‘Dad’ Josh Brolin Wants to End ‘Generation Self-Destruction’ With His Kids (Exclusive)

Josh Brolin breaks the vicious circle with her children.

Now, the 56-year-old father of four, the Oscar-nominated actor is grateful that he had the “bravery, courage and inspiration to break the chain of generational self-destruction into what I think exists now, which is less vice.” . but more care.”

Brolin recalls his childhood in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE this week ahead of the release of his upcoming memoir. Under the truck. He says watching his parents cope with their turbulent relationship has had an impact on his own life.

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His father is an actor James BrolinThe 84-year-old and his mother, the wildlife activist Jane, who died in a car accident in 1995, play crucial roles in his unique book, which he describes as coming to life “in response to a very bright, albeit crazy, mother who could would be very cheerful, and the father would be very withdrawn.”

Brolin said his parents’ marriage changed as his father’s fame rose thanks to his role as Stephen Keeley in the medical drama. Marcus Welby, MD and they later divorced in 1984. “I watched them go through the chaotic machinations of what it meant to have a relationship with it.”

As a teenager, the actor began drinking, using drugs and fighting, and these habits continued into adulthood. He struggled with substance abuse until he was 45, when he decided to get sober after talking to his grandmother.

Now 11 years sober Goonies The star is enjoying time with his two eldest Trevor Mansour, 36, and Eden, 29, whom he shares with ex-wife Alice Adair, and daughters Westlyn Raine, 6, and Chapel Grace, 3, with his wife Katherine Boyd.

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The actor admits that he was “tougher with older children” due to his weak upbringing. “I was a little more strict, probably because there weren’t any rules in my own house,” he says. And lately, younger children have been testing it “to the limit.”

“My girls are strong individuals and they are going through this test, and I know this test,” he explains. “Kids look at you like you’re a god and think that if they can break you, they’re not safe.”

He also shared a recent moment he had with his young daughters when he put dishes in the sink.

“So I was like, ‘Would you please?’ Here’s what happened this morning: “Could you take the plate to the sink?” And they looked me straight in the eyes. It was like, “What if I don’t do this?” And I’m like, “There’s three of you, man. You’re three.”

But the Marvel alum “welcomes” his daughters’ cruelty, saying: “I love being a girl’s dad. I love my son very much, but I also love being a father to a girl.”

As for his plans for the future, Brolin says he hopes his life “becomes more focused on writing, directing and having fun with these kids.”

His children and time spent with them bring great satisfaction to his life. “I can cry when my children laugh; this is the greatest joy I can feel,” he says. “It’s like my son and I were laughing on the phone last night and we were in awe when I was driving and he said, ‘Wow, you’re on one today.’

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In May, Brolin shared a sweet Mother’s Day message to the multiple mothers in his life. Instagram.

“Oh, mama bear,” said one or both of our children a hundred million times. Then they smiled or hugged as if they were eating ice cream, or reacted to their favorite gift: their mom,” he captioned the post. , which featured a photograph of Katherine on a boat with Westlyn and Chapel.

“My love, this learning curve is the deepest, and watching you progress through it is like watching someone break world records,” he continues. “It’s your commitment, the relationship with all the ever-challenging aspects (of the day-to-day) and you laugh and wonder how we can spend even more time – our clan.”

He went on to praise Katherine for the way she embraced their life and thanked her “for being an example of how lasting true love is.”

Brolin also thanked Adair for “raising the best kids in the world.”

When it came to his own mom, he wrote that he “wouldn’t be here the way I am if you hadn’t spilled gasoline on the road less traveled. Thanks for the trucker character, without which I would be damn bored. Love you, Crazy Jane.”

From under the truck comes out November 19th and is available for pre-order now wherever books are sold.