Ed Begley Jr., 76, is known for his roles on shows like “St. Elsewhere” (1982–1988) as well as “Better Call Saul” (2016–2022) and “Young Sheldon” (2019–2024), as well as films like “Best in Show” (2000) and “A Mighty Wind” (2003). That’s not to mention Hallmark Channel‘s 2024 movie, “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” However, what you might not have known is that the popular actor lives with Parkinson’s disease.
Talking to People about the “jarring” moment he was diagnosed 10 years ago, in 2016, Begley Jr. admitted, “It was devastating.”
Noting that, at the time, he was reminded of his friend, British actor Bob Hoskins, “who died three years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” per People, Begley Jr. immediately asked his neurologist, “How long do I have? Can I squeeze five years out of this?”
The star also opened up about telling his family, his wife, actress and producer Rachelle Carson-Begley, and children, son Nicholas, 47, and daughters Amanda, 48, and Hayden, 26. He told People, “I wasn’t trying to freak anybody out, but I thought it was a death sentence.”
People notes that, “[f]ortunately, the last ten years have proven him wrong.”
Begley Jr. Had ‘a Wonderful Revelation’
Following Begley’s diagnosis, he continued to work without disclosing that he had Parkinson’s disease, worrying that it might affect his career opportunities.
“That was all some dark fantasy in [my] mind. You can still play the character and not be an impediment to the story,” Begley Jr. told People.
Eventually revealing in his 2023 memoir — “To the Temple of Tranquility… And Step On It!” — that he had been diagnosed with the disease, he explained, “People were kind to me before they found out, and doubly kind to me when they did find out later. And that was a wonderful revelation.”
Begley Jr. Says Living with Parkinson’s Is ‘Not an Easy Life’
At the same time, Begley Jr. told People that “it’s not an easy life” with Parkinson’s disease. He brought up how it affects his family, saying, “They had a father, a grandfather that could hike the trails in Oregon or play tag running around the yard.” He jokingly added, “I could run now, but it’d be a geezer run.”
He also admitted, “I do get depressed from time to time, but it’s only for 60 seconds. I don’t feel like it serves me.”
These days, Begley Jr. manages his symptoms by using a “winning combination” of medications and alternative treatments. He noted, “I’m pretty happy with where I’m at. I thought I’d be gone in three years. Here it is a decade later, and I don’t think I’m leaving anytime soon.”
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Prominent TV Actor Opens Up About Having Parkinson’s Disease — ‘I’m Gonna Be Around for a While’