James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director who has worked in Hollywood for more than six decades and married music legend Barbra Streisand in 1998. Born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin in Los Angeles, he rose to fame as Dr. Steven Kiley on the hit medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D., then built a long career in films such as Westworld and The Amityville Horror. Many people also know him as the father of actor Josh Brolin and as half of one of the longest lasting marriages in show business. This guide covers his early life, career, awards, family and love story with Streisand, using details from reliable biography and entertainment sources.
James Brolin Bio and Quick Facts
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director born on July 18, 1940, in Los Angeles. The table below gives the key facts at a glance.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Craig Kenneth Bruderlin |
| Known as | James Brolin |
| Date of birth | July 18, 1940 |
| Age | 86 years (as of November 2026) |
| Birthplace | Westwood, Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actor, producer and director |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Education | University High School, Santa Monica City College, University of California, Los Angeles |
| Parents | Henry Hurst Bruderlin and Helen Sue (née Mansur) |
| Breakthrough role | Dr. Steven Kiley in Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969 to 1976) |
| Other notable work | Hotel, Westworld, The Amityville Horror, Life in Pieces |
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards |
| Hollywood Walk of Fame | Star unveiled on August 27, 1998 |
| Spouses | Jane Cameron Agee (1966 to 1984), Jan Smithers (1986 to 1995), Barbra Streisand (1998 to present) |
| Children | Josh, Jess and Molly Brolin |
| Stepson | Jason Gould (Streisand’s son) |
| Residence | Malibu, California |
Biographical records credit Brolin with more than 140 film and television productions since his screen debut in 1961. That output makes him one of the most durable working actors of his generation.
His personal story draws as much attention as his résumé. His marriage to Streisand, an EGOT winner, keeps his name in headlines nearly three decades after their first date.
Who Is James Brolin?
James Brolin is a veteran leading man best known for his television dramas and for his marriage to Barbra Streisand. He works under the name Brolin, while his birth name was Craig Kenneth Bruderlin.
Audiences first embraced him in the late 1960s on Marcus Welby, M.D. In the 1980s he returned to the center of prime time as the manager of the glamorous hotel drama Hotel. Younger viewers know him from the sitcom Life in Pieces, where he played John Short from 2015 to 2019, and from his narration of the series Sweet Tooth.
Brolin also works behind the camera. He has produced and directed projects, and he has produced and starred in independent films such as Cheatin’ Hearts and Ted and Venus.
Early Life and Education
Brolin grew up in Westwood Village, a neighborhood of Los Angeles close to the UCLA campus. He is the eldest of two brothers and two sisters.
His mother, Helen Sue (née Mansur), worked as a homemaker. His father, Henry Hurst Bruderlin, lived from 1911 to 2002, and his mother lived from 1916 to 2014.
Brolin attended University High School in Los Angeles. He then studied at Santa Monica City College and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Growing up in Los Angeles put the film and television industry within easy reach. He made his screen debut in 1961, when he was about 20 years old.
Early Career and Breakthrough on Marcus Welby, M.D.
Brolin broke through in 1969 when ABC cast him as Dr. Steven Kiley on Marcus Welby, M.D. He had moved to Universal Studios in 1968, and there he auditioned for a co-starring role opposite veteran actor Robert Young.
The series followed two doctors, the older Dr. Welby and his younger assistant. Kiley gave the show a modern, energetic counterpart to Young’s fatherly physician.
The show ran from 1969 to 1976 and ranked among the most popular doctor dramas in American television history. It made Brolin a household name.
His performance won an Emmy Award in 1970 and brought further Emmy and Golden Globe recognition in the following seasons. Television magazines and critics treated him as one of the new faces of 1970s drama.
Film Roles That Defined His Career
Brolin moved into film leads in the 1970s, beginning with Skyjacked in 1972 and the science fiction thriller Westworld in 1973. His first starring film role came earlier, in The Capetown Affair in 1969.
Westworld placed him opposite a rogue robot gunslinger in a theme park gone wrong. The film remains a cult favorite and later inspired a successful television series.
In 1979 he starred in The Amityville Horror, one of the most successful horror films of its decade. The movie cemented his reputation for carrying a large studio picture.
He kept working steadily in later decades. In 2000 he appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s drama Traffic, and he continued to take supporting parts in films and independent productions.
Hotel and Later Television Work
Brolin returned to prime time in 1983 as Peter McDermott, the general manager of ABC’s Hotel. He played the role for five seasons, until 1988.
Producer Aaron Spelling developed the show, and Brolin earned two Golden Globe nominations for it. The series also led to his second marriage, because he met actress Jan Smithers on set.
Not every project worked. His 1990s series Extreme and Angel Falls did not find large audiences. He rebounded with Pensacola: Wings of Gold, where he played Lt. Col. Bill “Raven” Kelly from 1997 to 2000.
He also played a governor and presidential candidate in The West Wing, and he portrayed Ronald Reagan in the 2003 miniseries The Reagans. His later work includes Life in Pieces, which ran for four seasons.
Awards and Honors
Brolin has won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards during his career. Most of his early recognition came from Marcus Welby, M.D.
He earned three Emmy nominations between 1971 and 1973, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1972. He added more Golden Globe nominations for Hotel in the mid 1980s.
On August 27, 1998, Brolin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony took place only weeks after his wedding, and Streisand stood beside him in their first public appearance as newlyweds.
Those honors reflect a career built on steady work rather than a single hit.
Marriages and Family Before Barbra Streisand
Brolin married twice before he met Streisand. His first wife was Jane Cameron Agee, a wildlife activist and aspiring actress. They married in 1966 and divorced in 1984.
The couple had two sons. Josh Brolin was born on February 12, 1968, and Jess Brolin arrived in February 1972. Josh later became a major film star, and Jess has stayed out of the spotlight. Agee died in the 1990s, and Josh has spoken publicly about how much he misses her.
Brolin met actress Jan Smithers on the set of Hotel in 1985, and they married in 1986. Their daughter, Molly Elizabeth, was born on November 28, 1987. Smithers filed for divorce in 1995, and she retired from acting.
Both Jess and Molly live private lives. Brolin entered the next chapter of his life with three children and two completed marriages behind him.
How James Brolin Met Barbra Streisand
Brolin met Streisand on July 1, 1996, when a mutual friend set them up on a blind date at a dinner party. She was 54 and he was 56.
Both stars nearly skipped the evening. They ended up talking for hours, and his manager Jeff Wald later said the pair ignored everyone else in the room and left together.
The romance moved fast. They made their red carpet debut in November 1996, and Brolin moved into Streisand’s home that same month.
Streisand told People in 1998 that she spent hours on the phone with him during the early days, even falling asleep with the receiver against her ear. He proposed in 1998, after about two years together.
Inside the Marriage of James Brolin and Barbra Streisand
Brolin and Streisand married on July 1, 1998, exactly two years after their first date. The ceremony took place in a garden at her Malibu home with a guest list that included John Travolta.
Josh Brolin served as his father’s best man, and Streisand’s son Jason Gould walked her down the aisle. At the reception, Streisand sang two new love songs for her husband. She later released the album A Love Like Ours as a tribute to the relationship.
The couple has no children together, but they share a blended family of four: Josh, Jess, Molly and Jason. Brolin acts as Jason’s stepfather, and Streisand serves as stepmother to his three children.
In April 2025, Brolin told the Today show that long marriages need breaks from conflict. His advice was simple: “You learn to take a walk.” On July 1, 2026, the pair marked their 28th wedding anniversary, 30 years after the blind date.
Brolin’s Relationship With Josh Brolin and His Children
Brolin’s oldest son, Josh Brolin, followed him into acting and became one of Hollywood’s busiest stars. Josh has played Thanos in Marvel films and has appeared in major dramas and thrillers.
Josh and his father appear together at family events, including Streisand’s 75th birthday celebration in Malibu in 2017. Josh also served as best man at the 1998 wedding.
Brolin’s other children, Jess and Molly, prefer privacy. Public records and interviews say little about their daily lives, which suggests the family guards that space carefully.
Josh has said his father gave him room to choose his own path in entertainment. That support helped him build a career distinct from his father’s television roots.
James Brolin Career and Life Timeline
James Brolin’s biggest moments fit neatly into a short timeline. The list below shows how his career and personal life overlapped over the years.
- 1961: Makes his screen debut.
- 1966: Marries Jane Cameron Agee.
- 1969: Joins the cast of Marcus Welby, M.D. as Dr. Steven Kiley.
- 1973: Stars in the science fiction film Westworld.
- 1979: Leads the horror hit The Amityville Horror.
- 1983: Begins a five-season run on Hotel.
- 1986: Marries Jan Smithers, his co-star from Hotel.
- 1996: Meets Barbra Streisand on a blind date.
- 1998: Marries Streisand and receives a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
- 2003: Plays Ronald Reagan in the miniseries The Reagans.
- 2015: Joins the cast of Life in Pieces.
- 2026: Celebrates his 28th wedding anniversary with Streisand.
Each entry shows a man who kept reinventing his work while he built a family. The timeline also highlights how many decades separate his debut from his latest projects.
Legacy of James Brolin
Brolin built a legacy on range and longevity. He starred in network hits across four decades and worked in comedy, horror, drama and science fiction.
His marriage to Streisand adds another layer. Hollywood often treats late-life romance as unlikely, yet the couple has stayed together for nearly 30 years and stays visible at premieres, state dinners and family milestones.
At 86, Brolin remains an example of a performer who kept working, kept adapting and kept his family close. His name now stands on its own, beside his famous wife’s.
Conclusion
James Brolin has spent more than 60 years in entertainment, from Marcus Welby, M.D. to Life in Pieces, and he earned an Emmy, two Golden Globes and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star along the way. Off screen, his family life includes three children, a stepson and one of Hollywood’s most admired marriages to Barbra Streisand. His story shows that careers and relationships can both grow stronger with time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is James Brolin?
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director born on July 18, 1940, in Los Angeles. He became famous as Dr. Steven Kiley on Marcus Welby, M.D. and later starred in Hotel, Westworld, The Amityville Horror and Life in Pieces. He is also the husband of singer Barbra Streisand.
Who is James Brolin married to?
James Brolin is married to Barbra Streisand, the singer, actress and director who has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. They wed on July 1, 1998, at her Malibu home. In 2026, the couple celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary, which makes it his longest marriage.
How did James Brolin meet Barbra Streisand?
A mutual friend set them up on a blind date at a dinner party on July 1, 1996. Streisand was 54 and Brolin was 56. They talked through the night, made their red carpet debut that November, and married exactly two years after their first date.
How old is James Brolin?
James Brolin was born on July 18, 1940, so he is 86 years old as of November 2026. His wife, Barbra Streisand, was born on April 24, 1942, and she is 84. Brolin turned 86 this past July, only days after the couple marked their wedding anniversary.
What is James Brolin best known for?
Brolin is best known for playing Dr. Steven Kiley on the ABC medical drama Marcus Welby, M.D. from 1969 to 1976 and Peter McDermott on Hotel from 1983 to 1988. In film, viewers remember him from Westworld, The Amityville Horror and Traffic. Younger audiences know him from Life in Pieces.
How many times has James Brolin been married?
James Brolin has married three times. He wed Jane Cameron Agee in 1966, and they divorced in 1984. He married actress Jan Smithers in 1986, and that marriage ended in 1995. His third marriage, to Barbra Streisand in 1998, continues today and has lasted nearly three decades.
Who are James Brolin’s children?
Brolin has three children. Josh Brolin, born in 1968, and Jess Brolin, born in 1972, are his sons with Jane Cameron Agee. His daughter, Molly Elizabeth Brolin, was born in 1987 and is the daughter of Jan Smithers. He and Streisand have no children together, but he is stepfather to Jason Gould.
Is Josh Brolin the son of James Brolin?
Yes, Josh Brolin is the son of James Brolin and his first wife, Jane Cameron Agee. Josh was born on February 12, 1968, and became a major film actor, known for playing Thanos in Marvel movies. He served as his father’s best man when James married Barbra Streisand in 1998.
What awards has James Brolin won?
James Brolin has won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, with the Emmy tied to his work on Marcus Welby, M.D. He also earned Golden Globe nominations for Hotel. On August 27, 1998, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.
What is James Brolin’s real name?
James Brolin was born Craig Kenneth Bruderlin on July 18, 1940, in Westwood Village, Los Angeles. He is the eldest of two brothers and two sisters, and his parents were Henry Hurst Bruderlin and Helen Sue Mansur. He performs under the professional name James Brolin.
