Actor Ed Begley Jr. Chatted about his new book “To the Temple of Tranquility…And Step On It!”
The memoir will be released on October 3rd via Hachette Books. On the idea for this memoir, he said, “It started innocently enough with me, sitting down to memorialize certain prominent events in my life for my children and grandchildren.”
“It was definitely cathartic,” he said about writing this book. “Opening the door to a long forgotten memory would often reveal other rooms, and other passageways, lining the long dark hallway of my past.”
On being an actor in the digital age, now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent, he said, “To witness the changes that occurred in the 74 years that I’ve been in Hollywood has been breathtaking. My father had friends who worked in silent films.”
“I met one of the Keystone Kops, who was a huge star from that era. And in recent years, I’ve gotten to know Sean Baker, who shot an excellent movie…On his iPhone. The style of acting changed, the cameras and the lights changed, and reluctantly, the studios finally changed,” he elaborated.
“Now, we’re witnessing another such upheaval with the digital age of streaming films and television,” he added.
Throughout his acting career, he has earned seven Emmy nominations, six of which were for “St. Elsewhere.” “I felt tremendous pride, with a healthy dose of gratitude that I got to work with people I have worked with these past 56 years I’ve been working in film and television,” he said.
He shared that his plans for the future will involve promoting this new memoir.
On his career-defining moments, he revealed, “Working with Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, and Denzel Washington were certainly high points in my long career.”
For young and aspiring actors, he encouraged them to “do lots of theater.” “Rise and repeat,” he said.
Regarding his definition of the word success, he said, “I tried to model my career based on the actors that I knew and had worked with who were able to do very good work, and balance it with a happy home life. That has always felt like real success to me.”
He concluded about his memoir, “I want them to find some serenity in their lives. Some of the best advice I ever got was: Don’t just do something, stand there.”
To learn more about actor Ed Begley Jr., follow him on Twitter and check out his website.
