Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger Ed Begley Jr. on Finding Serenity in Hollywood
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Ed Begley Jr. has been acting professionally since 1967 when he appeared in an episode of My Three Sons. 56 years later, Ed has acted in hundreds of movies and TV shows, including An Officer and a Gentleman, Batman Forever, The Larry Sanders Show, Better Call Saul, This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and—of course—St. Elsewhere for which he earned six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. His new memoir, To the Temple of Tranquility...and Step on It! is a joyous collection of anecdotes cataloging his career, addiction, recovery, commitment to the environment and—most importantly—his family. In this week’s interview, Ed and discuss:
- Him drinking 32 oz of vodka every day for seven years
- What Jack Nicholson taught him about acting
- Why he once considered moving to Atlanta
- The blessing of not getting the part he wanted on St. Elsewhere
- Where, on a random night in 1972 you might see Elton John, the Eagles, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, and Albert Brooks
- Why being present in the moment is so important
👂Learn more about Ed on his website here. Buy the book here or at your favorite bookstore.👂
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Paul Ollinger