Actor Josh Brolin says he earned more from four years of stock trading than from his first 20 years of acting, before “No Country for Old Men” transformed his Hollywood career.
The 58-year-old discussed the contrast on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast, in an episode released on Tuesday. Brolin recalled working as a landscaper for a year before becoming a full-time stock trader at 30.
He described spending almost five years trading from home, using three screens with four tabs on each. His approach combined swing trading and day trading. “Day trading I loved, man,” he said.
However, Brolin acknowledged that his acting income during those earlier years had been modest. His comparison covered a four-year trading stretch rather than his entire time in the markets.
Although “The Goonies” brought early success, Brolin struggled to establish a lasting career. After making the film, he moved to New York to study acting and work in theatre.
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He identified the 2007 film “No Country for Old Men” as the turning point in how Hollywood viewed him. Even then, Brolin said he was paid $100,000 for the role and estimated he ultimately kept about $30,000.
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While filming, he submitted an audition tape for “American Gangster”, with his 16-year-old son reading Denzel Washington’s part. Brolin recalled that it was his final audition
