James Brolin directs Hallmark film
You would think someone with an enviable acting resume like James Brolin — which includes two Golden Globes and a Primetime Emmy — would be content with the professional life he’s had. The Southern California native is 77 years old but keeps adding to his credits, not only starring in the CBS comedy “Life in Pieces,” but also as the star and director of the new Hallmark movie “Royal Hearts,” which airs at 9 tonight.
His acting career has been successful by most measurements, but in one area, Brolin’s convinced he’s come up short.
“I wish I had started directing when I was in my 20s,” Brolin says in a telephone interview. “I wish I had been like my shy friend, Steven Spielberg, years ago when he walked into the studio with only a short stop animation film and six months later had an office.”
Brolin has directed a small list of TV and film productions, ranging from the TV series “Pensacola: Wings of Gold” to the cable movie “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” a ratings giant for the Hallmark channel in 2016. So, when he was approached by the cable channel to be part of another project, Brolin had one non-negotiable requirement: He would do another film for Hallmark as long as he got to direct the film.
They agreed, and after Brolin wrapped filming last season’s “Life in Pieces,” he was on a plane to Romania for the 18-day shoot of “Royal Hearts.” Brolin plays Hank, a no-nonsense Montana cowboy who has made his cattle ranch the priority in his life after the death of his wife, even to the point of drifting apart from his daughter, Kelly (Cindy Busby).
Father and daughter are brought together when it’s revealed Hank is the sole heir to the throne of the European country of Merania. Hank must take care of his royal duties while finding a way to get back to the simple life of his ranch and, at the same time, mend some fences with his daughter while she is being wooed by two very different suitors.
His association with Hallmark started with the film “Christmas with Tucker,” which became the Hallmark channel’s highest-rated film.
“That kind of surprised me,” Brolin says. “The following year they said they wanted me to do another film for them. The deal was I would do it if I could direct. I have been directing for over 30 years. The next thing I knew, we were on and the film (‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’) became the top film for them that year.”
Brolin was only 20 when he made his film debut in “Take Her, She’s Mine” and then went on to appear in a long list of feature films including “Westworld,” “Fantastic Voyage” and “Traffic.” His TV credits include “Marcus Welby, M.D.” and “Hotel.”
It was while he was working on “Hotel” that Brolin learned how to deal with horses and cattle he uses in “Royal Hearts.” Brolin had a ranch in central California, where he trained horses for 13 years and dogs for five years. Each Tuesday, he would jump in his Porsche and make the drive south to Los Angeles where he would work on “Hotel” and then return home to the ranch.