The bond between a mother and her child is mostly unbreakable. However, their relationship can also be complicated and significantly influence the lives of both parties. This is true as far as Jane Cameron Agee and her son Josh Brolin are concerned. 

Who Is Jane Cameron Agee?

Jane Cameron Agee was a wildlife conservationist who also dabbled in acting. She was born in Texas and made appearances in different movies, including “This Is Your Life,” “It’s Your Bet,” and “Tattletales” after marrying James Brolin. 

She was his first wife, and their union led to the birth of famous actor Josh Brolin and his sister Jess Brolin. The former couple welcomed Josh in 1968, and Jess was born in 1972. 

James and Agee tied the knot on October 16, 1966, but divorced in October 1986. The actress filed for divorce from James — Josh was 16. 

She Raised the Kids Alone After the Divorce 

After Josh Brolin’s parents separated, he and his sister started living with their mother. Josh and his sister lived away from the spotlight on a 100-acre Paso Robles ranch. According to him, their closest neighbor was a mile away. 

The ranch was perfect for Agee, who was very passionate about animals. She worked at the Department of Fish and Game and is known to have illegally owned and rescued wild animals.

Josh has confirmed this. He recalled how Agee shared an “uncanny relationship” with the animals in her care. The actor once said he grew up watching his mom stand up to 500-pound silverbacks and make them back down.

He has also tagged her as “very irresponsible” because she had him and his sister doing chores at age six with the animals roaming around. According to Josh, Agee explained her behavior by saying, “We’re here for a short time, so let’s do it.” 

Agee has also been described as a rugged woman with high expectations of her kids. For example, she expected them to understand reading and writing within an insanely short period.

No doubt, Josh’s mom had several shortcomings. However, the actor has said that despite who she was, he liked what she stood for. On the other hand, Josh had a better relationship with his father, James Brolin.

Jane Cameron Agee’s Demise Liberated Her Son  

Indeed, Josh Brolin had a complicated relationship with his mother. However, her death impacted his life in different ways. When Agee passed on, the actor was 27. 

It affected him profoundly, and he spent the two years that followed “lost and just spinning” as he tried to deal with her demise. In an interview about the troubled period, Josh revealed that he believed his mom’s love for him had been conditional. 

He said she seemed more proud of him when he did unsavory things that landed him on the wrong side of the law. As such, he tried to recreate moments like that, thereby jeopardizing himself.

He said:

“I succumbed to that. And the truth is, although my mom being around was fantastic, after her death, I didn’t have to live up to that anymore. I was liberated. I matured.”

Josh has since cleaned up his act. He has a successful career, a beautiful family, and unfiltered peace of mind. 

How Did Agee Die? 

Agee died after the vehicle she was driving crashed into a tree. She was taken to the hospital but passed on the following day. The accident occurred on Josh’s birthday. He found it uncanny that his mother would pass on his birthday. 

In an interview, he explained that his father thought Agee had been trying to avoid a deer when she crashed. Unfortunately, that is only just a possibility. Agee was also an alcoholic who had pulled a rifle on her boyfriend that night. 

Josh believes she may have been trying to reach for her phone and “overcompensated” before the crash. Before her death, he sent her flowers and called on his birthdays to thank her for birthing him. 

However, that day, all he sent were flowers. He could not call her because the day had ended where he was. She called him but got his answering machine which had a message to trick callers, making it seem like he had picked up.

Agee left a message asking him how he was and saying she could not hear him before asking who was on the line. When she realized what was going on, Agee burst into hysterical laughter.

It was the last time Josh heard her laugh because several hours later, she was gone. A great yet pitiful memory that Josh has never forgotten and will most likely never forget.