Edward James Begley, a charismatic character star, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, to Irish parents. He was educated at St. Patrick's school, where his interest in acting first surfaced at the age of nine, performing amateur theatricals at the Hartford Globe Theatre. Determined to make his own way, he left home at the age of eleven and drifted from job to job, including a stint in the U.S. Navy, working in a bowling alley, joining carnivals and circuses, and appearing in vaudeville.
In 1931, he began his career as a radio announcer, with his voice broadcast to nationwide audiences. It took him several years to establish himself on the legitimate stage, but in 1943, he had a role in the short-running play 'Land of Fame'.
His first success was the 1947 Arthur Miller play 'All My Sons', followed by the 1955-57 production of 'Inherit the Wind', which ran for 806 performances at the National Theatre. Ed, co-starring with Paul Muni, played the part of Matthew Harrison Brady and won the 1956 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Upon Paul Muni's departure from the cast, Ed used the opportunity to play the part of Henry Drummond with equal vigor. In 1960, he starred as Senator Orrin Knox in the political drama 'Advise and Consent'.
Ed's movie career began with Boomerang! (1947),a murder mystery set in his native Connecticut, directed by Elia Kazan. He proved his mettle in a number of classic films, including Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) and On Dangerous Ground (1951).
He tackled every part that came his way with conviction, whether as the sympathetic executive in Patterns (1956),a bigoted ex-cop turned bank robber in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959),or the crazed billionaire bent on world domination of Billion Dollar Brain (1967).
The culmination of his work was a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his role of Boss Finley in Tennessee Williams's Sweet Bird of Youth (1962).
In addition to countless radio broadcasts, Ed was also busy in television in the 1950s and '60s, with frequent guest-starring appearances and dynamic characterizations in two episodes of The Invaders (1967) ('The Betrayed' and 'Labyrinth').
Edward James Begley died of a heart attack in April 1970 in Hollywood at the age of 69.
