Josh Brolin has had plenty of 2025 movie releases that critics and audiences loved, like Weapons, Wake Up Dead Man, and The Running Man. It’s hard to believe that the ‘80s movie that launched the A-list actor’s career was The Goonies. Despite the success he’s seen over the last several decades, Brolin is still remembered for his role as Brandon Walsh. Although the Oscar nominee can appreciate the film’s legacy, he also explains why such an affiliation can be “a pain in the ass.”
The Goonies is an ‘80s adventure classic that offers comedy, action, and friendship, and still resonates with audiences to this day. Not only did it launch Josh Brolin’s career, but it also helped the careers of Sean Astin, Martha Plimpton, Corey Feldman and Ke Huy Quan. However, based on what Brolin shared with The Independent, it sounds like his link to the Steven Spielberg-produced film became somewhat ubiquitous:
For 10 years, it was really fun to have done a movie that was appreciated. But then when you don’t have another movie to lean on, it becomes a pain in the ass. I don’t have a problem with it now, though. I can celebrate it.
I completely understand what Josh Brolin means, and he also did have professional struggles after The Goonies. He went on to play Wild Bill Hickok in The Young Riders series for three seasons, but then was on a couple of short-lived shows. While he worked with talented directors like Guillermo Del Toro, Woody Allen, and Paul Verhoeven, the film projects he did with them didn’t have a lasting impression on his career.
With Brolin’s struggle to land another hit after Goonies, I can see why it annoyed him that the Richard Donner flick was all the talented actor was known for. That he’d want to sink his teeth into a role that would truly show that he was more than just a Goonie.
After working as a full-time stock trader during his acting career decline, the role that rescued him was the 2006 Oscar-winning flick, No Country for Old Men. The success of the Coen Brothers movie led to more big roles that would make up Brolin’s best movies, like American Gangster, W., Milk, and more. As the American actor has so many movies that have shaped his career as an adult, we know now that One-Eyed Willy’s ship wasn’t the only adventure he took on.
It’s a good thing that since Josh Brolin has starred in many successful movies as an adult, his film debut in The Goonies is certainly not one he’s ashamed of. With The Goonies 2 in development, I’d like to hope that Brolin will continue celebrating his part in the beloved classic by reprising the role of Brand. That would be the stuff dreams are made of. Until then, “Goonies never say die” on your Netflix subscription.
