he's been in the industry for decades and at times not making money truly comes down to the roles because making good movies or movies that draw and even your agents because if your agent can't realize putting this person in your film will give this many more millions you should be paying them X more than this, it truly can break a career because the actor or actress can't afford to do.
Most actors aren’t getting million dollar paychecks. And what they do get, 10-percent goes to their agent off the top, they pay taxes on the full amount, then they’re paying LA or New York rent or property taxes. That’s why you see some character actors in 5 movies and 2 or 3 TV shows a year. Great example is Daniel Von Bargen, who played George’s boss in Seinfeld. Along with that network gig, he was a perpetual “that guy” in any movie that needed a middle aged bureaucrat.
@@lox7923 it's the mentality of making your own way, even with famous and/or rich parents. it could be him, too, wanting to prove to himself that he could be as successful as his dad without his dad's help.
Wow, as long as he's been around, it is nuts he was that broke after No Country. He was perfect in that role first of all (and damn, what a year for films and the Oscars, No Country and There Will Be Blood), but also the guy had been around for so long, even at that point, I mean he was just a kid in the Goonies over 20 years earlier or something. Hats of to Brolin
Well yeah, it can be interesting to see how little B list and even lower A list actors make. Unless you're a megastar you go thru feast and famine cycles that do impact your income year to year. But at the same time a lot of them do live above their means after they've had a good year and also feel entitled -- and pressured -- to overspend on real estate and lifestyle. Brolin had been working steadily and Goonies no doubt paid him decent residuals -- there's not a weekend that goes by that it's not on tv. At the same time coughing up 10% of everything you make to your agent and manager gets costly.
@@lox7923 Yeah exactly. I mean James Brolin was mostly a C list actor and was never making bank, but yeah after marrying Streisand he and his immediate family were set and I'd imagine that actually opened a few doors for her new stepson to start getting major scripts coming his way again.
He had the Young Guns television series and a few others, but he has been divorced a couple of times so that cuts your assets in half immediately and also child support, etc.
@@lox7923broke doesn’t need to mean on the streets to be devastating. A friend of mine in college came from serious money, like vacationing at your summer home in Austria money. His dad refused to pay for any of his college, and essentially said that if the worst were to happen, his dad would pay for an efficiency apartment for 500 bucks a month or less. That’s a better safety net than most people have, but that’s not a good life.
It's wild to think about how even someone who's been around as long as Brolin was struggling that much. He definitely deserved more money than he got for NCFOM.
The best seem to be authentic and come from that humble place where they struggled and were broke so they appreciate it and have something more authentic to draw on.
DAMN?! I'm aware of actors struggling. Anyone can be in a position of struggle. But based on the work Brolin was putting in, I thought he was easily clearing seven figure roles. Wow.
I find it alarming that he's the son of James Brolin and had an agent yet didn't know what Points were. He likely knew of them but could never consider it as an option since he was more focused on having a roof over his head.
Well, taking points is gambling on the success of the project. You take points, you get less pay so I’d wager you are correct…..he was more worried about keeping a roof over his head with guaranteed money.
No Country is on my top 10 all time list. First time I caught it was on the local UHF/synication station , Saturday afternoon matinee, a scant year or so after its release. Kept thinking "This is REALLY good! How the F is it already on this station?!"
He was so awesome in that movie also! That, and Sicario. Of course- Thanos, but he always gives 100% Even that role in Goonies was okay for a teen at the time.
Not a fan of him as a person but boy howdy is it enjoyable to watch him on the screen. Old Boy remake with Josh is pretty darned great ! The original is the best, but this one is a very close second for me.
It seems like I have no idea how much actors make, what the average famous to semi-famous actor earnings growth looks like or how contracts in Hollywood actually work. It also seems like film studios know how to exploit this...
I really like him as an actor but being totally broke? Come on! His father is hollywood actor James Brolin, married to Barbra Streisand, money has never been a problem for this guy.
"Broke" is obviously a relative term here. Josh Brolin being the son of James Brolin, a noted actor himself who has been married to Barbara Streisand (estimated net worth of $400m) since 1998. Makes a good story, but he was nowhere near being broke as most people would call it.
Messed up to hear he was making almost nothing. He's been acting for years!! He was on the goonies as a teenager! I'm glad he's getting recognition now
His father is James Brolin . His Stepmom is Barbra Streisand (net worth $400 million). Josh was married to Diane Lane, who was starring in movies with Richard Gere at the time. I'm pretty sure Josh would've survived somehow....
While I completely understand Tony hawk accepting a half million I sincerely wish he had a financial advisor at the time as they would have scoffed at the offer. They bought 100% of his royalties forever. Now he has done just fine for himself despite this one slip up but he would have made a lot more than 500k.
Man was talking about trying to make ends meet begging for 25k for tony hawk to say "I went through the same scenario when they offered me HALF A MILLION DOLLARS"
thats crazy, dude made over 20 movies before that. Insane you can do all that work and be broke. Ontop of it alot of those movies ended up being cult classics
I just have a hard time believing this, his father james brolin was an actor who did ok, and is currently married to Barbara Streisand, and he had already been in the incredibly successful movie the Goonies. Idk how he got so shafted to the point where he talks about being.
Totally broke yet still could afford a lawyer. Actually. I shouldnt say that. Some professions get lawyers for free. Example, a local labor union to me keeps lawyers on retainer for all members, anything from family matters- divorces, separations, child custidy and support- Criminal matters- arrests, duis etc.,- and bankruptcy attorneys. All free of charge. I thought that was pretty sweet and thought about switching unions or buying a laborers card just for that perk
This guy was doing movies long before no country and his dad was a famous actor so none of this makes any sense. Unless you consider spending the first 40 years of your life partying in Hollywood to be "struggling"
