Ed Begley

Biography: American character actor Ed Begley, the son of Irish immigrants, ran away from home at age 11 and joined a traveling carnival; later he signed up with the navy. Begley became a radio announcer in 1931, leading to dramatic roles in radio (ultimately appearing in over 12,000 shows) and on stage. Made his Broadway debut in 1943; in 1947, he created the Joe Keller role on Broadway in Arthur Miller's All My Sons, directed by Elia Kazan. His film career then began when Kazan enlisted him to appear in his production Boomerang. Eventually he made 35 films, often playing corrupt politicians or businessmen, such as Boss Finley in Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar; however, he also took lighter roles, including some in which he sang and danced. He is the father of actor Ed Begley, Jr.