Raised on a California horse ranch, handsome leading actor Josh Brolin (born Josh Bruderlin) began his acting career in high school plays. Inspired by his early success, Brolin decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, James Brolin, and become a professional.To this end, he moved to Los Angeles to live with his dad and study the craft with Stella Adler. At age 17, he made his feature-film debut in The Goonies (1985). He went on to appear on television in series and TV films, but Brolin prefers feature-film work and so has concentrated on that aspect of his career, though from 1989 through the early '90s, he had a leading role in the offbeat TV Western The Young Riders. Up until the mid-'90s, Brolin's feature work was comprised of low-budget films, but he has gradually made the transition to major features such as Bed of Roses (1996) and Mimic (1997). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide