Nicholas Taylor Begley Is an Electrical Engineer – Ed Begley Jr’s Son Keeps a Low Profile
Nicholas Taylor Begley is the second of longtime actor Ed Begley Jr's children, born in his first marriage with Ingrid Taylor. Although he has kept a low profile, Nicholas allows his work to speak for itself.
Nicholas Taylor Begley drew his first breath on January 4, 1979. Both his parents worked in the film and TV industry; his father, Ed Begley Jr., is an actor chiefly known for his role in the '80s medical drama series "St. Elsewhere."
His mother, Ingrid Taylor, worked in special effects. Nicholas didn't follow in either of his parents' footsteps, and the former couple protected him from the spotlight. The now-44-year-old instead ventured into a more conventional career path.
(L-R) Ed Begley Jr., Ingrid Taylor, Nicholas Taylor Begley, and Amanda Begley pose at the 39th Annual Emmy Awards on September 20, 1987. | Source: Getty Images
Nicholas Taylor Begley's Education & Work
Nicholas graduated with a BSEE in Electrical Engineering from Portland State University in 2011. He had previously attended Reed College, where he studied Physics between 1997 and 1998.
During his time at Portland State University, between 2007 and 2010, Nicholas worked for Cooper Bussman as an Engineering Technian. He served in that same position for Azuray Technologies from June 2010 and was promoted to Hardware Engineer in July 2011.
That December, Nicholas joined Eaton as an Electrical Engineer. In March 2012, he became the company's Software Engineer, and later that year, he attained his EIT certification from NCEES. He left Eaton in 2015 and worked for several other companies before settling at BIOTRONIK as a Staff Engineer in 2019.
Ingrid Taylor, Ed Begley Jr., Amanda Begley, and Nicholas Taylor Begley pose at the premiere party for "Transylvania 6-5000" on October 30, 1985. | Source: Getty Images
Nicholas Taylor Begley's Minimal Public Appearances
Nicholas has maintained his privacy since growing up away from the public eye. He doesn't appear to have any social media accounts, but his dad once included him in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
"Hangin with my [three] wonderful children @AmandaBegley77 @HaydenBegley & Nick Begley. My pride & joy!" Ed gushed, alongside a selfie with Nicholas and his sisters. As a kid, Nicholas accompanied his parents to a few prestigious events.
In October 1985, he, his older sister, and his parents attended the premier party for the comedy-horror film "Transylvania 6-5000." In September 1987, the family of four went to the 39th Annual Emmy Awards ceremony.
Nicholas Taylor Begley's Parents Separated
Nicholas's parents married in 1976 and welcomed their first child, Amanda Begley — now an environmental expert and educator — the following year. They divorced in 1989, and although Ed wasn't happy about the separation, he stayed in close contact with his children.
Following his divorce, he remarried Rachelle Carson and had another daughter, Hayden Carson Begley, a budding singer. He shared that raising his three kids was challenging, as work often kept him away from home.
Still, he spent plenty of time with them, as he tended to book supporting roles. The actor — who once battled addiction — is now a grandfather of three. It's unknown if any of the grandkids are Nicholas's children, but Ed dotes on the little ones.
In November 2021, he shared a photo of himself holding one of his grandbabies, Ari. "There is a heaven….right here, right now, on earth [...]," he captioned, adding that he didn't believe Elon Musk, a father of 11, Jeff Bezos, or Warren Buffet were wealthier than he.