Picture Perfect! James Brolin’s Greatest Life & Career Highlights
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Nov. 17 2017, Published 9:54 a.m. ET
James Brolin was born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin in Los Angeles, Calif., on July 18, 1940. His dad was Henry Hurst Bruderlin, a building contractor, and his mom was Helen Sue, a housewife. As a child, young James had a keen interest in animals and airplanes. He fell in love with acting when he saw screen hunk James Dean’s work, and forged a friendship with future star Ryan O’Neal. Today, the award-winning superstar is the husband of legendary singer Barbra Streisand. Click through RadarOnline.com’s gallery to see some of the brightest moments in his brilliant career and fascinating life.
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James Brolin was born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin in Los Angeles, Calif., on July 18, 1940. His dad was Henry Hurst Bruderlin, a building contractor, and his mom was Helen Sue, a housewife. As a child, young James had a keen interest in animals and airplanes. He fell in love with acting when he saw screen hunk James Dean’s work, and forged a friendship with future star Ryan O’Neal. Today, the award-winning superstar is the husband of legendary singer Barbra Streisand. Click through RadarOnline.com’s gallery to see some of the brightest moments in his brilliant career and fascinating life.
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1965 FILM DEBUT: Brolin appears in Von Ryan’s Express, a World War II adventure film about a group of Allied POWs escaping the Germans. It also stars Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard.
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1966 WEDDING BELLS: He marries Jane Cameron Agee. They have two children and divorce in 1985. Nine years later, Agee was killed in a car accident.
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1967 SPY GAME: The budding actor appears in The Cape Town Affair, a spy film with Jacqueline Bisset, in which he plays Skip McCoy.
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1969 PLAYING DOCTOR: Brolin is cast in popular television medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. Fans love the young, talented assistant physician Dr. Steven Kiley, who became a fixture in American living rooms. The series was a huge success and James won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
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1972 AIRPLANE MADNESS: He appears in the movie Skyjacked, with Charlton Heston and Yvette Mimieux.
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1979 SCARY STUFF: James stars in The Amityville Horror, with Margot Kidder and Rod Steiger. A newlywed couple moves into a large house where a mass murder was committed, and experience strange manifestations, which drive them away. The film is based on a true story, and although it gets bad reviews from critics, it is successful commercially and grosses $86.4 million worldwide.
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1983 BACK TO TV: He’s back on television in the popular series Hotel. Brolin plays hotel manager Peter McDermott, whose full-service approach helps people with their personal problems, too.
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1986 WED AGAIN: Brolin marries Jan Smithers and has a daughter. The couple divorce in 1995.
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1998 THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM: Brolin ties the knot with singer-actress Barbra Streisand. The couple lives in Malibu, Calif.
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2000 DRUG TRADE: Brolin appears in the crime drama Traffic, with Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid and Benicio del Toro, playing the supporting role of General Ralph Landry.
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2003 POLITICS: Brolin appears as former president Ronald Reagan in a popular three-hour television film, The Reagans. The film catches flak for its negative portrayal of Reagan, but Brolin’s acting is praised and he is nominated for a Golden Globe.
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2015 HIT SHOW: He stars in the television series Life in Pieces, as retired pilot John Bertram Short. The show is now in its third season.
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