Barbra Streisand recently claimed that the release of her new memoir, My Name Is Barbra, marked the end of her career as a performing artist and that she will now spend more time with family.
Despite the glitz and glamor of fame and winning 10 Grammys, Barbra, 81, admitted she hasn’t had “a lot of fun” in her life and wants to spend more time with husband James Brolin, 83.
In her last interview she told the BBC: “I want to live the life.” I want to get in my husband’s truck and just wander around, hopefully with the kids somewhere near us.
“I haven’t had much fun in my life, to be honest. And I want to have more fun.’
Barbra and Josh celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year, but who is the famous actor that Barbra gave up her acting career to spend more time with?
Cute Couple: Who Is Barbra Streisand’s Husband James Brolin? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the award-winning actor
Time out: Despite the glitz and glamor of fame, Barbra, 81, admitted she hasn’t had “a lot of fun” in her life and wants to spend more time with husband James
What is James Brolin’s job?
James is an actor, just like his beloved wife.
He studied acting at the University of California before signing with 20th Century Fox in 1960.
At Fox he started out as a contract player in Sandra Dee films and changed his last name from “Bruderlin” to “Brolin” at the age of 20.
In 1967 he played his first major role in “The Cape Town Affair”, which was not a success at the box office.
James was eventually fired by 20th Century Fox.
In 1969, he played a supporting role in the television series Marcus Welby, MD, playing doctor Stephen Kiley.
He won two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance on the show.
Since then, James has been best known for his television roles such as Peter McDermott in Hotel and John Short in Life in Pieces, while his film roles also include Sgt. Jerome K. Weber in Skyjacked, Jack Barnes in Catch Me If You Can and, more recently, Emperor Zurg in the 2022 Toy Story spin-off Lightyear.
In 1998 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Career: James starred in the hit TV series Marcus Welby, MD (pictured in the 1970 series) and was honored with two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award
Was James Brolin married before he met Barbra Streisand?
James was first married to Jane Cameron Agee, and the couple tied the knot twelve days after their first meeting in 1966.
The couple had two sons, actor Josh Brolin (55) and Jess Brolin (51), and divorced in 1984.
Jane tragically died in a car accident on February 13, 1995, the day after her son’s 27th birthday.
James then married Jan Smithers in 1986 after meeting on the set of Batman.
The couple had a daughter, Molly, 36, and Jan filed for divorce in 1995.
His third marriage was to Barbra and took place on July 1, 1998.
Barbra was previously married to Long Goodbye star Elliott Gould in 1963 and had a son, Jason Gould. The couple divorced in 1971.
Family: James was first married to Jane Cameron Agee (pictured in 1972) and they married in 1966, 12 days after they first met. The couple had two sons before divorcing in 1984
Example: James married Jan Smithers in 1986 after meeting on the set of Batman. The couple had a daughter, Molly, and Jan filed for divorce in 1995 (pictured 1995).
Marriage: Barbra was previously married to Long Goodbye star Elliott Gould in 1963 and had a son, Jason Gould. The couple later divorced in 1971 (pictured in 1967)
How did James Brolin and Barbra Streisand meet?
Since both Barbra and James are single in their 50s, their mutual friends decided to set them up on a blind date at a dinner party in 1996.
“We went on a blind date and I was so shy that I came into the house and went downstairs to be with the kids and play with them until I had to sit at the table,” Streisand said during an interview in 2021 appearance on The Tonight Show.
“I was expecting a man with a brown beard and brown wavy hair, like a miner,” she added, “And I saw a man with all his hair cut off, so no beard.” And I walked past him. I ran my hand through his hair and asked, “Who messed up your hair?”
The Catch Me If You Can star said he knew she was the one for him straight away, while she knew he was the one “a few days” later.
Two years later, they said “I do” during a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles.
When did James Brolin and Barbra Streisand get married?
The couple made their first public appearance together in November 1996 and later walked the red carpet together at the 69th Academy Awards in March 1997.
According to People, Barbra and James tied the knot in the backyard of their Los Angeles home on July 1, 1998.
The A-list couple’s wedding was a star-studded Hollywood event with guests including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Marlon Brando, Quincy Jones, John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
During the ceremony, Barbra serenaded her new husband with two love songs.
I do! Barbra and James tied the knot in the backyard of their Los Angeles home on July 1, 1998
Exciting: The couple made their first public appearance together in November 1996 (pictured) and later walked the red carpet together at the 69th Academy Awards in March 1997
What did James Brolin say about his sex life with Barbra Streisand?
Earlier this month, James admitted he didn’t have sex for three years before their wedding.
The actor stunned CBS Sunday Morning interviewer Gayle King with this admission, which meant he and Barbra didn’t have sex for the entire duration of their relationship.
James brought up his years of celibacy unprompted after his wife was asked why she proposed to him three times before agreeing to marry him.
“I have to try him out for at least three years,” she joked.
“And I was literally – it’s a wild word – I was celibate for three years and I was like, ‘Who needs this?’ he said.
“You can’t say that!” said a shocked Barbra, playfully slapping his knee.
“I had no interest in getting involved in a bad situation,” James added.
Barbra then chimed in, explaining that he had “been married twice” while she had had one previous marriage, and James feared he might be heading into another doomed relationship.
Gayle couldn’t help but make a joke about James and Barbra’s wedding night after years of sexless courtship.
“It must have been a hellish night after three years,” she said.
‘Wild!’ James growled in response, gritting his teeth playfully as Barbra burst out laughing and turned back to look him in the eyes.
Wow: Earlier this month, James made a shocking confession during his appearance in his wife’s latest interview when he admitted he hadn’t had sex for three years before their wedding (pictured in 2004).