Inspired by the works of his Academy Award-winning father, Ed Begley, Jr. became an actor. He first came to audiences' attention for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running hit television series, St. Elsewhere, for which he received six Emmy nominations. Since then, Begley has moved easily between feature, television and theater projects.
Begley has appeared in A Mighty Wind, the follow-up to the American Comedy Award-winning film, Best in Show with Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy. He can also be seen in the latest Christopher Guest movie, For Your Consideration. Other feature film credits include Batman Forever, The Accidental Tourist and The Inlaws.
On television, Begley recently had recurring roles on Six Feet Under and Arrested Development. He has also guest starred on such series as The West Wing and The Practice in addition to David E. Kelly's latest show, Boston Legal. Begley also starred in the West Coast premiere of David Mamet's Cryptogram at the Geffen Playhouse in the role that he first performed in Boston, and then in New York. He also starred in Mamet's production of Romance at the Mark Taper Forum. This talented actor has also directed several episodes of the hit show NYPD Blue as well as a play that he wrote called Cesar and Ruben that won a Nos Otros Award and four Valley Theater League Awards.
When not acting, he is a committed environmentalist, a tireless promoter of environmental causes. He has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and serves on the boards for the Thoreau Institute, the Friends of the Earth, among many others. His work has earned him a number of awards from some of the most prestigious environmental groups such as the California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Baykeeper. Currently, Ed resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Rachelle, in a self-sufficient home powered by solar energy.