“The Dark Side of the Dream” is a film series from programmer Elliot Lavine.
Ed Begley Jr. is perhaps best known as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on “St. Elsewhere” — which won him six Emmy nominations — but is also one of the most experienced character actors of his generation, with credits in hundreds of films, TV and stage shows over the past five decades. Now, the actor-environmentalist — who has worked with the likes of Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine — will be a juror at the Sonoma International Film Festival, running March 21-25, Q: What are your memories of the Bay Area? A: I remember driving up the coast with my father (Academy Award-winning actor Ed Begley) when I was young. I continue to visit the area. I’ve had lots of friends who studied and worked at ACT. Sonoma is a lovely town, and I’m looking forward to going there. Q: How do you approach being a film festival juror? A: I’ve never been a film juror at a film festival, but I’m on the board (of governors) for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where I must be fair and not let friendships influence my voting. I pride myself on being a fair person. Q: What is your secret to career longevity? A: I try to be true to the vision of the writer and director. I will have opinions and express them, but if there’s pushback, I make sure that I do what they want. I want to do the best job possible — and make everyone’s job on set as easy as possible. Q: But having talent must have helped. A: You only have so much talent, unless you’re someone like Meryl Streep or Cate Blanchett. I’m not being disrespectful of the gifts that I’ve been given, but I think my success over 50 years-plus in this business has been about being a team player. Q: When did you know you wanted to be an actor? A: At a very young age, long before my dad won the Academy Award (for “Sweet Bird of Youth” in 1963). My dad was an
actor, and I wanted to do what he did. By the time I was 10 or 11, I was doing job interviews for acting.
Q: How did that go?
A: With a name like Begley, there was something to talk about in the job interviews. They loved my dad. But you have to deliver, and in the beginning, I had zero training
and got nothing. But I took classes, learned to be real in a scene, and began to get work in 1967.
Q: What is your favorite role?
A: As Dr. Victor Ehrlich on “St. Elsewhere.” It was a joyous experience from the first day to the end. And I was smart enough to know that it was a great thing at the time. I had a ball. Q: You seem at ease moving back and forth from comedy to drama. A: I just want the best material. I try to play the comic roles straight — that always gets the best laughs. Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring actor? A: If they have to ask whether they should be an actor, I say, ‘Forget about it.’ If it’s in their blood — and they wait or bus tables just so they can act — I say, ‘You got a shot.’ You must have a burning desire. Q: What made you want to be an environmentalist? A: I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. The smog was horrible — choking smog that seared your lungs. After 20 years of that, I said, ‘Sign me up to clean the air and water.’ Q: In this political environment, what advice would you offer?
A: It’s important to vote on election day. Be sure to write your elected officials. And your most important vote is the last: purchasing power. Boycotts are very powerful. If you support companies that do good things, it has a very powerful impact. Q: What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned in life? A: Slow down and just stop. Take this moment right now and drink it in. I have everything I need — maybe not everything I want, but everything I need. There’s a big gift in enjoying the moment. It’s not about what’s happening later. This is it.