Harvey Brownstone Interviews Joel Brokaw, Son of Legendary Hollywood Agent, Norman Brokaw.
Joel Brokaw can truly be said to be descended from Hollywood royalty – perhaps not in the traditional sense, because neither of his parents were movie stars. But his father was one of the most successful, powerful and respected agents in the history of Hollywood, Norman Brokaw.
Throughout his career he represented some of the greatest legendary stars in history, including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Barbara Stanwyck, Loretta Young, Susan Hayward, Natalie Wood, Kim Novak, Clint Eastwood, Dick Van Dyke, Donna Summer and many more, including Olympic athletes like Mark Spitz, and former President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty Ford.
He was renowned for his professionalism, integrity, sincerity, enthusiasm and above all, his steadfast loyalty and devotion to his clients. But until now, no one really knew the man behind the sterling professional reputation, because he always shied away from center stage, preferring instead to shine the spotlight on his superstar clients.
But now Joel Brokaw, who is Norman Brokaw’s son, has written a highly compelling and insightful book about his father entitled, “Driving Marilyn: The Life and Times of Legendary Hollywood Agent Norman Brokaw.” The book tells the story of Norman Brokaw’s remarkable 60-year journey, beginning in 1943, when at the age of 16, he started working in the mail room at the illustrious William Morris Agency, and then worked his way up to President and then Chairman and CEO of the company.
Joel Brokaw spent 30 years as a publicist in Hollywood, representing many big stars, including Tyler Perry, for whom he ended up ghost writing the #1 New York Times Bestseller, “Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life”. That book, released in 2006, launched Joel Brokaw into a new and highly successful career as an author, collaborator and ghost writer.
His other books include “Living with Purpose: An Activist’s Guide to Listening, Learning and Leading”, by Dorothy Height, “It’s Never Too Late: Getting Older, Wiser, and Worry Free in Our Golden Years”, by Scott Page, “There’s No Traffic on the Extra Mile: Lessons on the Road from Dreams to Destiny” by Ricky Minor, and he co-wrote Florence Henderson’s bestselling memoir, “Life is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond”. He also co-wrote “Jane’s Dust: A Tale of Talc, Deceit, and Death” along with Dr. Ronald E. Gordon. And he co-wrote “Connect – The Ultimate Human Superpower – 38 Remarkable Journeys into the Inner Realm of Mind Power”, together with Sam Beard. And in 2022, he published a delicious memoir entitled, “Perfect Moments”. For more information on Joel Brokaw, go to: https://joelbrokaw.com/
Harvey Brownstone is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He is also the bestselling author of “Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court” and hosted “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone,” a television talk show on matters involving the family justice system.
After a distinguished legal career, Harvey was appointed a judge at the age of 38 in 1995. He has presided in family and criminal courts. He has been a trailblazer in several ways. He was the first openly gay judge in Canada. He was the first sitting judge in the world to write a national best seller and to host a TV talk show.
Harvey has been a role model and icon in the LGBTQ community. When same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada in 2003, he was the only judge to make himself publicly available to officiate at weddings for lesbian and gay couples travelling to Toronto from all over the world to get married. In 2007, he officiated at the wedding of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, the American couple whose marriage triggered the 2013 United States Supreme Court decision overturning the definition of “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
In February 2021, Harvey launched his online talk show “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” on his own YouTube channel. He saw this as an interesting hobby. Within several months, the show attracted hundreds of thousands – and then eventually, millions – of viewers. Because of the overwhelming success of the show, Harvey decided to retire from the judiciary on December 31, 2021 after having presided as a full-time judge for 26 1/2 years. Free from the constraints imposed upon judges regarding the expression of opinions and the endorsement of private enterprise, Harvey now happily devotes his full-time attention to hosting “Harvey Brownstone Interviews” as a regular member of the public – albeit one with a rather illustrious and unique career history.
Watch Joel Brokaw on Harvey Brownstone Interviews on Youtube here:
The official website for Harvey Brownstone Interviews may be found at https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com
Get “The Talk Show Blend” – Coffee For The Modern Day Trailblazer! By Harvey Brownstone from Breakfast At Dominique’s available at https://www.HollywoodBlends.com
For more information about Harvey Brownstone, here’s his Wikipedia page: