Alice Adair was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on June 26, 1966, and worked as an actress in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She is best known today as the first wife of actor Josh Brolin and the mother of their two children, Trevor and Eden. Since leaving Hollywood, she has kept a notably private life.
Early Life and Name
Adair was born Deborah J. Adair. Little is publicly documented about her family and upbringing, and she reportedly wanted to act from childhood. Her film and TV credits use “Alice Adair,” while IMDb lists “Deborah J. Adair” as an alternative name. Josh Brolin has also referred to her publicly as “Debby Adair.”
Acting Career
Her screen debut came in a season three episode of Miami Vice, and her film debut followed about a year later. Her best-known credits include:
- Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
- Quantum Leap (1989), where she played Diane McBride
- Szuler (1992), where she played Cornelia Granthomme
Adair stayed active in entertainment until 1992. After that she stepped away from the industry and chose a very private life.
Marriage to Josh Brolin
reference entry on Josh Brolin, which lists her under the name Deborah Adair, dates the marriage to 1988. She was about 22 and he was 20, and both were newcomers to the industry. Brolin was born on February 12, 1968.
Their son Trevor was born the same year. Their daughter Eden followed in 1994.
Sources disagree on when the marriage ended. IMDb lists it as 1988 to 1992. Other biographical sources give 1994. Since the dates conflict, it is safest to say the marriage lasted roughly four to six years and ended in the early-to-mid 1990s.
A Co-Parenting Arrangement
After the divorce, Adair and Brolin reportedly kept living together on his ranch so they could raise their children. Both have described the separation as amicable, and Brolin has called her his “best friend” and praised her as a mother.
In his November 2024 memoir From Under the Truck, Brolin wrote about being stabbed in Costa Rica in 2013. He says that when his current wife handed him a phone during the emergency, he called Alice first. In a May 2025 Mother’s Day Instagram post, he honored both Adair and his current wife, Kathryn.
Her Children
Trevor Brolin is her elder child. He and his sister both followed their parents into acting. Trevor has also worked as a director and producer.
Eden Brolin is an actress and singer. She plays Mia in the TV series Yellowstone and fronts the band Atta Boy.
Second Marriage
After her divorce from Brolin, Adair found love again with Peter Swanke, who worked outside the entertainment industry. The couple married in the early 2000s and divorced in 2011. Reports say they had a son together. His exact birth details come from a single source, so I’ve left them out.
Life After Hollywood
Adair now reportedly works as a life coach under the name Deborah Adair, and has said that helping people through stress and hardship brings her deep joy. Amomama reports that she is connected to a Beverly Hills end-of-life doula service. I found that in only one source, so treat it as a report rather than a confirmed fact. She avoids publicity, and there is little verified information about her private life beyond her work and family.
Josh Brolin After the Divorce
Brolin later married actress Diane Lane in 2004, and they divorced in 2013. He married Kathryn Boyd, his current wife, on September 24, 2016.
Conclusion
Alice Adair’s public story is short but well documented. She built a brief acting career, raised two children who now work in entertainment, and then chose privacy over fame. Her relationship with Josh Brolin remains an unusually warm one. Much of her later life is private, and the details that aren’t publicly confirmed are best left alone.
FAQs
1. Who is Alice Adair?
She is a former American actress born June 26, 1966, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the first wife of Josh Brolin.
2. Is Alice Adair also known as Deborah Adair?
Yes. She was born Deborah J. Adair, and IMDb lists that as an alternative name.
3. When did Alice Adair marry Josh Brolin?
They married in 1988. Sources give the divorce year as either 1992 or 1994.
4. Who are Alice Adair’s children with Josh Brolin?
Their children are Trevor Brolin and Eden Brolin, both of whom work in entertainment.
5. What does Alice Adair do now?
She left acting after 1992 and reportedly works as a life coach under the name Deborah Adair.
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