Ed Begley Jr. on Finding Serenity in Hollywood

Ed Begley Jr. on Finding Serenity in Hollywood

Author: Paul Ollinger November 15, 2023 Duration: 38:45
✍️ Subscribe to Paul’s Substack ‘Money & the Meaning of Life’ here. ✍️
🎤 See Paul’s upcoming comedy dates here and random thoughts on Instagram here. 🎤

Ed Begley Jr. has been acting professionally since 1967 when he appeared in an episode of My Three Sons. 56 years later, Ed has acted in hundreds of movies and TV shows, including An Officer and a Gentleman, Batman Forever, The Larry Sanders Show, Better Call Saul, This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show, and—of course—St. Elsewhere for which he earned six consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. His new memoir, To the Temple of Tranquility...and Step on It! is a joyous collection of anecdotes cataloging his career, addiction, recovery, commitment to the environment and—most importantly—his family. In this week’s interview, Ed and discuss: 

Him drinking 32 oz of vodka every day for seven years

What Jack Nicholson taught him about acting

Why he once considered moving to Atlanta

The blessing of not getting the part he wanted on St. Elsewhere 


Where, on a random night in 1972 you might see Elton John, the Eagles, Jackson Brown, Joni Mitchell, Bette Midler, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, and Albert Brooks

Why being present in the moment is so important

👂Learn more about Ed on his website here. Buy the book here or at your favorite bookstore.👂

-- 
Read my newsletter Money and the Meaning of Life here.

Paul Ollinger
http://PaulOllinger.com

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Paul Ollinger has worn a few different hats-stand-up comedian, tech executive, and now, the curious host of Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger. This isn't a lecture series or a dry self-help guide. Instead, it feels more like pulling up a chair for a series of genuinely engaging talks that wander into the places where our daily lives, careers, and inner worlds collide. The conversations, which feature authors, thinkers, and various creatives, are refreshingly candid. They dig into the practical and philosophical questions about what it actually means to build a life that feels both successful and satisfying. You'll find that each episode of this podcast approaches big themes-money, purpose, and the pursuit of contentment-with a blend of wit and thoughtful depth. The underlying idea isn't about finding a perfect, Instagram-ready version of happiness, but something more grounded and attainable. It's for anyone who's ever wondered if there's a smarter, more meaningful way to navigate the pressures of business and culture without losing sight of what matters. Tuning in, you get the sense that Paul is figuring it out alongside his guests, making the insights feel earned and relatable. The result is a consistently interesting exploration of how we can all aim for a life that feels reasonably, and authentically, well-lived.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger
Podcast Episodes
On The Move [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:40
On this introspective episode of Crazy Money, Paul sits alone in his empty Atlanta house and talks openly about the thoughts and feelings that drew him back to Atlanta, and the head trauma that may or may not have initia…
Who killed Rudolf Diesel? (with Doug Brunt) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:09
Yes, there was actually a guy named Rudolf Diesel who actually invented the diesel engine, which was incredibly revolutionary for its time. It earned Diesel a massive fortune and had huge implications for how war—especia…
Restoring Politcal Sanity with Charlie Wheelan (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:33
Charlie Wheelan is a professor of economics and public policy at Dartmouth College and the author of several books, including Naked Money, Naked Economics, (no nudity in either), and The Centrist Manifesto, all of which…
Mike Posner on Life Beyond Fame and Fortune [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:10
Mike Posner is a Grammy-nominated rapper, singer, songwriter, and music producer from Detroit. His Spotify channel has generated over 3 billion plays and his song 'I Took a Pill in Ibiza' reached the top five on the Bill…
Andrew Yang on Our Broken Political System (Encore) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:56
Andrew Yang is a former Presidential and NYC mayoral candidate and the founder of Venture for America. He's also the founder of the Forward Party where he advocates for structural reform to safeguard our democracy. He la…
The Third Path with Jordan Harbinger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:32
Jordan Harbinger is one of the most popular podcasters in North America, but it all started by accident. As a young University of Michigan grad, Jordan decided to go to law school because it was something to do after col…
Living The Constitution with AJ Jacobs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:32
Good morrow, chum! My guest this week is A.J. Jacobs, author of the new / amazing book 'The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning’, in which A.J. chronicles…
Being Human at Work with Kim Scott, author of 'Radical Candor’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:48
‘Radical Candor’ author Kim Scott once had to inform a colleague that they smelled bad….like, really bad. She was able to do so becuase she had created on her team a culture or radical candor. No, this doesn’t mean you c…
Power Couple: Debbi “Mrs.” Fields and Wade Shealy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:22
Debbi Fields founded Mrs. Fields cookies brand when she was in her early 20s and built the company into a well-known global brand. Wade Shealy got his start selling Bibles door-to-door then went on to develop and sell >…
Death, Dying, and Israel with Rabbi Steve Leder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:16
Rabbi Steve Leder is the Senior Rabbi at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a very large and influential congregation in Los Angeles. He is a New York Times best-selling author of several books, including 'For You When I Am Gone…