# Ed Begley Jr.

Edward James Begley Jr. (born September 16, 1949) is an American actor and environmental activist. He 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 titled Living with Ed (2007–2010), and recurred as Dr. Grant Linkletter in Young Sheldon (2019–2024).
Equally prolific in cinema, Begley's film appearances include Blue Collar (1978), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), The Accidental Tourist (1988), Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989), She-Devil (1989), Batman Forever (1995), and Pineapple Express (2008). 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 with his wife Rachelle in the award-winning mockumentary Reboot Camp.

## Early life and education

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 of cancer when Begley Jr. was 7 years old. Until he was 16, 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 Merrick, New York, and attended Cure' of Ars, a private Catholic school in Merrick, New York from kindergarten to 7th grade. He had moved to Merrick, New York with his family when his father appeared on Broadway. When he was 13, 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.

## Career

Begley has had numerous roles in television and film. He appeared as a guest actor on Maude and had guest appearances in the 1970s series Room 222. He had recurring roles on Mary Hartman, 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. Begley also had a short-lived improv act with Michael Richards.
He has played significant roles in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. 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.
From 2000 to 2016, Begley was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1996, he appeared in a TV movie called The Late Shift, where he portrayed 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. Begley played Dr. Walter Krandall, the protagonist's former marriage counselor and fiancé of his ex-wife in the CBS sitcom Gary Unmarried. Since 2008 he has been in a series of DirecTV commercials as a "Cable Corp Inc." executive. In 2013, he appeared on the reality television show Beverly Hills Pawn. In 2016, he began appearing in the Breaking Bad prequel and spinoff Better Call Saul as Clifford Main, senior partner at the Davis & Main law firm. Beginning in 2019, he appeared in Bless This Mess for the duration of the two seasons that the show ran.

## Personal life

According to a feature on the Bio Channel television program Celebrity Close Calls, Begley nearly died in 1972 after being stabbed multiple times while, according to The New York Times, being mugged by a street gang of 25 youths.
Begley was married to Ingrid Taylor from 1976 to 1989. They had two children, a son and a daughter. In 2000, he married actress Rachelle Carson; they have a daughter.
Begley was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2016.

## 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.
Begley's former home is 1,585 square feet (147.3 m$^2$) 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. In 2023 and 2024, he took public transit to the Academy Awards.
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. 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).
Begley and friend Bill Nye are in a friendly 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.

#### Affiliations

* Coalition for Clean Air
* Environmental Media Association
* Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
* The American Oceans Campaign
* League of Conservation Voters
* Environmental Research Foundation
* Walden Woods Project
* Thoreau Institute
* Earth Communications Office
* Solar Living Institute
* TreePeople
* Friends of the Earth
* Sequoia ForestKeeper
* Green Wish
* Orang Utan Republik
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. In 2013 he, his wife and daughter Hayden filmed "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 and Begley Jr., alongside other surviving St. Elsewhere cast members 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? | Dr. Quinch | |
| 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 Hepburn | |
| 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 | Plus One | Chuck | |
| 2020 | Reboot Camp | John Lehman | |
| 2022 | Amsterdam | Senator Bill Meekins | |
| 2023 | Strange Darling | Frederick | |
| TBA | Let's Have Kids! | TBA | Post-production |

### 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 | Officer Stein Irving Krutch | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Elvis | D. J. Fontana | Television film |
| 1979 | M*A*S*H | Pvt. Paul Conway | Episode: "Too Many Cooks" |
| 1979 | Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo | Additional voices | |
| 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 | 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 voices | Episode: "Symbols of Wisdom/Blue Eyes Returns" |
| 1984 | Saturday Night Live | Host | 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 | Charlie Collins, Germs | Voice, 2 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 | Columbo | Irving Krutch | Episode: "Undercover" |
| 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 | 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 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | William Tell | Voice, episode: "Courage" |
| 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. Jeremy 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" |
| 1998 | Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain | Lloyd Oldtire | Voice, episode: "My Fair Brainy" |
| 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. Peter 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" |
| 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 | 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 | $#*! 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 | Martin Hannon | 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 |
| 2013–2019 | 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 |
| 2016–2022 | Better Call Saul | Clifford Main | 14 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 | Future Man | Gabe Futturman | 7 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Me, Myself & I | Older Justin | Episode: "The Card" |
| 2017–2020 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Dr. Winocur | 2 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 | Bixler High Private Eye | Charlie Dewitt | Television film |
| 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 |
| 2019–2024 | Young Sheldon | Dr. Grant Linkletter | Recurring role, 37 episodes (seasons 2-7) |
| 2020 | Our Cartoon President | Bruce Mann | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Rock T. Puss | Voice, episode: "Goofy Scoopers" |
| 2021–2022 | Mr. Mayor | Chet Danville | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Queer as Folk | Winston Beaumont | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | Not Dead Yet | Bill Irving | Episode: "Not Well Yet" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1983 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1984 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1985 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1986 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1986 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1987 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 1988 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | St. Elsewhere | Nominated |
| 2004 | Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | A Mighty Wind | Won |
| 2010 | Streamy Awards | Best Ensemble Cast in a Web Series | Easy to Assemble | Won |
| 2019 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Ctrl Alt Delete | Nominated |
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Better Call Saul | Nominated |