Am I hallucinating or was actor James Brolin’s last name always pronounced Brolin (as if to rhyme with Anne Boelyn)? I haven’t really heard about him in the last several years but his son Josh’s star seems to be rising and I always hear his name pronounced Brolin.
What made me think of it is a little gem of a movie I just watched called Best Laid Plans,
in which he co-starred with Reese Witherspoon ( and was very handsome but not a great actor).
Please lets discuss (name or movie).
Rhymes with *rollin’ *- always has, to my knowledge, when I have heard it for James or Josh…
What I’ve heard, too.
Heard it pronounced BRO-lin all my life.
Joe
You’re hallucinating. It’s always been BRO-lin.
Brolin, Brolin, Brolin,
Keep those doggies, Brolin…
PRR came up with the good one. I have to second-chair fiddle with the fact that very many people pronounce the name in accordance with the custom of their household or tribe in many instances. We have much to learn from them. FTR always heard BRO-lin for both papa and junior. Never heard accent on the ultimate syllable for either.
I’ve only ever heard his name pronounced Brolin.
Also, I believe current opinion is that the Boleyns pronounced their name Bullen.
cool story, bro-lin. 
he was born Bruderlin, which to me sounds very much German and would have the same melody as Brolin. However, there is a Swedish name Brolin, that would rhyme with Juleen (as in the Dolly Parton song).
Nitpick-- Dolly Parton song is Jolene.
Thanks, I thought there was something that didn’t look right.
So it’s settled; I got a batch of the bad acid back in the day. Still, I wonder why I have such a vivid (if inaccurate) memory of this. Like I can picture Merv Griffin introducing him or 1,000,000 Pyramid guy saying it that way. One thing’s for sure, I’ve said it out loud so many times now it has lost all meaning or context.
Brolin. Like Rollin’. And I am from the era where James was the actor and Josh was some kid in The Goonies. I have never heard it any other way.
It’s okay, I have memories like that too, that when I look them up on wiki, don’t seem to have actually existed.
Even if it’s not the case, I’ll suggest that using the Berlin model you just tried that on Brolin. The Boleyn thing is more of a stretch, I should think. But, hey! Whatever’s right. Next time you see either of them at a party, just mumble.