Josh Brolin's Wild Childhood: Growing Up with Animals on His Family's Ranch

Josh Brolin has shared his memories of growing up on his family's ranch in California, where he was surrounded by a wide variety of animals, including big cats, wolves, and bears.

"The Goonies" star Josh Brolin has painted a vivid picture of his childhood spent on his family's ranch in Paso Robles, California, where he was surrounded by a wide array of animals, including big cats, wolves, and bears.

During a recent podcast interview with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson, Brolin recalled his late mother's "obsession" with animals and her bold personality, which he described as "absolutely f---ing nuts."

Josh Brolin's Wild Childhood: Growing Up with Animals on His Family's Ranch

According to Brolin, his mother was a "way station for all animals that had been illegally taken out of the wild, and they tried to domesticate them." She would often rescue these animals from people who had attempted to keep them as pets, nurse them back to health, and either release them into the wild or find them a suitable home in a zoo.

Despite her diminutive stature, standing at just 5-foot-2, Brolin's mother possessed a commanding voice and a fearless demeanor. He recounted a particularly daring incident involving a lion with a "big mane" that had stopped eating.

Josh Brolin's Wild Childhood: Growing Up with Animals on His Family's Ranch

Brolin's mother insisted that one of their ranch workers, Bud Applehand, personally feed the lion to show it how to eat properly. After Applehand hesitated, unsure of what to do, she instructed him to sit next to the lion and put his face in the food bowl.

As Applehand nervously obeyed, the lion slowly opened its mouth, revealing its "four- five-inch … long fangs." The lion then clamped its teeth around Applehand's thigh, prompting him to exclaim, "His teeth are going into my leg."

Josh Brolin's Wild Childhood: Growing Up with Animals on His Family's Ranch

While Applehand endured the pain, Brolin's mother began to laugh hysterically, her condition triggered by nervousness. Amidst her laughter, she managed to instruct Applehand to "Don't move." The lion held Applehand's leg in its teeth for several moments before finally releasing it.

Brolin also shared his experience of feeding a wolf and cleaning animal cages at the tender age of 8. He acknowledged that growing up on a ranch with such exotic animals was a unique experience, far removed from the life he would later lead as an actor.

Josh Brolin's Wild Childhood: Growing Up with Animals on His Family's Ranch

Despite the occasional danger, Brolin emphasized the bond he formed with his mother and the lessons he learned about animals and nature. He credits his childhood on the ranch with shaping his values and his appreciation for the wild.