In a candid interview with The Guardian, Brolin says, 'Most of those guys I grew up with, they're all dead now.'
- Mar 15, 2014
AceShowbiz - Josh Brolin has opened up about past drug use in a new interview with The Guardian. The son of actor James Brolin and wildlife activist Jane Cameron was a member of a group called Cito Rats back then and he robbed cars to get money to buy drugs.
"It was Santa Barbara. It was the 80s. It was punk rock. You either had the children of rich, neglectful parents or children of poor, neglectful parents, so it was a mix. But we basically grew up the same way. I've never seen a group like that before or since," he said of his friends in the group.
"I tried heroin," the "Oldboy" actor went on saying. "That sounds so horrible when you put it like that. But yeah, I tried heroin. I mean, I never got into it and I never died from it, which is a good thing. I've had 19 friends who died. Most of those guys I grew up with, they're all dead now."
Brolin then stopped using drugs. "I used to think you should try to deconstruct everything. Experience everything. Just get yourself out there. But I don't believe that any more. Having adventures is all very well, but an imagination can make up for all that. That's the more intelligent way to be. And it keeps you out of harm's way," he explained of his decision.
The 46-year-old actor also admitted in the interview that 2013 was a "turning point" for him. He split from Diane Lane after 9 years of marriage and he reportedly was involved in alcohol-related incidents. "It made me think of a lot of things. My mom dying when I was in my 20s. All the impact that had on me that I hadn't moved past; I was always such a momma's boy. But I realized that I was on a destructive path. I knew that I had to change and mature. It was like I stepped back and saw the hamster wheel," the "Labor Day" star said.
