
James brolin looks back with no regrets
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At 82, James Brolin has been a working actor since the late ’60s, and has earned an Emmy, two Golden Globes and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His latest project is narrating the
Netflix fantasy series _Sweet Tooth, _which follows the adventures of Gus — part deer, part boy — who ventures out of his forest home after a worldwide cataclysmic event. The Los Angeles
born-and-raised Brolin talked to AARP about his longtime marriage to Barbra Streisand, his short-lived singing career and how he landed the _Sweet Tooth _gig. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. IS AN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF _SWEET TOOTH_. DID YOU KNOW HIM PRIOR TO THE PROJECT? We’re neighbors, and he and Josh [James’ son, actor Josh Brolin] have been friends for a long time. We had
recently been for lunch [with Downey Jr.] and had a great day. He raises farm animals at his place. He’s really a loose kind of guy. I was surprised. I had met him years ago, but this was
the first time we really had fun across a lunch table. I got the call not too long afterwards, “We want you to narrate this thing for us,” and my manager got into it to make a deal with
Warner Brothers, and then [Downey Jr.] called Warner Brothers [and said], “I don’t care what he wants, just give it to him. That’s who we’re hiring, period.” YOU AND BARBRA WILL CELEBRATE
YOUR 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN JULY. HOW DO YOU MAKE IT WORK? I practiced twice before this one, and I’m glad I did, because it got me ready for this one. We are so good together. Any big
plans or presents to celebrate? It’s always a piece of jewelry — it’s very welcome. Flowers, we get too many on days like that. We’ve been trying to plan. … [I ask] “Where will we go?” And
she says, “I don’t want to go in a plane.” I say, “Well, let’s get in a pickup and drive to Lake Powell again.” She had never been at a truck stop before [our first trip], and she’s going,
“Look at all this great stuff they’re selling you.” That’s the Brooklyn girl for you. Brolin and wife Barbra Streisand have been married nearly 25 years. Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images Barbra
doesn’t like to fly, but you and your daughter, Molly, have taken some big trips together. Anything coming up? Well, she has had a child who is 10 months old now, so it’s not time yet. But
[when it is time, I’m thinking],_ How about we hike The Nakasendo Trail from Tokyo to Osaka and go through the little towns that close the town doors at night?_ I would love to see that.
I’ve never been to Japan, which is crazy. When will we see a James Brolin/Barbra Streisand collaboration? Well, I don’t know if she’s in a hurry. She says, “Acting, oh my God.” She’s going
to still put out some albums. Is there a song of Barbra’s that has always been your favorite? She has so many that every once in a while, I’ll turn on something in the car and find myself in
tears. There must be 10 songs that do that to me that she’s done. I keep telling her [that] on a new album, I’d like to hear her sing “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” Crystal Gayle’s
song. Do you sing? I did an album once because the neighbor across the street said, “You know, I just did an album for these people in Oklahoma City, and they asked me if you might be
interested.” So I had three or four weeks [to record it]. At the time [I had a couple of] friends that had hit records, [including] Glen Campbell, and I said, “Help me here. Help me.” I was
ill-prepared, but it’s out there. Every once in a while, [the album] shows up on eBay: _James Brolin Sings_.