Ed Begley Jr. on Living with Parkinson's

0:00On March 25th, actor Ed Beggley Jr., now 76, got hit with a Parkinson's diagnosis back in 2016. Best known for his role as Dr. Victor Erlich on the 80s show, St. Elsewhere, he thought it was basically a death sentence at first. He even asked his doctor have a squeeze out five more years, remembering his friend Bob Hoskins, who passed away three years after his own diagnosis. Symptoms had actually started 12 years earlier, around 2004, with a trimmer in his left pinky finger, loss of taste and smell, balance, issues, and muscle spasms. He chalked it up to aging, given his healthy life as a vegan since 1992, environmentalist, and bike enthusiast. It took slurred lines on set, and a speech pathologist nudge to get him to a neurologist for the official word. He kept a news quiet from Hollywood for years, worried he would hurt his career, but landed roles on shows like Arrested Development and Young, shelled him without a hitch. He shared it publicly in his 2023 memoir and found people even more supportive afterward.

1:03Meanwhile, he told his wife for show, 65, and their three grown kids to brace for the worst, but they've all pulled together through it. These days, a mix of standard meds, 30 minutes daily on the stationary bike, upper body workouts, a sugar-free vegan diet, and alternative stuff. Like hyperbaric oxygen and infusions, keep his tremors, stiffness, and dizziness in check. His wife pushed him into those extras, and they have made a big difference in how he moves and feels. Beggley stays busy filming, like his recent gig on brilliant minds in Toronto, gardens with his grandkids, and chats with pal Michael J. Fox about the bright future ahead for Parkinson's research. After 22 years living with it, he's grateful for every moment and plans to stick around at least another 10. From the spotlight, powered by AI, this is entertainment and celebrity news today. I'm Corey with the story.