Posted on 12/01/2025 12:50:57 PM PST by nickcarraway
"I know a different guy," said the actor, who was pals with the politician before he became president.
Josh Brolin says he once considered Donald Trump a pal and that he was "a different guy" before he became president. The Dune actor befriended Trump around the time they shot Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, from which the Apprentice star was cut. "There is no greater genius than him in marketing," Brolin said.
Josh Brolin is reflecting on his relationship with Donald Trump before the business mogul moved to the White House.
The No Country for Old Men star befriended the U.S. president around the time they filmed Oliver Stone's 2010 Wall Street sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, from which Trump was ultimately cut.
"I'm not scared of Trump, because even though he says he's staying forever, it's just not going to happen," Brolin said of the president alluding to a third term in his new interview with The Independent. "And if it does, then I'll deal with that moment. But having been a friend of Trump before he was president, I know a different guy."
The Hail, Caesar star added that he was fascinated by Trump's development of a luxury hotel "in the middle of a cesspool city" in the late '70s.
"That's interesting to me," he said. "Now it's power unmitigated — it's unregulated."
Brolin also thinks he understands why the former Apprentice star has appealed to voters across the country. "There is no greater genius than him in marketing," he said. "He takes the weakness of the general population and fills it."
He continued, "That's why I think a lot of people feel that they have a mascot in him. I think it's much less about Trump than it is about the general population and their need for validation."
Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.
Though he once considered Trump a pal, Brolin rejected his 2020 presidential bid in October 2020 in an impassioned Instagram post.
"I refuse to believe that Donald Trump is our core version of American masculinity," the Dune star wrote at the time. "The America that was great was never based on creating hate and conspiracy in order to win. There have been a few, but none has lasted. Donald Trump has lied over 50,000 documented times, but we still are willing to let it go because he speaks to an American demographic that no longer felt masculine."
Last year, Brolin shared a bizarre memory of an interaction he had with the future president at his New York apartment. "I said, 'What's upstairs?' He said, 'Our bedroom,'" he remembered on In Depth With Graham Bensinger. "And I said, 'Can I see upstairs?' He said, 'Yeah.' And then nobody moved. And I said, 'Cool. So should we go up?' And he said, 'Yeah.' And then he still didn't move. And I'm thinking, 'What the f--- is happening?'"
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Brolin is in the midst of a particularly busy chapter of his career. He can be seen in Edgar Wright's The Running Man and Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man, both of which are playing now in theaters. He also appeared in Zach Cregger's Weapons, which is streaming on HBO Max, this year, and lent his voice to Ken Burns' The American Revolution docuseries on PBS.
Josh Brolin says he once considered Donald Trump a pal and that he was "a different guy" before he became president.
The Dune actor befriended Trump around the time they shot Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, from which the Apprentice star was cut. "There is no greater genius than him in marketing," Brolin said.
Josh Brolin is reflecting on his relationship with Donald Trump before the business mogul moved to the White House.
The No Country for Old Men star befriended the U.S. president around the time they filmed Oliver Stone's 2010 Wall Street sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, from which Trump was ultimately cut.
"I'm not scared of Trump, because even though he says he's staying forever, it's just not going to happen," Brolin said of the president alluding to a third term in his new interview with The Independent. "And if it does, then I'll deal with that moment. But having been a friend of Trump before he was president, I know a different guy."
The Hail, Caesar star added that he was fascinated by Trump's development of a luxury hotel "in the middle of a cesspool city" in the late '70s.
"That's interesting to me," he said. "Now it's power unmitigated — it's unregulated."
Brolin also thinks he understands why the former Apprentice star has appealed to voters across the country. "There is no greater genius than him in marketing," he said. "He takes the weakness of the general population and fills it."
He continued, "That's why I think a lot of people feel that they have a mascot in him. I think it's much less about Trump than it is about the general population and their need for validation."
Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.
Though he once considered Trump a pal, Brolin rejected his 2020 presidential bid in October 2020 in an impassioned Instagram post.
"I refuse to believe that Donald Trump is our core version of American masculinity," the Dune star wrote at the time. "The America that was great was never based on creating hate and conspiracy in order to win. There have been a few, but none has lasted. Donald Trump has lied over 50,000 documented times, but we still are willing to let it go because he speaks to an American demographic that no longer felt masculine."
Last year, Brolin shared a bizarre memory of an interaction he had with the future president at his New York apartment. "I said, 'What's upstairs?' He said, 'Our bedroom,'" he remembered on In Depth With Graham Bensinger. "And I said, 'Can I see upstairs?' He said, 'Yeah.' And then nobody moved. And I said, 'Cool. So should we go up?' And he said, 'Yeah.' And then he still didn't move. And I'm thinking, 'What the f--- is happening?'"
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
Brolin is in the midst of a particularly busy chapter of his career. He can be seen in Edgar Wright's The Running Man and Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man, both of which are playing now in theaters. He also appeared in Zach Cregger's Weapons, which is streaming on HBO Max, this year, and lent his voice to Ken Burns' The American Revolution docuseries on PBS.
“American demographic that no longer felt masculine”
I have more masculinity in my toes that this paid to be tough guy has in his whole body. I hate these gated-community know-it-alls.
Yeah, I’m going to get geopolitical analysis from somebody who’s really adequate at pretending to someone else for a living. I should be getting my legal advice from a plumber and medical advice from my mechanic.
Badly written drivel
I love Josh Brolin’s movies but bear in mind he went through half of his adulthood stoned out of his mind so his perception of things may be a bit skewed. Like not understanding the non verbal cues of Trump saying OK and then not moving to go upstairs. 😆
“”He takes the weakness of the general population and fills it.”
This genius just insulted 77 million people - most of whom go to work every day, raise families, do what they have to do even when they don’t like it. This is disgusting!
Yes, Trump is a marketing genius but he also works his ass off and has ended 7 wars, is trying to stop the drugs that are killing our nation, and trying to stop the bleeding of our money into the hands of the corrupt.
Too many of these actors don’t know truth from reality.
Sounds like another actor needs to rabble rouse in order to get his name in the press so he could get cast in a Hollywood movie.
Should be expected from Barbara Streisand’s stepson?
He’s Barbara Steisand’s stepson. He really only liked Trump when he still believed Trump was a Democrat.
I noticed that too. In some ways, Josh is very perceptive, understanding and admiring Trumps’ talent for marketing.
Then the coin flips over, and he cannot seem to read the room on a different topic.
It’s not like Trump to give such mixed messages, so Josh should have seen that ambivalence to mean Donald Trump himself may have wanted to lead a tour of the bedroom area of his home, but maybe his wife sent Trump a silent message saying that for her own reasons, no, she did not want that happening.
The unsaid message to Josh was
“Let’s drop this topic, Josh and move on to something else for now.”
Sir, you copied the same text at least twice.
Another lib actor over his head and out of his swim lane on something he knows little about......running the country.
Anyone who has watched the movie Sicario (1st movie) and was paying attention knows this A-holes’ character took some despicable shots at POTUS Trump.
This guy is a pretty good actor.....too bad he’s a jackass from the word go.
They must pay by the word for these articles, it repeats itself.
When did Trump say he’s staying forever? (Other than obvious jokes?)
Josh...you’re a different person when someone shoots you in the head. You ought to try it.
Josh Brolin is one of my favorite actors, so I’m going to stick my head the sand and not read the article.
How many celebrity opinions have you downloaded today?
How many celebrity opinions have you downloaded today?
Name them.
His dad is married to Babs Streisand
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