Jess Brolin:
• Son of actor James Brolin and actress Jane Brolin
• Born in 1972 in Templeton, California
• Mental and behavioral issues during his formative years
• Worked in the entertainment industry but never gained his father's and brother's fame
• 2014 reports of him being homeless and digging through trash cans for food

Who is Jess Brolin?

Jess is the son of the critically acclaimed actor James Brolin, who gained popularity for his roles in the series “Marcus Welby, M.D”, “Hotel”, and “Life in Pieces”. Jess was born under the Zodiac sign Aquarius on 7 February 1972, in Templeton, California. As of 2022, he is 49 years old, and holds American nationality.

Early life and Family

Jess was born into a family of entertainers as his mother was also an actress, and an avid wildlife activist, perhaps best known for her appearances in the “The Mike Douglas Show”, “The Merv Griffin Show”, and “Tattletales”. James and Jane, divorced in 1985; unfortunately, Jane died in a car accident in 1995.

Jess has one sibling, a brother who is the well-known actor, writer and director James Brolin, who has appeared in several blockbusters, including “No Country for Old Men”, “Avengers: Infinity War”, and “Avengers: Endgame”. He also has a step-sister, Molly Elizabeth, from his father’s second marriage to Jan Smithers. Molly is a producer, jewelry designer and craftsperson.

Regarding his childhood and early life, it was reported that he encountered numerous mental and behavioral issues during his formative years, which was unusual considering he hailed from a Hollywood family. Jess was raised in Templeton; his mother, Jane, once talked about him and said: ‘He’s got a lot of problems, and I guess a lot of ’em have to do with me.’

Reportedly, Jess was enrolled at a special school for children with social and emotional difficulties, with the hope that his condition would improve over time. However, that never happened – on the contrary, his issues became more elevated.

Career

Despite his difficulties, Jess also tried to follow in his family’s footsteps, and launch a career in the entertainment business with his father’s help. Even though he never reached his father’s and brother’s fame, Jess obtained a couple of credits – in 1997, he worked behind the camera as an assistant sound editor for the films entitled “Shadow Dancer” and “My Brother’s War”. From 1998 to 2011, he worked as an additional crew member/ production runner on several movies, which include “Enemy Action”, “Bring it On”, and the “Black Scorpion” trilogy.

What happened to Jess Brolin?

Despite his wealthy and respected Hollywood family, in 2014 it was reported that Jess was homeless, becoming the main topic of numerous media outlets. According to reports, he lost his $800 per month apartment, and started squatting and sleeping in vacant lots, which were in the vicinity of his father’s mansion. Additionally, there were some rumors that he went through the trust fund from his mother, and was evicted.

To make matters worse, later he was photographed and filmed digging through a trash can in Ojai, California, allegedly looking for food.  According to the reports, the photos shocked his family and left them heartbroken, as they had no idea that this had happened to Jess.

After the video resurfaced, Jess disappeared into thin air. However, in 2021, his father talked to the “Parade” media outlet, sharing some information about his son’s whereabouts and hobbies, James disclosed: “My son Jess lives in a mountain town and runs a charity organization. Right now, he’s probably the happiest of us all. I know he’s been photographed collecting bottles and cans out of the trash, but all the money went to charity.” With this last sentence, he most likely wanted to clear the air regarding the aforementioned photos and videos of Jess from 2014.

Personal Life

Nothing is known about Jess’ personal life and dating history, as he has spent most of his life away from the limelight. At the moment, it’s believed that he’s single.

Image source

What is his net worth?

Considering that his net worth cannot be accumulated from his career, it’s hard to establish his wealth, however, it’s known that he inherited a six-figure trust fund after his mother passed away. On the other hand, his father’s wealth is around $60 million, amd his brother’s around $45 million, earned through his career spanning three decades.

Is he active on social media?

It appears that Jess is not a fan of social media, and hence doesn’t use any social platform.

Physical stats

Jess eyes are dark brown, while his hair is light brown. He’s 5ft 9ins tall (175cm) and weighs around 390lbs (180kgs) – his obesity has caused a number of health problems.

In 2018, he was photographed walking with flabby ankles dripping with festering sores. Some doctors commented, saying that he might have had venous stasis sores. He has also been “caught” on camera dining at numerous fast-food chains, devouring cheap and high-calorie fare, indulging in unhealthy habits.

Briefly about James Brolin

James Brolin, a Los Angeles native, started his career in 1960 after signing a deal with 20th Century Fox. He subsequently appeared in several movies, including “Take Her She’s Mine”, “Dear Brigitte”, and “Fantastic Voyage” with little success, and he was soon fired from the studio.

In 1969 he landed one of his well-known roles as Steve Kiley in the medical series “Marcus Welby, M.D”, which garnered two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award during its seven-season run.

In the following decade, he bounced between numerous movies and TV roles, starring in “Westworld”, “Gable and Lombard”, and “Short Walk to Daylight”.

After his convincing portrayal in “Night in the Juggler” and “High Risk”, in 1983 James was cast in the primetime soap opera “Hotel”, which secured his success as he earned two nominations for Golden Globe Awards.

James also starred in other sitcoms and series such as “Extreme” and “Angel Fall”, and served as a host in the anthology series “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction”.

James kicked off the new millennium with several notable performances in commercially successful and critically acclaimed movies such as “Traffic”, “Catch me if You Can”, and “Last Chance Harvey”. He also made numerous guest appearances in series such as “Monk”, “Law& Order: SVU”, and “Castle”. His portrayal of Ronald Reagan in the TV movie “The Reagans” also received two nominations for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award.

James is still active; in 2021, he narrated the Netflix series “Sweet Tooth”.

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