What is Ed Begley Jr.'s Net Worth and Salary?
Ed Begley, Jr. is an American actor, author, and environmental activist who has a net worth of $5 million. Begley is known for a wide range of film and television projects, although he is particularly well-known for his role in "St. Elsewhere," playing Dr. Victor Ehrlich. This role earned him six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award Nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. He is also known for co-hosting the reality show "Living with Ed" alongside his wife, Rachelle Carson.
In terms of film, Ed's best-known roles in the 70s include "Stay Hungry" and "Blue Collar." He then followed up in the 80s with movies like "An Officer and a Gentleman," "This Is Spinal Tap," "The Accidental Tourist," and "She-Devil." In the 90s, he booked roles in films such as "Batman Forever" and "The Pagemaster" before roles in the 2000s and 2010s like "Pineapple Express," "Whatever Works," "Ghostbusters," and "CHiPS."
Begley Jr. is also known for his frequent collaboration with mockumentary filmmakers Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, appearing in films like "Best in Show," "For Your Consideration," and "A Mighty Wind." In 2020, he booked a role in the mockumentary "Reboot Camp."
Early Life
Edward James Begley Jr. was born on September 16th, 1949, in Los Angeles, California. Acting ran in the family, as Ed's father was none other than Oscar-winning actor Ed Begley Sr. After Begley Jr. was born, Begley Sr. remarried to a woman named Amanda Huff, whom the younger Begley believed was his biological mother until the age of 16. Later in life, he met his biological mother, Allene Jeanne Sanders.
Raised in a family with Irish roots, Ed Jr. grew up in Buffalo, New York, and attended a private Catholic school. At the age of 13, he relocated back to California with his family and attended another Catholic school in Sherman Oaks. After leaving high school, Ed Begley Jr. attended Los Angeles Valley College, a public community college in North Hollywood.
Career
Ed Begley Jr. started his acting career with several early TV roles, including guest-actor roles in the series "Maude." He then booked more guest appearances in series like "Room 222" before landing further roles in series like "The Immortal," "The Bill Cosby Show," "Adam-12," "The F.B.I.," "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law," "The Nanny and the Professor," and "Mannix." Throughout the rest of the decade, more guest appearances came with series like "Ironside," "The Doris Day Show," "Family Flight," and "Love, American Style." Throughout 1973 and 1974, he booked a recurring role as Lieutenant Robert Chapman in "Roll Out," appearing in a total of 12 episodes.
After another guest role in "Happy Days," Begley booked a recurring role in "Insight." Two more guest roles followed with "Medical Center" and "Baretta" before he joined the cast of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," appearing in 13 episodes of this series throughout 1976. After an appearance in "Starsky & Hutch," Ed booked recurring roles in "Quincy, M.E.," "Wonder Woman," "Fantasy Island," "Columbo," and "Battlestar Galactica." He ended the 70s with roles in shows like "Laverne & Shirley" and "Charlie's Angels." During this decade, he was also stabbed multiple times by a street gang, almost losing his life.
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He began the 80s with roles in shows like "Barnaby Jones," "Riker," "Voyagers!," and "Richie Rich" before booking the role of Dr. Victor Ehlrich. This would become one of his most career-defining roles, and Begley would appear in 137 episodes of this series from 1982 to 1988. During this period, he also found time to appear in series like "The New Leave It to Beaver," "The Love Boat," "The Smurfs," "Saturday Night Live," and "Pound Puppies."
While Ed was cultivating an impressive career in television, he was also booking a number of film roles. By the 80s, he was appearing in movies like "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Cat People," "Young Doctors in Love," "This Is Spinal Tap," and "The Accidental Tourist." During the 90s, he followed up with movies like "The Pagemaster" and "Addams Family Reunion." From the 2000s onward, he appeared in shows like "Scrubs, "Star Trek: Voyager," and "Veronica Mars," while also booking roles in movies such as "Pineapple Express" and "Ghostbusters."
Environmental Activism
Ed Begley has been one of the most outspoken environmentalists since the 1970s. Back then, he purchased one of the first electric vehicles available for consumers and became a vegan. Today, he promotes products like the Toyota Prius and composting toilets. His home was the subject of "Living with Ed," and it shows how people can live without putting too much strain on the environment. It uses solar and wind power while featuring a toaster powered by an electric generating bicycle. In 2008, Begley revealed that his energy bill only amounted to about $300 per year.
Begley is also known for riding his bicycle and taking public transport, and he has created his own garden of drought-tolerant, native Californian plants to limit water usage. However, Ed is not without a sense of self-deprecating humor when it comes to his environmentalism, as he once voiced himself using a go-kart "powered by his own sense of self-satisfaction" in an episode of "The Simpsons."
Begley has written a number of books on sustainable living, including "Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life," published in 2008. In 2009, he published "Ed Begley Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life." In 2014, he collaborated with Jerry James Stone to write "A Vegan Survival Guide for the Holidays."
