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Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series ''
St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...
'' (1982–1988). The role earned him six consecutive
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nominations and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination. He also co-hosted, along with wife Rachelle Carson, the
green living Sustainable living describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. It is referred to as zero wastage living" or "net zero living". Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ec ...
reality show Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
titled '' Living with Ed'' (2007–2010). Equally prolific in cinema, Begley's films include ''
Blue Collar A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and ...
'' (1978), '' An Officer and a Gentleman'' (1982), '' This Is Spinal Tap'' (1984), '' The Accidental Tourist'' (1988), and '' She-Devil'' (1989). He is a recurring cast member in the mockumentaries of
Christopher Guest Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood for having writte ...
and Eugene Levy, including ''
Best in Show ''Best in Show'' is a 2000 American mockumentary comedy film co-written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy and directed by Guest. The film follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show as they travel to the show and compete once there. Much of ...
'' (2000), '' A Mighty Wind'' (2003), '' For Your Consideration'' (2006), and ''
Mascots A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fic ...
'' (2016). In 2020 he was cast along his wife Rachelle in the award-winning mockumentary '' Reboot Camp''.


Early life

Begley was born in 1949 in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, to Allene Jeanne Sanders and Oscar-winning film actor
Ed Begley Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...
. When Begley Jr. was born, Begley Sr. was married to Amanda Huff, who died when Begley Jr. was 7 years old. Until he was 16, Begley Jr. believed that Huff was his biological mother. He only later became acquainted with Sanders, his biological mother. Begley's paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants. He grew up in
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
, and attended Stella Niagara Education Park, a private Catholic school in
Lewiston, New York Lewiston is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 15,944 at the 2020 census. The town and its contained village are named after Morgan Lewis, a governor of New York. The Town of Lewiston is on the western borde ...
. When he was 13, the family moved back to California, where he graduated from Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, a Catholic high school, and from Los Angeles Valley College in
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
.


Acting career

Begley has had numerous roles in television and film. He appeared as a guest actor on '' Maude'' and had guest appearances in the 1970s series '' Room 222''. He had recurring roles on ''
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman ''Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'' is an American satirical soap opera that aired in daily weeknight syndication from January 1976 to July 1977. The series follows the titular Mary Hartman, an Ohio housewife attempting to cope with various bizarr ...
'', '' 7th Heaven'', '' Arrested Development'', '' Meego'' and '' Six Feet Under'' and starring roles in '' Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital'', ''
St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' was an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...
'', and '' Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)''. He was in one episode of '' My Three Sons'', playing a tall classmate of Chip's. He has played significant roles in three of Christopher Guest's mockumentary films ''
Best in Show ''Best in Show'' is a 2000 American mockumentary comedy film co-written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy and directed by Guest. The film follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show as they travel to the show and compete once there. Much of ...
'', '' A Mighty Wind'', and '' For Your Consideration''. Additionally, Begley played Viper pilot Greenbean on the original '' Battlestar Galactica'' TV series, Boba Fett in the radio adaptation of ''Return of the Jedi'', and Seth Gillette, a fictional Democratic U.S. senator from
North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...
on '' The West Wing''. From 2000 to 2016, Begley was a member of the Board of Governors of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
. In 1996, he appeared in a TV movie called ''
The Late Shift The Late Shift or Late Shift may refer to: * ''The Late Shift'' (book), a 1994 book about 1990s conflict regarding ''The Tonight Show'' ** ''The Late Shift'' (film), a 1996 HBO film based on the book *''Comedy Inc: The Late Shift'', a 2005–2007 s ...
'', where he portrayed CBS executive Rod Perth. He has guest-starred on shows such as '' Scrubs'', '' Boston Legal'', and '' Star Trek: Voyager''. He had a recurring guest role in season three of ''
Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen noir mystery drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and stars Kristen Bell as the eponymous character. The series prem ...
''. He appeared in the 2008 HBO film '' Recount'', which profiled the 2000 presidential election and its aftermath, which was decided by Florida's electoral votes after the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point ...
halted the counting of the state's popular vote. Begley also made an appearance on '' Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' Season 3, Episode 3, as a spokesman for Cinco. In 2003, Begley wrote and directed the musical ''Cesar and Ruben''. It was performed at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles and was revived in 2007. Begley played Dr. Walter Krandall, the protagonist's former marriage counselor and fiancé of his ex-wife in the CBS sitcom '' Gary Unmarried''. Since 2008 he has been in a series of DirecTV commercials as a "Cable Corp Inc." executive. In 2013, he appeared on the reality television show '' Beverly Hills Pawn''. In 2016, he began appearing in ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White ( Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited ...
'' prequel and spinoff ''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, '' Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
'' as Clifford Main, senior partner at the Davis & Main law firm. Beginning in 2019, he appeared in '' Bless This Mess'' for duration of the two seasons that the show ran.


Personal life

According to a feature on the Bio channel television program '' Celebrity Close Calls'', Begley nearly died in 1972 after being stabbed multiple times while being mugged by a street gang. His attackers were teenagers who were later apprehended by the police. Begley was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2016.


Activism


Environmental activism

Since 1970, Begley has been an
environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that s ...
, beginning with his first
electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes c ...
(a Taylor-Dunn, golf cart–like vehicle),
recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The Energy recycling, recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability t ...
, and becoming a
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
. He promotes eco-friendly products like the
Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, t ...
, Envirolet composting toilets and Begley's Best Household Cleaner. Begley's former home is in size, using
solar power Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic ef ...
, wind power via a PacWind vertical-axis wind turbine, an air conditioning unit made by Greenway Design Group, LLC., and an electricity-generating bicycle used to toast bread. In 2008 he stated that he was paying around $300 a year in electric bills. Noting that the suburban lawn is environmentally unsustainable, especially in Southern California, owing to water shortage, Begley has converted his own to a drought-tolerant garden composed of native California plants. He is noted for riding bicycles and using public transportation, and owns a 2003 Toyota RAV4 EV electric-powered vehicle. Begley's hybrid electric bicycle was often featured on his television show '' Living With Ed''. Begley also spoofed his own environmentalist beliefs on " Homer to the Max", an episode of ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' by showing himself using a nonpolluting go-kart that is powered by his "own sense of self-satisfaction" and on an episode of '' Dharma and Greg''. Later, he appeared in " Gone Maggie Gone", another episode of ''The Simpsons'', in Season 20. In the episode, during a solar eclipse, he drives a solar-powered car that stops running on train tracks as a train approaches, but the train also stops because it is an Ed Begley Jr. Solar Powered Train. According to another of Groening's animated comedy series, '' Futurama'', Begley's electric motor is "the most evil propulsion system ever conceived" as stated in " The Honking" (19 minutes in). Begley and friend Bill Nye are in a competition to see who can have the lowest carbon footprint. In 2009, Begley appeared in the Earth Day edition of ''
The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is a television game show franchise created by Bob Stewart, originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; currently it is produced and owned by Fremantle. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also i ...
''. He announced the final showcase, which included an electric bicycle, a solar-powered golf cart and a
Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, t ...
. Begley was featured during ''
The Jay Leno Show ''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET/Pacific Time Zone, PT through February 9, 2010. The program w ...
s Green Car Challenge. Various celebrities drove an electric Ford Focus automobile and tried to set records on an outdoor track. During the second lap, cutouts of Begley and Al Gore would pop out, and if the celebrity had hit either of them, one second was added to his or her time. Begley is the author of ''Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life'' (2008) and ''Ed Begley Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life'' (2009) both published by
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Ger ...
. He also wrote ''A Vegan Survival Guide for the Holidays'' (2014) with
Jerry James Stone Jerry James Stone is an American food blogger, vegetarian chef, activist, and internet personality, known for simple gourmet recipes, advocacy for a sustainable food and wine movement, and as a social media personality. In 2015, a Sierra Club mag ...
.


Affiliations

* Coalition for Clean Air * Environmental Media Association * Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy * The American Oceans Campaign * League of Conservation Voters * Environmental Research Foundation * Walden Woods Project * Thoreau Institute * Earth Communications Office *
Solar Living Institute Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...
*
TreePeople TreePeople is an educational and training environmental advocacy organization based in Los Angeles, California. The TreePeople organization advocates and works to support a sustainable urban ecosystems in the Greater Los Angeles area through e ...
* Friends of the Earth * Sequoia ForestKeeper * Green Wish * Orang Utan Republik From 2007 to 2010, Begley and his wife Rachelle Carson starred in their own reality television series, '' Living with Ed'' on
HGTV HGTV (an initialism for Home & Garden Television) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The network primarily broadcasts reality programming related to home improvement and real estate. As of February 2015, ...
and Discovery's Planet Green channel. In 2013 he, his wife and daughter Hayden filmed "On Begley Street", a Web series chronicling the deconstruction of his current home and the "building of North America's greenest, most sustainable home". He received the
Thomas Alva Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These invent ...
Award for Energy Independence from the
American Jewish Congress The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress or AJC) is an association of American Jews organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts. History The AJCongress was ...
, the first one to be presented. Begley has been a leader in this field and was recognized in November 2007 for his lifelong work in environmentalism.


Political

Begley was also on the advisory committee for the group ''2004 Racism Watch'', founded by fellow actor
Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' ...
. The group was formed to respond to the advertisement campaign of the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney presidential campaign that they claimed was encouraging racism. The advertisement in question, "100 Days", made a reference to terrorism and terrorists while highlighting a photograph of an anonymous man of Middle Eastern descent.


Friendships with other actors


William Daniels

When Begley was a child, his future ''St. Elsewhere'' series lead, William Daniels, met Begley's father when the two were working on live television. By the time Begley Jr. grew up, he was already a fan of his mentor's work; he would work with Daniels on ''St. Elsewhere'', where the two had on- and off-screen chemistry for six seasons. Daniels, himself, on the show, was a moody Irishman like Ed Sr., though a far more nurturing father figure. This proved so rich that the role grew beyond even the writers' expectations. Begley Jr. said about his future TV chief of surgery, "I was a huge fan of Bill Daniels. I had seen him in ''Two for the Road''. I had seen him in ''The Graduate'', and in ''Parallax View''. He was an actor I just thought the world of. He played these 'Type A' personalities quite effectively, but (in real life) he is the sweetest guy in the world." He also added: "He is an actor I just thought the world of. I had no delusions about how my character came to be. I rode on the coattails of Bill Daniels... the kind of Mutt and Jeff routine of Dr. Craig looking up and berating the 6' foot 4" doctor Victor Ehrlich. So I owe all my success on the show to Bill Daniels." After the series was canceled, the two still remained friends, living not too far away from each other. In 2002, Daniels, Begley Jr., along with the rest of the former surviving ''St. Elsewhere'' cast members, the late Stephen Furst and Eric Laneuville all appeared on an episode of '' Scrubs''.


Norman Lloyd

Before ''St. Elsewhere'' in the early 1980s, the struggling and unknown Begley met
Norman Lloyd Norman Nathan Lloyd (' Perlmutter; November 8, 1914 – May 11, 2021) was an American actor, producer, director, and centenarian with a career in entertainment spanning nearly a century. He worked in every major facet of the industry, including ...
, who became a mentor to him while Lloyd was directing an episode of ''Tales of the Unexpected''. The two became friends. In a 2014 interview with Jimmy Falcon of Cloverleaf Radio, he said this about Lloyd:
Not only did I enjoy working with him, but I see him fairly regularly. I just had dinner with him 4 nights ago. We had dinner together at Sarah Nichols's house, his neighbor of mine and friend of his. We had a lovely time and reminisced – he's unbelievable. He's going to be 100 years old this year—and still very active, getting around on his own. He's a force of nature, so Norman Lloyd was somebody I idolized. When I was quite young, wow, James Dean is great and this is one and that. Now look at Janis Joplin, what a great voice and Jim Morrison, those people left us so young, like my point of view has change somewhere, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, saying, 'No, you idolized Jimmy Stewart, Gloria Swanson.' The people that have families and happiness and a long, economy life. You know, Norman Lloyd, he wasn't much older than me, when I did ''St. Elsewhere'', and I went 'These are my role models, now, people had a long/happy life and continued to be creative.' Those are my role models, not the people that left us so early and I'm sorry they did, I don't mean to trifle with that, but, my role models changed from the people who had an incredible, brief spurt of creativity and life, but to people that went the distance, they became my role models at some point in my early 30s really.
On November 9, 2014, along with former ''St. Elsewhere'' co-stars, Begley attended Lloyd's 100th birthday in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
. Begley said, "I worked with Norman Lloyd the actor, and Norman Lloyd the director, and no one informed me better on the art of storytelling than that talented man. He is a constant inspiration and my eternal friend."


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* * *
The TreeHugger Interview: Ed Begley Jr.

Interview from Log Home Design magazine: Ed Begley Jr.

Good Morning America covers ''Guide to Sustainable Living'' by Ed Begley Jr.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Begley, Ed Jr. 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Activists from California American environmentalists American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Irish descent American anti-racism activists American veganism activists Living people Los Angeles Valley College people Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Buffalo, New York Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, California) alumni People from Santa Monica, California 1949 births