Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He played Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the television series St. Elsewhere (1982–1988). The role earned him six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. He also co-hosted, along with wife Rachelle Carson, the green living reality show entitled Living with Ed (2007–2010).
Equally prolific in cinema, Begley’s best known films include Stay Hungry (1976), Blue Collar (1978), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Accidental Tourist (1988), She-Devil (1989), The Pagemaster (1994), Batman Forever (1995), Auto Focus (2002), Pineapple Express (2008), What’s Your Number? (2011), Ghostbusters (2016) and CHiPS (2017). He is a recurring cast member in the mockumentaries of Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy, including Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), For Your Consideration (2006), and Mascots (2016). In 2020 he was cast along his wife Rachelle in the award-winning mockumentary Reboot Camp.
Early life
Begley was born in 1949 in Los Angeles, California to Allene Jeanne Sanders and Oscar-winning film actor Ed Begley. When Begley Jr. was born, Begley Sr. was married to Amanda Huff, who died when Begley Jr. was seven years old. Until he was sixteen, Begley Jr. believed that Huff was his biological mother. He only later became acquainted with Sanders, his biological mother.
Begley’s paternal grandparents were Irish immigrants. He grew up in Buffalo, New York, and attended Stella Niagara Education Park, a private Roman Catholic school, in Lewiston, New York. In 1962, the family moved back to California, where he graduated from Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, a Catholic high school, and from Los Angeles Valley College in North Hollywood.
Acting career
Begley’s numerous roles in television and film include one of his earliest appearances as a guest actor on Maude. He had guest appearances in the 1970s series Room 222. He had recurring roles on Mary Hartman, 7th Heaven, Arrested Development, Meego and Six Feet Under and starring roles in Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital, St. Elsewhere, and Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central). He was in one episode of My Three Sons, playing a tall classmate of Chip’s.
He has played significant roles in the mockumentary films Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. Additionally, Begley played Viper pilot Greenbean on the original Battlestar Galactica TV series, Boba Fett in the radio adaptation of Return of the Jedi, and Seth Gillette, a fictional Democratic U.S. senator from North Dakota on The West Wing.[citation needed]
From 2000 to 2016, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1996, Begley appeared in a TV movie called The Late Shift, where he played real-life CBS executive Rod Perth. He has guest-starred on shows such as Scrubs, Boston Legal, and Star Trek:Voyager. He had a recurring guest role in season three of Veronica Mars. He appeared in the 2008 HBO film Recount, which profiled the 2000 Presidential Election and its aftermath, which was decided by Florida’s electoral votes after the United States Supreme Court halted the counting of the state’s popular vote. Begley also made an appearance on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Season 3, Episode 3, as a spokesman for Cinco.
In 2003, Begley wrote and directed the musical Cesar and Ruben. It was performed at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles and was revived in 2007. One of Begley’s recent acting roles was in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried. Begley played Dr. Walter Krandall, the protagonist’s former marriage counselor and fiancé of his ex-wife. Since 2008, he has appeared in a series of DirecTV commercials as a “Cable Corp Inc.” executive. In 2013, he appeared on the reality television show Beverly Hills Pawn. Beginning in 2019, he appeared in Bless This Mess for duration of the two seasons that the show ran.
Personal life
Begley has three children, a daughter and son from his first marriage, and a daughter from his current marriage.[citation needed]
According to a feature on the Bio channel television program Celebrity Close Calls, Begley nearly died in 1972 after being stabbed multiple times while being mugged by a street gang. His attackers were teenagers who were later apprehended by the police.
Activism
Environmental
Since 1970, Begley has been an environmentalist, beginning with his first electric vehicle (a Taylor-Dunn, golf cart–like vehicle), recycling, and becoming a vegan. He promotes eco-friendly products like the Toyota Prius, Envirolet composting toilets and Begley’s Best Household Cleaner.
Begley’s home is 1,585 square feet (147.3 m2) in size, using solar power, wind power via a PacWind vertical-axis wind turbine, an air conditioning unit made by Greenway Design Group, LLC., and an electricity-generating bicycle used to toast bread. In 2008 he stated that he was paying around $300 a year in electric bills.
Noting that the suburban lawn is environmentally unsustainable, especially in Southern California, owing to water shortage, Begley has converted his own to a drought-tolerant garden composed of native California plants. He is noted for riding bicycles and using public transportation, and owns a 2003 Toyota RAV4 EV electric-powered vehicle.
Begley’s hybrid electric bicycle was often featured on his television show Living With Ed. Begley also spoofed his own environmentalist beliefs on “Homer to the Max”, an episode of The Simpsons by showing himself using a nonpolluting go-kart that is powered by his “own sense of self-satisfaction” and on an episode of Dharma and Greg.[citation needed] Later, he appeared in “Gone Maggie Gone”, another episode of The Simpsons, in Season 20. In the episode, during a solar eclipse, he drives a solar-powered car that stops running on train tracks as a train approaches, but the train also stops because it is an Ed Begley Jr. Solar Powered Train. According to another of Groening’s animated comedy series, Futurama, Begley’s electric motor is “the most evil propulsion system ever conceived” as stated in “The Honking” (19 minutes in).[citation needed]
Begley and friend Bill Nye are in a competition to see who can have the lowest carbon footprint.
In 2009, Begley appeared in the Earth Day edition of The Price Is Right. He announced the final showcase, which included an electric bicycle, a solar-powered golf cart and a Toyota Prius.
Begley was featured during The Jay Leno Show’s Green Car Challenge. Various celebrities drove an electric Ford Focus automobile and tried to set records on an outdoor track. During the second lap, cutouts of Begley and Al Gore would pop out, and if the celebrity had hit either of them, one second was added to his or her time.
Begley is the author of Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life (2008) and Ed Begley Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life (2009) both published by Random House. He also wrote A Vegan Survival Guide for the Holidays (2014) with Jerry James Stone.
From 2007 to 2010, Begley and his wife Rachelle Carson starred in their own reality television series, Living with Ed on HGTV and Discovery’s Planet Green channel. He, his wife and daughter Hayden are currently filming “On Begley Street”, a Web series chronicling the deconstruction of his current home and the “building of North America’s greenest, most sustainable home”.
He received the Thomas Alva Edison Award for Energy Independence from the American Jewish Congress, the first one to be presented. Begley has been a leader in this field and was recognized in November 2007 for his lifelong work in environmentalism.
Political
Begley was also on the advisory committee for the group 2004 Racism Watch, founded by fellow actor Ed Asner. The group was formed to respond to the advertisement campaign of the George W. Bush/Dick Cheney presidential campaign that they claimed was encouraging racism. The advertisement in question, “100 Days”, made a reference to terrorism and terrorists while highlighting a photograph of an anonymous man of Middle Eastern descent.
Friendships with other actors
William Daniels
When Begley was a child, his future St. Elsewhere series lead, William Daniels, met Begley’s father when the two were working on live television. By the time Begley Jr. grew up, he was already a fan of his mentor’s work; he would work with Daniels on St. Elsewhere, where the two had on- and off-screen chemistry for six seasons. Daniels, himself, on the show, was a moody Irishman like Ed Sr., though a far more nurturing father figure. This proved so rich that the role grew beyond even the writers’ expectations. Begley Jr. said about his future TV chief of surgery, “I was a huge fan of Bill Daniels. I had seen him in Two for the Road. I had seen him in The Graduate, and in Parallax View. He was an actor I just thought the world of. He played these ‘Type A’ personalities quite effectively, but (in real life) he is the sweetest guy in the world.” He also added: “He is an actor I just thought the world of. I had no delusions about how my character came to be. I rode on the coattails of Bill Daniels… the kind of Mutt and Jeff routine of Dr. Craig looking up and berating a 6 foot 4 doctor Victor Ehrlich. So I owe all my success on the show to Bill Daniels.” After the series was canceled, the two still remained friends, living not too far away from each other. In 2002, Daniels, Begley Jr., along with the rest of the former surviving St. Elsewhere cast members, the late Stephen Furst and Eric Laneuville all appeared on an episode of Scrubs.
Norman Lloyd
Before St. Elsewhere in the early 1980s, the struggling and unknown Begley met Norman Lloyd, who became a mentor to him while Lloyd was directing an episode of Tales of the Unexpected. The two became friends. In a 2014 interview with Jimmy Falcon of Cloverleaf Radio, he said this about Lloyd:
Not only did I enjoy working with him, but I see him fairly regularly. I just had dinner with him 4 nights ago. We had dinner together at Sarah Nichols’s house, his neighbor of mine and friend of his. We had a lovely time and reminisced – he’s unbelievable. He’s going to be 100 years old this year—and still very active, getting around on his own. He’s a force of nature, so Norman Lloyd was somebody I idolized. When I was quite young, wow, James Dean is great and this is one and that. Now look at Janis Joplin, what a great voice and Jim Morrison, those people left us so young, like my point of view has change somewhere, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, saying, ‘No, you idolized Jimmy Stewart, Gloria Swanson.’ The people that have families and happiness and a long, economy life. You know, Norman Lloyd, he wasn’t much older than me, when I did St. Elsewhere, and I went ‘These are my role models, now, people had a long/happy life and continued to be creative.’ Those are my role models, not the people that left us so early and I’m sorry they did, I don’t mean to trifle with that, but, my role models changed from the people who had an incredible, brief spurt of creativity and life, but to people that went the distance, they became my role models at some point in my early 30s really.
On November 9, 2014, along with former St. Elsewhere co-stars, Begley attended Lloyd’s 100th birthday in Los Angeles. Begley said, “I worked with Norman Lloyd the actor, and Norman Lloyd the director, and no one informed me better on the art of storytelling than that talented man. He is a constant inspiration and my eternal friend.”
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Lottery | Jack Watson | Short film |
| 1969 | The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes | Springfield State panelist (J. Flanderka) | Uncredited |
| 1972 | Now You See Him, Now You Don’t | Druffle | |
| 1972 | Where Does It Hurt? | Unknown | |
| 1973 | Charley and the Angel | Derwood Moseby | |
| 1973 | Showdown | Pook | |
| 1973 | Superdad | The Gang | |
| 1974 | Cockfighter | Tom Peeples | |
| 1976 | Stay Hungry | Lester | |
| 1977 | Handle with Care | The Priest | |
| 1977 | Lust of a Eunuch | Lu Ta | Short film |
| 1978 | Blue Collar | Bobby Joe | |
| 1978 | Battlestar Galactica | Flight Sergeant Greenbean | |
| 1978 | Record City | Pokey | |
| 1978 | Goin’ South | Whitney Haber | |
| 1978 | The One and Only | The King | |
| 1979 | Hardcore | Soldier | Actor in a pornographic film within a film |
| 1979 | The Concorde … Airport ’79 | Rescuer #1 | |
| 1979 | The In-Laws | Barry Lutz | |
| 1981 | Private Lessons | Jack Travis | |
| 1981 | Buddy Buddy | Lieutenant #1 | |
| 1982 | An Officer and a Gentleman | Altitude Chamber Instructor (voice) | |
| 1982 | Cat People | Joe Creigh | |
| 1982 | Eating Raoul | Hippie | |
| 1982 | Young Doctors in Love | Lyle August | |
| 1982 | Voyager from the Unknown | Wilbur Wright | Direct-to-video |
| 1982 | The Entity | Additional voices | |
| 1983 | Get Crazy | Colin Beverly | |
| 1984 | Streets of Fire | Ben Gunn | |
| 1984 | Protocol | Mr. Hassler | |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | John “Stumpy” Pepys | |
| 1985 | Transylvania 6-5000 | Gil Turner | |
| 1985 | Waiting to Act | Ed | |
| 1987 | Amazon Women on the Moon | Griffin | Segment: “Son of the Invisible Man” |
| 1988 | The Accidental Tourist | Charles Leary | |
| 1989 | Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills | Peter | |
| 1989 | She-Devil | Bob Pattchet | |
| 1990 | Meet the Applegates | Richard P. Applegate | |
| 1992 | Dark Horse | Jack Mills | |
| 1992 | Cruise Control | Fraser | Short film |
| 1993 | Even Cowgirls Get the Blues | Rupert | |
| 1994 | Renaissance Man | Jack Markin | |
| 1994 | The Pagemaster | Alan Tyler | |
| 1994 | Greedy | Carl McTeague | |
| 1994 | Rave Review | Bert | |
| 1994 | Sensation | Earl Strauber | |
| 1995 | The Crazysitter | Paul Van Arsdale | |
| 1995 | Storybook | Pouch (voice) | |
| 1995 | Batman Forever | Fred Stickley | Uncredited |
| 1996 | Hourglass | Det. Cecil Dish | |
| 1996 | Santa with Muscles | Ebner Frost | |
| 1997 | The Lay of the Land | Harvey Dankworth | |
| 1997 | Ms. Bear | Greg Bradley | |
| 1997 | Joey | Ambassador Ted Ross | |
| 1998 | I’m Losing You | Zev | |
| 1998 | Addams Family Reunion | Phillip Adams | |
| 2000 | Best in Show | Mark Schafer | |
| 2001 | Get Over It | Frank Landers | |
| 2001 | Hellgig | Reverend | Short film |
| 2001 | Anthrax | Brent Krawford | |
| 2001 | Diary of a Sex Addict | Dr. Aaron Spencer | |
| 2002 | Bug | The Dept. of Health Inspector/’The Hand’ | |
| 2002 | Auto Focus | Mel Rosen | |
| 2003 | Net Games | John Fielding | |
| 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Lars Olfen | |
| 2003 | Going Down | Oscar Earnest | |
| 2004 | Stateside | Father Concoff | |
| 2004 | Raising Genius | Dr. Curly Weeks | |
| 2004 | Hair High | Rev. Sidney Cheddar (voice) | |
| 2005 | Back by Midnight | Robert Wade | |
| 2005 | Alone in a Crowd | Unknown | Short film |
| 2005 | Desolation Sound | Doug Shepard | |
| 2005 | Welcome to California | Documentary Narrator | |
| 2006 | Who Killed the Electric Car? | Himself | Documentary |
| 2006 | Relative Strangers | Mr. Manoire | |
| 2006 | For Your Consideration | Sandy Lane | |
| 2006 | The Elder Son | Leonard | |
| 2006 | Pittsburgh | Himself | |
| 2006 | The Legend of William Tell | James Ayers | |
| 2007 | One Long Light | Joel | |
| 2007 | Hard Four | Governor Begley | |
| 2008 | Next of Kin | Patrick | |
| 2008 | Balancing the Books | Reverend Vernon | |
| 2008 | Fly Me to the Moon | Poopchev (voice) | |
| 2008 | Pineapple Express | Robert Anderson | |
| 2009 | Climate Refugees | Himself | Documentary |
| 2009 | He’s Such a Girl | Taylor’s Father | |
| 2009 | Tripping Forward | James Comey | |
| 2009 | Whatever Works | John Celestine | |
| 2009 | 21 and a Wake-Up | Colonel Ritchie | |
| 2010 | The Penthouse | Nicholas | |
| 2010 | A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures | GreenPeace Worker (voice) | |
| 2011 | What’s Your Number? | Mr. Darling | |
| 2012 | Making Change | Simmons | |
| 2013 | Armed Response | Officer Krupke | |
| 2014 | Wish Wizard | Wish Wizard | Short film |
| 2014 | You’re Not You | Uncle Roger | |
| 2015 | Climate Change Denial Disorder | Politician | Short film |
| 2016 | Time Toys | Wiz | |
| 2016 | Ghostbusters | Ed Mulgrave | |
| 2016 | Mascots | A.J. Blumquist | |
| 2016 | Imperfections | Barry | |
| 2017 | Girlfriend’s Day | Butler | |
| 2017 | CHiPs | Wasp Driver | |
| 2017 | Lucky | Dr. Christian Kneedler | |
| 2017 | Amelia 2.0 | Paul Wesley | |
| 2018 | Making Babies | Dr. Remis | |
| 2018 | Book Club | Tom | |
| 2019 | Bixler High Private Eye | Charlie Dewitt | Television film |
| 2019 | Plus One | Chuck | |
| 2020 | Reboot Camp | John Lehman |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | My Three Sons | Marv | Episode: “The Computer Picnic” |
| 1969–1972 | Room 222 | Bob / Willard / Michael / George / Stretch | 7 episodes |
| 1970 | The Immortal | Gas Station Attendant | Episode: “White Elephants Don’t Grow on Trees” |
| 1971 | The Bill Cosby Show | Student #2 | Episode: “To Each According to His Appetite” |
| 1971 | Adam-12 | Bud | Episode: “Million Dollar Bluff” |
| 1971 | The F.B.I. | Youngblood | Episode: “The Deadly Gift” |
| 1971 | Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law | Howard Dubberly | Episode: “Shadow of a Name” |
| 1971 | Nanny and the Professor | Richie Cooper | Episode: “The Great Debate” |
| 1972 | Mannix | Attendant | Episode: “Babe in the Woods” |
| 1972 | Bobby Jo and the Big Apple Good Time Band | Virgil | Television film (unsold pilot) |
| 1972 | Evil Roy Slade | Husband Making Fun of Stool | Television film |
| 1972 | Maude | Young Man | Episode: “Maude’s Problem” |
| 1972 | Ironside | Jimmy Sanders | Episode: “Programmed for Panic” |
| 1972 | Wait Till Your Father Gets Home | (voice) | Episode: “The Beach Vacation” |
| 1972 | The Doris Day Show | Wally | Episode: “Debt of Honor” |
| 1972 | Family Flight | Driver | Television film |
| 1973 | Love, American Style | Dick | Segment: “Love and the Happy Family” |
| 1973–1974 | Roll Out | Lieutenant Robert Chapman | 12 episodes |
| 1974 | Happy Days | Hank | Episode: “The Deadly Dares” |
| 1974–1983 | Insight | Father John / Jimmy / Marty | 3 episodes |
| 1975 | Medical Center | Greg Duncan | Episode: “Survivors” |
| 1975 | Baretta | Ernie | Episode: “A Bite of the Apple” |
| 1976 | Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman | Steve | 13 episodes |
| 1976 | Starsky & Hutch | Harv Schwab | Episode: “Murder at Sea” |
| 1977 | Dead of Night | Frank | Television film; segment: “Second Chance” |
| 1977–1981 | Quincy, M.E. | Kit Sawyer / Walter “Speed” Simpson / David Phillips | 3 episodes |
| 1978 | Wonder Woman | Harold Farnum | 2 episodes |
| 1978–1979 | Battlestar Galactica | Ensign / Flight Sergeant Greenbean | 5 episodes |
| 1978, 1981 | Fantasy Island | Amos McAllister / Jamie | 2 episodes |
| 1978, 1994 | Columbo | Irving Krutch / Officer Stein | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Elvis | DJ Fontana | Television film |
| 1979 | M*A*S*H | Pvt. Paul Conway | Episode: “Too Many Cooks” |
| 1979 | Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo | Additional characters (voice) | |
| 1979 | Hot Rod | Clay | Television film |
| 1979 | Laverne & Shirley | Robert “Bobby” Feeney | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Charlie’s Angels | Kenny | Episode: “Angels on Skates” |
| 1979 | Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill | Moss Tillis | Television film |
| 1979 | A Shining Season | John Haaland | Television film |
| 1980 | Barnaby Jones | Lindy Powell | Episode: “Death Is the Punchline” |
| 1981 | Riker | Ed | Episode: “Honkytonk” |
| 1982 | Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang | Amos Tucker | Television film |
| 1982 | Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn | Jeb | Television film |
| 1982 | Not Just Another Affair | Warren Krantz | Television film |
| 1982 | Voyagers! | Wilbur Wright | Episode: “Voyagers” |
| 1982 | Richie Rich | Additional characters (voice) | Episode: “Dollar’s Exercise/Richie’s Cube/The Maltese Monkey/Everybody’s Doing It ” |
| 1982–1988 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | 137 episodes |
| 1982–1989 | Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color | Dr. Jack Brooker / Amos Tucker | 3 episodes |
| 1983 | The New Leave It to Beaver | Whitey | Episode: “Still the Beaver” |
| 1983 | The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show | (voice) | |
| 1983 | An Uncommon Love | Matt Randolph | Television film |
| 1984 | The Love Boat | Allan Bundy | Episode: “Side by Side/A Fish Out of Water/Rub Me Tender” |
| 1984 | Tales of the Unexpected | George Princey | Episode: “Wet Saturday” |
| 1984 | The Smurfs | Additional characters (voice) | Episode: “Symbols of Wisdom/Blue Eyes Returns” |
| 1984 | Saturday Night Live | Host / various | Episode: “Ed Begley Jr/Billy Squier” |
| 1985 | Tall Tales & Legends | Ichabod Crane | Episode: “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” |
| 1985 | Pound Puppies | Arnold (voice) | Television special |
| 1985 | George Burns Comedy Week | Tiny Timothy | Episode: “Christmas Carol II the Sequel” |
| 1985, 1987 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Brom Dutcher / Wilhelm Grimm | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | You Are the Jury | Brian Spears | Episode: “The State of Arizona vs. Dr. Evan Blake” |
| 1987 | Celebration Family | Jake Foreman | Television film |
| 1987 | The Incredible Ida Early | Paul Sutton | Television film |
| 1987 | Pound Puppies | Snake | Episode: “Where’s the Fire?/The Wonderful World of Whopper” |
| 1987 | Roman Holiday | Leonard Lupo | Television film |
| 1988 | Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs | Alan | Television film |
| 1990 | Timeless Tales from Hallmark | Bertram (voice) | Episode: “The Elves and the Shoemaker” |
| 1990 | Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less | Stephen Bradley | Miniseries |
| 1990 | In the Best Interest of the Child | Howard Feldon | Television film |
| 1990 | The Great Los Angeles Earthquake | Jerry Soloway | Television film |
| 1990–1991 | Parenthood | Gil Buckman | 12 episodes |
| 1991 | Chance of a Lifetime | Darrel | Television film |
| 1991 | The Story Lady | Otis | Television film |
| 1992 | Batman: The Animated Series | Germs / Charlie Collins / Stagehand (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion | Lt. Fred House | Television film |
| 1992 | Home Fires | Unknown character | Episode: “Fathers and Sons” |
| 1992 | Running Mates | Chapman Snow | Television film |
| 1992 | Mastergate | Steward Butler | Television film |
| 1992 | Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories | Narrator (voice) | Episode: “Uncle Wizzmo’s New Used Car” |
| 1992 | Exclusive | Allen | Television film |
| 1992, 1993 | Captain Planet and the Planeteers | Preston / Zoning Commissioner (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Roseanne | Principal Alexander | Episode: “Crime and Punishment” |
| 1993 | Tales from the Crypt | Judd Campbell | Episode: “Death of Some Salesmen” |
| 1993 | Partners | “Grave Squad” Lawyer | Television short film |
| 1993 | Cooperstown | Dave Cormeer | Television film |
| 1993, 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Winnetka Road | Glenn Barker | 6 episodes |
| 1994 | World War II: When Lions Roared | Harry Hopkins | Miniseries |
| 1994 | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle | Mr. Bean | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Incident at Deception Ridge | Jack Davis | Television film |
| 1994 | The Magic School Bus | Logaway Larry (voice) | Episode: “Meet the Rot Squad” |
| 1994 | The Shaggy Dog | Ron Daniels | Television film |
| 1995 | Shining Time Station | Ned Kincaid | Special: Once Upon a Time |
| 1995 | Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man | Barry Brittle (voice) | Episode: “Research and Destroy” |
| 1996 | Touched by an Angel | Chris Carpenter | Episode: “Til We Meet Again” |
| 1996 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Jeff | Episode: “Green-Eyed Dick” |
| 1996 | Project ALF | Dr. Warner | Television film |
| 1996 | The Late Shift | Rod Perth | Television film |
| 1996 | Dave’s World | Watterson | Episode: “Stayin’ Alive” |
| 1996 | ABC Afterschool Special | Mr. Rogers | Episode: “Too Soon for Jeff” |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | Henry Starling | Episode: “Future’s End” |
| 1996–1998 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Alec / William Tell / Soldier (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Meego | Dr. Edward Parker | 13 episodes |
| 1997 | The Drew Carey Show | Dr. Chris Vanderkamp | Episode: “Cap-Beer-Cino” |
| 1997 | Gun | The Director | Episode: “The Shot” |
| 1997 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Mr. James T. Rothwell | Episode: “Trial by Fury” |
| 1997 | Not in This Town | Henry Whitcomb | Television film |
| 1997 | The Nanny | Tom Rosenstein | Episode: “You Bette Your Life” |
| 1997 | Alone | Gerald | Television film |
| 1998 | Sports Theater with Shaquille O’Neal | John Hanley | Episode: “Scrubs” |
| 1998 | Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery | Fitz-Gilbert Hamilton | Television film |
| 1998 | Rugrats | Bob / Waiter (voice) | Episode: “Baking Dil/Hair!” |
| 1998 | Ellen | Himself | Episode: “When Ellen Talks, People Listen” |
| 1999 | The Practice | Dr. Foster | Episode: “Day in Court” |
| 1999–2003 | 7th Heaven | Dr. Hank Hastings | 16 episodes |
| 1999, 2009 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | Homicide: The Movie | Dr. Victor Ehrlich | Television film |
| 2000 | Batman Beyond | Dr. Corso (voice) | Episode: “April Moon” |
| 2000 | Providence | Chuck Chance | 5 episodes |
| 2000 | The Michael Richards Show | Impostor Vic | Episode: “The Identity Loan” |
| 2001 | The West Wing | Seth Gillette | Episode: “The War at Home” |
| 2001 | Hounded | Ward Van Dusen | Television film |
| 2001 | Gideon’s Crossing | Haley’s Father | Episode: “The Crash” |
| 2001 | Titus | Bill | Episode: “The Wedding” |
| 2001 | Intimate Portrait | Narrator (voice) | Episode: “Suzanne Somers” |
| 2001 | Family Law | Attorney Ethan Beal | Episode: “Irreparable Harm” |
| 2001–2002 | The Agency | Lenny Musgrave | 2 episodes |
| 2001–2005 | Six Feet Under | Hiram Gunderson | 8 episodes |
| 2002 | Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) | Paul Weffler | 8 episodes |
| 2002 | Scrubs | Dr. Bailey | Episode: “My Sacrificial Clam” |
| 2002 | Dharma & Greg | Himself | Episode: “Protecting the Ego-System” |
| 2003 | War Stories | Ed O’Brian | Television film |
| 2003; 2005 | NYPD Blue | Directed two episodes | |
| 2004 | Static Shock | Dr. Donald Todd (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Life on Liberty Street | Richard Spencer | Television film |
| 2004 | Kingdom Hospital | Dr. Jesse James | 13 episodes |
| 2004–2005 | Jack & Bobby | Rev. Belknap | 5 episodes |
| 2005 | All Grown Up! | Amish Father (voice) | Episode: “R.V. Having Fun Yet?” |
| 2005 | Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story | Frank Perdue | Television film |
| 2005 | Center of the Universe | Dr. Harrison | Episode: “It’s the Principal of the Thing” |
| 2005 | Illeanarama | Himself | Episode: “Pilot” |
| 2005–2019 | Arrested Development | Stan Sitwell | 15 episodes |
| 2006 | Three Moons Over Milford | Millionaire | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Las Vegas | Mr. Grimaldi | Episode: “Coyote Ugly” |
| 2006–2007 | Boston Legal | Clifford Cabot | 3 episodes |
| 2006–2007 | Veronica Mars | Cyrus O’Dell | 6 episodes |
| 2006; 2010 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Pastor Ed | 2 episodes |
| 2007–2011 | CSI: Miami | Scott O’Shay | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | The Replacements | Himself (voice) | Episode: “Dick Daring’s All-Star Holiday Stunt Spectacular V” |
| 2008 | King of the Hill | Stephens Davies (voice) | Episode: “Behind Closed Doors” |
| 2008 | Recount | David Boies | Television film |
| 2008 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Gary Unmarried | Dr. Walter Krandall | 12 episodes |
| 2008–2012 | Easy to Assemble | S. Erland Hussen | 8 episodes |
| 2009 | Hannah Montana | Woody | Episode: “Would I Lie to You, Lilly?” |
| 2009 | Party Down | Bruce Nesbitt | Episode: “Pepper McMasters Singles Seminar” |
| 2009 | Free Radio | Himself | Episode: “Celebrity” |
| 2009 | Curious George | Vinny (voice) | Episode: “Curious George, Personal Trainer/Sprout Outing” |
| 2009 | Georgia O’Keeffe | Dr. Lee Steiglita | Television film |
| 2009 | Monk | Dr. Malcolm Nash | Episode: “Mr. Monk and the End” (Part One) |
| 2009 | The Suite Life on Deck | Mayor Ragnar / Ragnar I | Episode: “The Swede Life” |
| 2009–2012 | Living with Ed | Himself | 23 episodes |
| 2010 | The Good Guys | Nate Bailey | Episode: “Old Dogs” |
| 2010 | Childrens Hospital | Senator Throman | Episode: “You Know No One Can Hear You, Right?” |
| 2010 | Outlaw | Judge Donald Crane | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Big Time Rush | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | $h*! My Dad Says | Terry | Episode: “The Better Father” |
| 2011 | Off the Map | Hank | Episode: “On the Mean Streets of San Miguel” |
| 2011 | Funny or Die Presents | Double-Chief O’Shambley | Segment: “United States Police Department” |
| 2011 | CHAOS | Operative Corwin | Episode: “Molé” |
| 2011–2012 | Rizzoli & Isles | Dr. T. Pike | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | Common Law | Dr. Van Waals | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Happy Endings | Himself | Episode: “Meet the Parrots” |
| 2012 | Raising Hope | Himself | Episode: “I Want My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back” |
| 2012–2018 | Portlandia | Ed / Wes | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | On Begley Street | Himself | 9 episodes |
| 2013 | Hot in Cleveland | Yogi | Episode: “Fast and Furious” |
| 2013 | Newsreaders | Phillip Breck | Episode: “Unborn Again” |
| 2013 | Partners | Dr. Kay | Episode: “Sperm und Drang” |
| 2013 | The Office | Erin’s Biological Father | Episode: “Finale” |
| 2013 | Rules of Engagement | Reverend Todd | Episode: “100th” |
| 2013 | Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight | Justice Harry Blackmun | Television film |
| 2013 | Family Tree | Al Chadwick | 5 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Betas | George “Murch” Murchison | 7 episodes |
| 2013–present | Innovations with Ed Begley, Jr. | Himself (host) | Educational documentary series |
| 2014 | Regular Show | William (voice) | Episode: “Maxin’ and Relaxin'” |
| 2015 | Your Family or Mine | Gil | 5 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Blunt Talk | Teddy | 7 episodes |
| 2016; 2018–2020 | Better Call Saul | Clifford Main | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Lopez | Himself | Episode: “Down and Drought in Beverly Hills” |
| 2016 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Himself | Episode #1.7387 |
| 2016 | Bad Internet | Angry Husband | Episode: “Uber, But Like for People” |
| 2016 | Angie Tribeca | Bonnie | Episode: “Electoral Dysfunction” |
| 2016 | Party Girl | Philip | |
| 2016–2017 | Lady Dynamite | Joel Bamford | 7 episodes |
| 2017 | Grace and Frankie | Mark | Episode: “The Musical” |
| 2017 | Me, Myself & I | Older Justin | Episode: “The Card” |
| 2017–2020 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Dr. Winocur | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Future Man | Gabe Futturman | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Love | Mark Cruikshank | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | The Cool Kids | Karl | Episode: “Margaret Dates the Zodiac Killer” |
| 2018–2019 | Modern Family | Jerry | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Teachers | John-Paul Bennigan | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Big City Greens | Mr. Whistler (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Bless This Mess | Rudolph “Rudy” Longfellow | Main role, 26 episodes |
| 2019–2021 | Young Sheldon | Dr. Linkletter | 11 episodes |
| 2021 | Mr. Mayor | Chet Danville | Episode: “#PalmTreeReform” |
