Alice Adair’s Hollywood story doesn’t follow the usual script. Best known for her roles in 1980s hits like Beverly Hills Cop II and Quantum Leap, she walked away from acting at just 26 to focus on raising her family. Now 59, she’s carved out a completely different path as an end-of-life doula in Beverly Hills, helping people navigate life’s final chapter with grace and dignity.
Beyond her acting credentials, Alice is perhaps equally recognized as Josh Brolin’s first wife and the mother of his two children. Their remarkably close co-parenting relationship has endured decades beyond their divorce, with the Oscar-nominated actor still calling her his “best friend.” Their unusual bond that when Brolin faced a life-threatening crisis in 2013, Alice was the first person he called.
Biography
Born Deborah Jane Adair on June 26, 1966, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Alice Adair grew up with dreams of gracing the silver screen. Standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, she pursued acting from an early age, though she’s kept details about her family background and upbringing largely private.
What we do know is that her determination to break into entertainment paid off. At 59 years old, she’s lived several distinct lives: rising actress, devoted mother, and compassionate caregiver. She holds American citizenship and was born under the Cancer zodiac sign, which astrology enthusiasts might say aligns with her nurturing nature and career pivot to end-of-life care.
These days, Alice goes by her birth name professionally, Deborah Adair, particularly in her work as a doula. It’s a significant shift from her Hollywood days when Alice Adair was the name splashed across credits.
Career
Alice’s entertainment career began in a music video. In 1985, she appeared as the title character in Toto’s “Holyanna” music video, directed by Steve Barron.
Her first proper acting role came in 1986 on the hit series Miami Vice, where she played Carla Cappoletti in the episode “Streetwise.” Her character was a prostitute working with Bill Paxton’s undercover detective, and though the role was small, it opened doors. The following year brought her biggest film role as Jan Bogomil in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), where she played the daughter of Ronny Cox’s police captain alongside Eddie Murphy. The action comedy was a massive commercial success, grossing $300 million against a modest $20 million budget.
Throughout 1987, Alice stayed busy. She appeared in two episodes of NBC’s crime drama Private Eye as a recurring character named Jessie. This role would prove life-changing, though not for the reasons you’d expect. It’s where she met Josh Brolin, who starred as Johnny Betts. She also had a brief stint on the soap opera As the World Turns, playing Kathy Evans.
Her television work continued with the 1988 western telefilm Desperado: Avalanche at Devil’s Ridge, where she portrayed Rachel Slaten, a woman kidnapped and later rescued by an honest cowboy. In 1989, she landed a memorable guest spot on Quantum Leap, playing Diane McBride, a senator’s daughter whose life is saved by Dr. Sam Beckett in the season two premiere episode “Honeymoon Express.” Fans of the show still remember this appearance fondly.
Alice rounded out her active years with a 1990 episode of ABC’s western series The Young Riders, guest-starring as Kathleen Devlin in “Daddy’s Girl.” Her final credited role during this period was in the 1992 Polish drama Szuler, where she played Cornelia Granthomme alongside a young Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Then, at 26, Alice simply stopped acting. For 23 years, she remained completely absent from Hollywood, focusing instead on raising her children. When she finally returned in 2015, it was for a small role in the short film Rideshare, playing a character named Mary. Interestingly, this production also featured Kathryn Boyd, who would later become Josh Brolin’s third wife.
Life After Acting
Today, Alice has reinvented herself as a coach and end-of-life doula with Beverly Hills End of Life Doula service (BHELD). The work involves providing non-medical support for dying clients and their families, including advance planning, caregiver education, legacy planning, and grief support. It’s deeply meaningful work that requires enormous emotional intelligence and compassion.
“My passion for guiding clients to find joyful expansion during times of difficulty and stress has given me years of deeply rewarding experiences,” Alice has said about her current career. A BHELD coordinator noted that her “natural calm and emotional intelligence make her one of our most compassionate doulas.”
She maintains a modest social media presence on Instagram (@atdeborahadair) with around 530 followers, where she occasionally posts about her children and promotes her coaching services. Her Twitter bio describes her work as “coaching for enhanced artistic performance in any medium.”
Personal Life
Alice’s personal life has been shaped by two marriages and three children. Her relationship with Josh Brolin began on the set of Private Eye in 1987, where their on-screen chemistry as Jessie and Johnny Betts translated into real romance. They married in 1988 when Alice was just 22 and Josh was 20. Remarkably young, even by Hollywood standards.
Their son Trevor Mansur Brolin arrived that same year, born on June 26, 1988, sharing Alice’s exact birthday. Their daughter Eden Brolin followed on November 30, 1994.
The marriage lasted six years, ending in 1994. However, their divorce story defies Hollywood conventions. Instead of bitter court battles and tabloid drama, Alice and Josh continued living together on his ranch after splitting up. The goal? Minimizing the impact on their children. Both have described the separation as amicable, and Josh has repeatedly called Alice his “best friend” and praised her as a mother.
Their bond remains extraordinarily close decades later. In Josh Brolin’s November 2024 memoir From Under the Truck, he recounted a 2013 incident in Costa Rica where he was stabbed. When his current wife Kathryn handed him a phone during the crisis, he immediately called Alice. In a May 2025 Mother’s Day Instagram post, Brolin honored her alongside his current wife, writing: “That stems from my mother, Debby Adair, and the loveliest Kathryn. I kneel to all three of you in thanks.”
After her divorce from Brolin, Alice found love again with Peter Swanke, a non-industry professional. They married in the early 2000s and welcomed their son Peter Swanke Jr. on April 24, 2005. Unfortunately, this marriage also ended in divorce in 2011. Since then, Alice has remained single, dedicating herself to raising her youngest son privately while building her doula career.
She frequently shares moments with all three children on social media, calling them “the best kids” and celebrating them as her greatest joy.
Children
Alice’s three children have taken remarkably different paths in life.
Trevor Brolin, now 37, initially followed his parents into entertainment. He directed the 2011 short film Felt, serving as writer, producer, and cinematographer. He also contributed music to his father’s 2008 short X, which featured his sister Eden. However, Trevor eventually left Hollywood behind and now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he works at Revel Entertainment in an operations management role. According to his grandfather James Brolin, Trevor also pursued work as an electrician.
These days, Trevor has flourished as a visual artist, with his work displayed in galleries and sold through his Instagram (@funtonofun). Josh Brolin was so proud of Trevor’s rabbit artwork that he got it tattooed by celebrity artist Dr. Woo in August 2021. In a June 2024 birthday tribute, Josh wrote: “To be your dad, man, is the greatest lottery I could ever win.” Trevor maintains his privacy, with no confirmed relationships or children publicly documented.
Eden Brolin, 31, has built the most public career among Alice’s children. She began acting at 14 in her father’s short film X and has since accumulated over 30 credits. Her starring role in I Dream Too Much (2015), produced by Richard Linklater, showcased her talent early. She had series regular status on Freeform’s Beyond (2017-2018), appearing in 15 episodes.
Her breakthrough came playing Mia, the barrel racer on Paramount’s hit series Yellowstone (2020-2022). She appeared in 14 episodes across seasons three and four, becoming a fan favourite. Recent work includes High Desert (Apple TV+, 2023), Long Gone Heroes (2024) with Frank Grillo and Andy Garcia, and Montauk (2025) with Molly Ringwald.
Beyond acting, Eden leads the band Atta Boy alongside Lewis Pullman, having released albums Out of Sorts and Big Heart Manners (2020). She married actor-musician Cameron Crosby on May 1, 2022, in what Josh Brolin described as “the greatest, intimate wedding ceremony he’s ever seen.”
Peter Swanke Jr., now 20, remains the most private of Alice’s children. Born April 24, 2005, he’s been raised primarily by Alice since her 2011 divorce from his father. No public career or educational information exists, and Alice has successfully shielded him from media attention. She occasionally shares photos on Instagram, but respects his desire for privacy.
