Ed Begley

Ed Begley was born on 25th March 1901 and would become a star of radio, stage, and film. He was born to Irish immigrant parents and ran away from home many times. He finally broke away completely from his family at the young age of 13. He did many odd jobs before he began his work in radio.

In 1931 he became an announcer at a radio station in Hartford, Connecticut. Ten years later he moved to New York to become a star in radio. His major leading role was as the wise detective in the series of the same name Charlie Chan. He also played Lieutenant Walter Levinson in Richard Diamond, Private Detective.  Ed Begley was an actor who found himself in supporting roles in many radio programs such as Let George Do It, Adventures of Philip Marlowe, Theater of Romance,Molle Mystery Theater and The Whistler all of which can be listened to through RUSC.

As his radio career became more successful, he began to work in the film industry. He starred in many films includingBoomerang and The Great Gatsby.  He starred as Tom Finley in the 1962 film Sweet Bird of Youth. For that role he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for the same role.

When he found out he was nominated for the Academy Award he was actually standing in the line for unemployment compensation. He was so proud of the award that he was known for carrying it around with him all the time.

He also starred in films such as 12 Angry Men and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. In addition to his film work, he appeared on several television shows.  He had guest roles in shows such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and My Three Sons. He was nominated for two Emmy awards for his television work.

His stage career is also important to remember. In 1956 he won the Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Drama for his role in Inherit the Wind on Broadway.

His personal life was a little rockier than his successful career. During his lifetime, he married four times. His son Ed Begley, Jr. is also an accomplished actor and advocate for environmental protection. 

Ed Begley was a great star of radio, television, and film and won many awards for his professional accomplishments. He died on April 28th, 1970 in Hollywood from a heart attack. He is buried in Mission Hills, California at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.  

Happy listening my friends,