James Butler Hickok, played by Josh Brolin, otherwise known simply as Jimmy, was based on the true life Wild West legend "Wild Bill" Hickok. Just as the real Hickok, Jimmy was a
little too fearless, a little too cocky and too iron-willed for his own good. Jimmy is a natural fighter, and most of the time unrelenting, but deep in his heart, there is a goodness that he fights to hide. He has a knack for falling for the wrong type of women, but he also hides a secret desire for Emma. He is quick to anger and even quicker with a gun. Let's not forget though, underneath all if this unrepenting machoism that led him into so much trouble is the "real" Jimmy. The character of Jimmy never wavered in his sense of loyalty to his friends or those he truly cared for, and he would stand beside them no matter what challenge or difficulty they faced. It never mattered what the trouble was, they were his friends, and Jimmy was there until the end. Jimmy was a wild spirit that craved the company of the other riders, although he would never admit to it. He lived by his own rules and didn't take too kindly to anyone else's. He will always be a gunfighter at heart. Even though he fought hard to hide his care and compassion, he proved that he would rather go through Hell or would rather give up his life than break his word.
Jimmy was with The Pony Express from the first ride until the end when the invention of the telegraph made it possible for people to receive messages quicker than The Pony Express. In the beginning, it is clear that Jimmy's harsh, fearless attitude came from his upbringing. He was orphaned at a young age and had to learn to take care of himself. Not too much is said about Jimmy's dark past, except he may have been partially raised by a strange old man referred to as "The Judge" after his parents died or at least after the death of his father. This could give us some clue as to why Jimmy seemed to never trust anyone, but when he made a friend, it was forever.
The character of Jimmy Hickok probably went through the most development than any other character on the show. It seems that as his hair grows, so does the character. He goes
from a clumsy, illiterate, cocky teen-ager who doesn't give a damn about anybody to a mature, bright, educated, well-intentioned, well-written young man. His best friend of the show seems to be Teaspoon who may have grown from an employer to a father figure, which Jimmy never had. He learns a lot from Teaspoon and Teaspoon may have learned a thing or two from Jimmy.
The most important point in Jimmy's character comes when he is named "Wild Bill" by a dime store novelist, J.D. Marcus (Season One,
#7). The reputation he gained as being a lightning fast killer is a characteristic that follows him for the rest of his life, getting him into more trouble than he bargained for, and lasting for more than one episode. Marcus foreshadows this life at the end of that episode by saying, "You realize of course that what happened here today cannot be repressed. It doesn't matter what I write. It's the kind of legend a young, growing country needs. This is the kind of legend that takes on a life of its own".
Jimmy's gun of choice varies throughout the series. In the beginning, his gun doesn't appear to be anything special. He wears a
nondescript 1850-type pearl handled Colt, hung low with a hair trigger. After the episode about his gun, he switches to a silver ivory handled 1850 Navy Colt, so called by "The Judge" as "the finest gun made." Jimmy's apparel is usually a black hat, and black slacks with a brown leather belt. He often has on his tan heavy overcoat or a vest over various different shirts.
It was never made clear what happened to Jimmy after the end of the show, but we eventually learn as history unfolds and the
life of "Wild Bill" Hickok is revealed.
Like Stephen Baldwin, Josh Brolin, who played a young James Butler Hickok has worked pretty steadily since the demise of "The Young Riders".
He appeared in a short-lived (one month) dramatic series called "Winnetka Road" in 1994 before shifting his focus from television to
movies. It seems to have been a good move for him to make. In the past 10 years, he has had parts in numerous theatrical films and several made for
TV movies. And he is steadily becoming a house hold name with his rising success in the movie theatres. Josh is proving himself to be more
than simply his father's son.
Josh was born on February 12, 1968 in Templeton, California to actor James Brolin ("Marcus Welby, M.D.", "Hotel") and his then wife, Jane. Five years later, Josh's brother, Jesse, was born. When his parents divorced in the
early eighties, Josh found it difficult to deal with and he had a few scrapes with the law and even spent a little time in jail for what he
describes as "rageful things", but he gives no details.
But even through all of this, he was able to turn his life around and go back to the acting career he had begun at age 16 when he got the part of
Brandon Walsh, Sean Astin's older brother in The Goonies (1985). After The Goonies, Josh got the lead role in a
skater movie called Thrashin' (1986). After that he did some episodic television (guest appearances include "21 Jump Street" &
"Highway to Heaven") and a series called "Private Eye" that lasted less than a year and a few TV movies including one called "Finish Line" about
a high school athlete who got involved with steroids due to pressure from his father/coach. Josh's father, James, played his father in the movie.
It was while working on the ill-fated "Private Eye" at 19 that Josh met his future wife, actress Alice
"Deborah" Adair., who also made a guest appearance on TYR. Together they had two children before divorcing. They remained
together for a while after that to raise their children together, unmarried, on a ranch in Paso Robles, which he inherited when his
mother passed away in 1995 due to a fatal car accident. After a little time in Arizona, Josh moved back to the ranch and is still currently
living there. During 1998 - 2001, Josh dated actress Minnie Driver and at one time they were even engaged. In October of 2001, Josh
and Minnie amicably split. Who Josh will date next? Many of his fans are curious, but we'll just have to wait and see.
Finally in 1989, Josh landed the role of James Butler Hickok in the new ABC series "The Young Riders", a role that Josh felt he
was born to play. He loved portraying Hickok, and gave his character a lot of the brooding intensity he had himself. Since he did grow
up on a ranch, Josh felt like he was at home. Acting and horseback riding are two of his favorite pastimes. To put it simply, Josh is just
a country boy at heart.
Josh has also shown his need for the life in the fast lane. In 2000, Josh competed in and took away the victor's trophy at the Toyota Pro Celebrity Race. In 2001, he returned to defend his title, but passed the title onto Scott Pruett, but still left with second place. Coincidentally, Josh's father won the same race in 1978, so it appears the need for speed runs in the family.
Over the past 8 years, Josh has had a successful career in movies, as well as in the theatre. He spent five years performing in and directing plays at the Reflections Festival at the GeVa Theatre in Rochester, N.Y. along with Clare Wren and Anthony Zerbe. In movies, Josh has had roles in The Road Killers (1993), Bed Of Roses (1996) and, Flirting With Disaster (1996) where he plays a bi-sexual detective who is considering adopting a child with his husband. It was definitely a different role for Josh, because he was so used to playing 'jock' roles. Nonetheless, he enjoyed it because it let him expand his acting talents. And girls, if you want to get a great view of Josh's five tattoos and pierced nipple, rent this one as soon as possible! During the late 90's, Josh had a roles in Nightwatch with Ewan McGregor and Patricia Arquette; also a Showtime original movie titled "Gang in Blue", and Mimic (1997).
If that isn't enough to keep this young actor busy, he starting working on Best Laid Plans in April, 1998. After the 1999
release, he followed up with All The Rage and a made for TV movie, Picnic. Josh's project after
that was the character of Billy in the new movie, The Mod Squad based on the '60's TV show.
The new millennium brought about some very exciting projects for Josh, beginning with Slow Burn co-staring with his then girlfriend, Minnie Driver and James Spader. After that, Josh co-started opposite Kevin Bacon in The Hallow Man. which got its share of mixed reviews. Released in 2001 was D.C. Smalls and currently awaiting a release in 2002 is Coastlines.
And just when the fans of Josh Brolin thought they couldn't get enough of him, he stunned his fanbase by signing on to do episodic television again. (Never say Never, Josh). The 2002 Fall Lineup will get a glimpse of his talent as he takes the title role in "Mr. Sterling" , a DC drama by the writers/creators of "The West Wing" . We can wait to see you again, Josh!!
For more information on Josh Brolin, please visit IMDB.com.
James Butler Hickok, who better known to millions as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a frontier lawman with a wide flung reputation for his speed and accuracy with a weapon.
He was born in Troy Grove, LaSalle county, Illinois to an abolitionist father (William) who would later be killed because of his stand, and Polly Butler. He was the youngest son of seven children who also included brothers Oliver, Lorenzo (who died in infancy), Lorenzo (who lived to adulthood) and Horace. There were two Hickok sisters, Celinda and Lydia.
Like his father, Hickok was also a strong supporter of abolition and worked as a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War to further the cause. Prior to that, he held a series of jobs, tending stock for the Pony Express at the Rock Creek, Kansas station being one of them. There he was involved in a shoot-out with a Mr. McCandles and a henchman, killing them both from a protected position inside the station. It was enough to begin the legends and myths of "Wild Bill" Hickok. There are conflicting stories of where the nickname "Wild Bill" came from. The only thing the different stories have in common was that a woman, impressed by Hickok's deeds (which vary by story) shouted out, "Way to go, Wild Bill!" and the nickname stuck.
After the war he found work as a stagecoach driver on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails and as a teamster before settling on a career as a lawman in 1869. He was the village constable in Monticello, Kansas and moved on to become marshal of of the wild towns of Hays City, Fort Riley and Abilene, all in Kansas.
In the Autumn of 1871 while marshal of Abilene, infamous outlaws Frank and Jesse James and their gang decided to lay over for several days to rest and take on supplies. Hickok was criticized by the townspeople for not placing them under arrest immediately. In Hickok's mind it simply wasn't practical. He'd been given assurance by the James's, who he'd met prior to the Civil War, that they would commit no crimes while in Abilene (a promise they kept). That wasn't the main reason why he let them be, though. Mainly it was because he was terribly outgunned and under the constant watch of gang members and James sympathizers, as the James were developing a folk hero status in the West.
In 1872, with his eyesight weakening as he approached middle age, Hickok gave up law enforcement and took on odd jobs and gambling as a means of support. he let himself be convinced by his friend William Cody (Buffalo Bill) to join him on the stage in a melodramatic play recreating their alleged exploits. Hickok hated it and found it humiliating. He gave up acting but stayed with Cody. He traveled East with Cody in an early version of Cody's Wild West Show where he exhibited his skills as a marksman. He left the show in 1874.
In 1876, Hickok met and married actress Agnes Lake (Mersman) in Cincinnati. He left her there while he traveled to the town of Deadwood in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
On August 2, 1876 as Hickok sat playing poker in the Number Ten Saloon he was murdered, shot in the back, by a drunken stranger named Jack McCall. McCall's motives were never known but it has been theorized that he was hired to kill Hickok by criminal elements who feared that he might become marshal and clean up Deadwood as he did with other towns. McCall was tried and convicted and later hung for the crime on March 1, 1877.
To this day, the hand of cards that Hickok was holding, two pairs--aces and eights, is known as the deadman's hand.
~Ishani
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by wCw, Ishani, & Rick SnyderPictures by Wendy
