‘The Goonies’ star shared how he had to clean animal cages at age 8 and fed a wolf
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Josh Brolin is embracing his wild roots.
The star of “The Goonies” reminisced about his unique upbringing on his family’s ranch in Paso Robles, California. He shared how his late mother was fascinated with all sorts of animals, including big cats, wolves, and bears.
In a recent podcast chat, Brolin described his late mother’s larger-than-life personality. He said she was fearless and loved to care for wild animals that needed help.
“My mother had zero filter. She was a bit crazy but in a loving way,” Brolin noted during Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson’s “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” podcast. “She provided refuge for animals taken from the wild illegally. She would find these animals, help them recover, and either release them back into the wild or find them a good zoo.”
Despite being only 5-foot-2, Brolin’s mother had a deep, commanding voice, a trait from her Texas roots.
Brolin recalled a particular incident where his mother asked a ranch worker, Bud Applehand, to feed a lion that wasn’t eating properly. She suggested Bud sit with the lion to encourage it to eat by mimicking eating motions himself.
“Go and sit next to the lion. Show him how to eat,” she advised. Reluctantly, Bud obliged, unaware of the impending danger.
Brolin described how the lion opened its mouth, revealing its long fangs, and gently closed its mouth around Bud’s thigh. Bud, in a state of panic, felt the lion’s teeth pierce his leg.
“Bud was shouting, ‘His teeth are going into my leg!’ Meanwhile, my mom, who laughed uncontrollably when nervous, couldn’t stop giggling,” Brolin said.
The dramatic moment continued until the lion finally released Bud, who then demanded to be let out of the enclosure immediately.
Brolin also shared that his brother once needed 60 stitches due to an animal encounter. Such experiences were part of growing up on the ranch, where they had to follow their mother’s instructions.
Having had these wild experiences from a young age, including feeding a wolf and cleaning animal cages at just 8 years old, Brolin reflected, “It was a different way of growing up. Then you go out into life, and you become an actor. It’s all good.”
These unique childhood experiences undoubtedly shaped Brolin into the versatile actor he is today.
