Josh Brolin revealed the one surprising daily habit that has kept him sober for over 12 years. The actor reflected on his turbulent past with alcohol and the deeply personal moment that changed his life for good.
Josh Brolin reflects on his drinking past and sobriety
Josh Brolin opened up about his sobriety journey in a recent interview with The Telegraph. The actor revealed he attends an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting every morning at 6 a.m. on Zoom. As a result, he has now been sober for 12 years after decades of struggles with alcohol and drugs.
Furthermore, Brolin described the moment that changed everything for him. “Drinking got boring in the end. I woke up on the sidewalk outside my house, yet again, and it felt like a fork in the road,” he said. He added that sobriety brought him more joy than alcohol ever did. “I love being sober. I’m having way more fun now than I ever did drinking, and I never end up in jail, which is a real bonus,” the actor stated.
However, the Whalefall star’s troubles with alcohol began early in life. He grew up in a surf-punk crew called Cito Rats in Montecito, California, where he engaged in heavy drug use and drinking. Police arrested him nine times during his 20s and 30s, mainly for public drunkenness and fighting. He first attempted sobriety at 19 after police arrested him for assaulting six officers. “I was drunk and thought I was Bruce Lee,” Brolin recalled.
Still, a deeply personal moment ultimately pushed him toward lasting sobriety. He previously told the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast that his dying grandmother inspired the final change. “My grandmother, who was 99 at the time, picked her head up and looked at me and smiled, and that was it,” Brolin shared. He said the experience made him reflect on his own resilience. “If this woman could get through 99 years on life’s terms, how dare me?” he added.
Currently, Brolin lives in Montecito with his third wife, Kathryn, and their two young daughters. He credits his family and daily routine for keeping him grounded in recovery.
