How to Pursue Acting and Activism – Ed Begley Jr.

Ed Begley Jr. (St. Elsewhere, Better Call Saul, Arrested Development) is a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor who has become a household name. As the son of an Oscar-winning actor, he thought he had a free pass to Hollywood stardom. But when no job offers came, he realized he was missing the first step – training. He shares how the harsh truth motivated him to hone his craft, why he got involved in environmentalism, how he’s successfully followed more than one passion, and what you can do to leave your non-carbon footprint in the world.

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Ed with his solar panels

TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. You have to train and hone your craft before you can expect any opportunities. Just because you’re well-connected, it doesn’t mean you’ll get hired.

2. Don’t question if your dream job is something you should do – it’s something you have to do.

3. You can pursue multiple passions in one lifetime.

4. Don’t focus on what you’re against – ask yourself, what are you for and what are you going to do about it?

5. All it takes is one person to raise an army and make a difference.

6. If you put a lot of work into your passion, you’ll get a lot out of it.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Ed Begley Jr.’s website

• Follow Ed on Twitter and Facebook

• Listen to Ed and his wife Rachelle’s podcast, Begleyesque

• Begleys Best, their natural, eco-friendly cleaning product line

• Take a tour of Ed Begley Jr’s LEED platinum house

• The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

• Ed’s father, Oscar-winning actor Ed Begley

• Valley College

• Michael Richards, aka Kramer from Seinfeld

• The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute

• Acting teacher Peggy Feury

• Acting coach Roy London

• How Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy deal with pain – carrying a piano up the stairs in The Music Box

• Vince Gilligan’s classic opening scene in Breaking Bad – storytelling at its finest

• Ed’s acting inspirations – Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Bob Hoskins, Jack Nicholson, Dabney Coleman, Peter Falk

• My Three Sons with Fred MacMurray – Ed’s episode

• Ed’s favorite movies – Chinatown, Seven Beauties

• Ed’s favorite work – The In-Laws, Christopher Guest’s Best in Show, St. Elsewhere

• Watch Ed in Best in Show

• A brief history of the electric car

• Cindy Williams

• What made him care about the environment:

1. LA’s smog – see a photo timeline here

2. Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969

3. Going to the moon – see photos from Apollo 11 here

• Prop 65 – what is it?

• League of Conservation Voters

• Californians Against Waste

• Living with Ed, Ed and Rachelle’s TV show

• Want to go green? Here are his tips:

  • Get LED light bulbs

  • Buy an energy-saving thermostat

  • Beware of vampire power (also called phantom load / standby power)

  • Ride your bike – tips here

  • Take public transportation – learn about your options here

  • Eat less meat – tips here

• Chevy Bolt vs. Chevy Volt

Thank you so much for listening!

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