Ed Begley Jr’s Co-star Told Him to ‘Sober Up’ as He Couldn’t Even Hold His Baby: He Is ‘Lucky’ to Be Alive

• American actor Ed Begley Jr. opened up about the addiction struggles he faced in the past.
• The star revealed that there was a time when he couldn't even hold his one-year-old daughter after he was hospitalized due to his alcoholism.
• The "St. Elsewhere" talent disclosed how his co-star asked him to "sober up" and said he is "lucky" to be alive.

Hollywood actor Ed Begley Jr., 74, rose to prominence in the entertainment industry after he decided to follow in his actor dad's footsteps. Growing up in Hollywood and eventually going on to start his successful career culminated in an array of experiences and memories that Ed has shared in his memoir, "To the Temple of Tranquility...and Step On It!"

In his memoir, the loving father and husband talks about his life story. Everything from the star-studded extravaganzas to the uphill battles he has faced throughout his life is included in the book.

One of the most notable uphill battles mentioned in the memoir, the "St. Elsewhere" alum is his addiction and health struggles. Recently, at the end of last month, Ed sat down for an interview where he opened up about his Parkinson's diagnosis.

Ed first realized he had Parkinson's while on an airplane but wasn't diagnosed until 2016. While speaking about the disease, which he said he's had since 2004, Ed gave details about the kind of medication he takes to help manage and relieve his symptoms:

"...I do, not just the AMA-prescribed drugs, which are wonderful...all that stuff for extra credit, can help a person. It certainly has helped me."

In addition to remaining thankful for the therapeutic methods that have helped him with Parkinson's, Ed is also grateful for his family, which includes his beloved wife, Rachelle Carson. Of Rachelle and his children, Ed gushed:

"I am very lucky to have her in my life and my wonderful kids and grandkids. I'm one blessed person. I'm very, very fortunate."

Aside from his Parkinson's diagnosis, Ed also revealed that he had previously struggled with addiction problems. He developed alcoholism, which caused an array of issues for him.

Ed Begley Jr. Opened Up about His Addiction Struggles and Said He Is 'Lucky' to Be Alive

Coupled with sharing details about his Parkinson's diagnosis, the "She-Devil" talent also divulged insights into his past addiction struggles. He disclosed how he found himself searching for tranquility, at first, in alcohol.

Ed explained that he inherited an addictive personality from his Irish ancestry. He described his behavior in the 70s as crazy, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol each day and driving while under the influence.

As a result of his addictions, Ed also found himself involved in wild, star-studded events and dangerous situations, like when he was severely assaulted once. However, as luck would have it, he had the support of many people who wanted to see him get sober in the late 70s.

Although he said there were some people who weren't as supportive as others, he still believes that even the negative words that they hurled at him still had an instrumental hand in helping his recovery. The star also made special mention of his sober coach, who used tough love tactics to get him to stop drinking.

Another instrumental figure who helped Ed on his journey to recovery was his late co-star, John Belushi. He recalled the moment John voiced his opinion about his drinking, saying that John and his wife dragged him out of a bar and told him:

"...get outside, see some of the town here...sober up [because] you're headed for trouble."

Although many attempted to help Ed see the error of his addictive ways, the actor said that his true moment of clarity came when he could not hold his then 1-year-old daughter. The doting father was tied up to many tubes that were keeping him alive in the hospital at one point, and that prevented him from having contact with his little girl. He divulged:

"I said, 'You know? Deal me out. I'm done with this.' And thank God it's been since the 70s since I've had a drink or anything like that. And I'm very lucky to still be around."

Ed has been through many hard times in his life, and though he has faced some of the darkest storms, the star believes that pain can teach one a lot of essential things.