Ed Begley, Jr. at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009.
Edward James "Ed" Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor, voice and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is most recognized for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988) for which he received six consecutive Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. He also got voiced in the character appeared in Rugrats (1991-2004), and All Grown Up! (2003-2008), He also co-hosted, along with wife Rachelle Carson, the green living reality show entitled Living with Ed (2007–2010).
Equally prolific in cinema, Begley's best known films include Stay Hungry (1976), Blue Collar (1978), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Accidental Tourist (1988), The Pagemaster (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Auto Focus (2002), Pineapple Express (2008) and Ghostbusters (2016). He is a recurring cast member in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy: Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003) and For Your Consideration (2006).
Early life[]
Begley was born in Los Angeles, California to Allene Jeanne Sanders and Oscar-winning film actor Ed Begley. When his son was born Begley Sr. was married to Amanda Huff; she died when Begley Jr. was seven years old. He believed Huff to be his biological mother until he was sixteen, and only later became acquainted with his biological mother, Allene.
His paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants. Begley grew up in Buffalo, New York and attended Stella Niagara Education Park Cadet School, a private Roman Catholic school, in Lewiston, New York. In 1962 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.
Acting career[]
Begley's numerous roles in television and film include one of his earliest appearances as a guest actor on Maude. He had guest appearances in the 1970s series Room 222. He had recurring roles on Mary Hartman, 7th Heaven, Arrested Development, Meego and Six Feet Under and starring roles in Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital, St. Elsewhere, and Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central).
He has played significant roles in the mockumentary films Best in Show, 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 on The West Wing.
Since 2000, he has been a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1996, Begley appeared in a TV movie called The Late Shift, where he played real-life CBS executive Rod Perth. He has guest-starred on shows such as Scrubs, Boston Legal, and Star Trek: Voyager (Future's End, parts I and II). He had a recurring guest role in season three of Veronica Mars. He appeared in the 2008 HBO film Recount, which profiled the 2000 Presidential Election and its aftermath, which was decided by the state of Florida's electoral votes. 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. One of Begley's recent acting roles was in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried. Begley played Dr. Walter Krandall, the protagonist's former marriage counselor and fiancé of his ex-wife. Since 2008, he has appeared in a series of DirecTV commercials as a "Cable Corp Inc." executive. In 2005, he appearing star of voice character roled Amish Father in the R.V. Having Fun Yet? of All Grown Up!. In 2013, he appeared on the reality television show Beverly Hills Pawn.
Personal life[]
Begley has three children, a daughter and son from his first marriage, and a daughter from his current marriage.
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 police.
Filmgrophy[]
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Rugrats | Bob / Waiter (voice) | Episode: "Baking Dil/Hair!" | |
| 2005 | All Grown Up! | Amish Father (voice) | Episode: "R.V. Having Fun Yet?" |