Edward James Begley Jr. was born on 16 September 1949, in Los Angeles, California USA, to Allene Jeanne Sanders and Ed Begley, both actors, of Irish descent. He is an actor perhaps still best remembered for playing Dr. Victor Ehrlich in the ’80s television series “St. Elsewhere”.
A respected actor, how rich is Ed Begley? Sources state that Begley has acquired a net worth of over $5 million, as of late 2016. His wealth has largely been earned during his acting career which now spans almost 50 years.
Ed Begley Jr. Net Worth $5 Million
Begley grew up in Buffalo, New York State, attending Stella Niagara Education Park Cadet School in Lewiston before his family moved to California in 1962, where he matriculated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. He later enrolled at Los Angeles Valley College in North Hollywood.
Begley made his television debut in 1967, appearing in the sitcom “My Three Sons”, but then became a stand-up comedian, and an assistant cameraman on TV commercials. In the early ’70s he returned to acting, and went on to appear in numerous series during the decade, including recurring roles in “Room 222”, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” and “Battlestar Galactica”. His film debut came with the 1972 Disney film “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t”, after which he landed numerous other film parts, the most notable being in “Stay Hungry” and “Blue Collar”. His net worth was at its start.
Begley’s breakthrough came in the early ’80s, with the role of Dr. Victor Ehrlich in the popular television series “St. Elsewhere”. His six-year tenure on the show earned him six Emmy nominations, significantly contributing to his popularity and to his wealth as well. In the meantime, he landed several notable film roles too, such as in “An Officer and a Gentleman”, “This Is Spinal Tap” and “The Accidental Tourist”.
The ’90s saw Begley making numerous television guest appearances, as well as taking several film parts, including in “The Pagemaster” and “Batman Forever”. In the next decade he landed recurring roles in the series “7th Heaven”, “Arrested Development” and “Six Feet Under”, and starred as Paul Weffler in the sitcom “Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)” and as Dr. Jesse James in the series “Kingdom Hospital”. From 2007 to 2010 he starred along with his wife in his own green living reality television show entitled “Living with Ed”, portraying his huge passion for environmental issues. Begley’s numerous film appearances at the time included “Whatever Works”, “Pineapple Express”, “For Your Consideration” and “Recount”, to name a few. The following years were also fairly busy for the actor, as he made a number of television guest appearances, as well as film roles, which maintained his net worth.
Begley has also been active on stage, starring in several David Mamet productions, including “Cryptogram”, “Romance” and “November”. In 2003 the play called “Cesar and Ruben” was written and directed by himself, which won him a Nos Otros Award and four Valley Theater League Awards, contributing to his net worth.
His last film appearances were in the 2016 action comedy “Gostbusters” and the mocumentary “Mascots”, which both added to his net worth.
Aside from his acting career, Begley has written the books “Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life”, and “Ed Begley Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life”. In 2014 he released “A Vegan Survival Guide for the Holidays”, co-written with Jerry James Stone, all helping his bank account.
In his private life, Begley was married to Ingrid Taylor from 1976 to 1989; the couple has two children together. As of 2000, he has been married to actress Rachelle Carson, with whom he has one child. The actor has been involved in philanthropy. He serves on the board of a number of charitable organizations, including the Coalition for Clean Air and Green Wish.
Begley has been an ardent environmentalist, frequently sharing and preaching his environmental ideas in television shows and in public. Aside from being a vegan living in in a solar-powered home and driving an electric car, he produces and sells “Begley’s Best”, a product described as an ‘all-natural household cleaning product’, and various other eco-friendly products. He is involved in numerous environmental affiliations.
