Rachelle Carson Begley -

By: Chelsea Toder

She has an electric car, a white picket fence fashioned from recycled milk jugs, and her outdoor oven is powered by the sun. She has a compost, recycles more materials than anyone ever thought recyclable, and is married to a man that peddles a bicycle to power the toaster in the morning.



You're probably picturing some older, treehugging, granola woman: a vegan in second-hand clothing who wouldn't dream of installing a pool on her property, believes make-up vain, and has never seen the inside of a nail salon. But the voice that comes through the telephone is airy and polished. The tone is all confidence, poise, and fun—and any female interviewer can instantly envision a joyful day spent at a spa or scoring a trendy dress with the charm at the other end. This voice belongs to Rachelle Carson Begley.

Tall and blonde, a manicured fashionista—but by no means dim-witted or inarticulate—Rachelle Carson Begley is the costar of Living with Ed, a reality television show that airs on the new Planet Green channel. Now in its third season, the show follows the lives of actress Rachelle Carson Begley and her actor-environmentalist husband Ed Begley Jr., a Hollywood star who has taken green to the next shade. Ed Begley has solar panels on his roof, has placed a drain spout on the patio to catch rainwater for irrigation, and planted a fruit and vegetable garden to save energy expended from transporting food via trucks. And that is just scratching the saturated "uber-green" surface. But along with raising environmental awareness and providing environmentally sound solutions, the show is, first of all, entertainment. The intrigue derives from the comic interplay between the style-conscious Rachelle and her eco-obsessed husband. Arguments abound over running the hairdryer, taking timely showers, and the leaving the laptop on. And the amused viewer is left watching a contemporary, under-discussed marital dilemma: green or gorgeous? Environmentally friendly or style savvy? Efficiency or luxury? And can you have both?

Rachelle Carson Begley took time out of her Pilates and business to speak with TheCelebrityCafe.com's Chelsea Toder about what it's like Living with Ed.

CT: It's clear from the show that you and your husband come from two different points of view. What were you like before you met your husband?

RCB: Before meeting my husband, I cared about the environment. I was named after Rachel Carson, the mother of the environmental movement. I come from Georgia and we always went to rural places. We always had a patch of land where my father would have a vegetable garden. I remember when they first started fining you for throwing trash on the highway. I remember when the Chattahoochee River turned a very unnatural shade of blue because of the chemicals that were dumped in it. And I remember thinking, "This isn't right." So I did have awareness. But my issues and concerns at the time were more for women, children, and poverty. But it's all connected. Women and children below the poverty line are going to live in the most toxic environments in the world. I was initially interested in the environment and cared, but I was like most people. I would think, "That's important; we should do something about that!"

CT: How did you meet Ed?

RCB: I always say if you want to meet a husband or a boyfriend or anything, just give back. And you will meet somebody! I met him in 1990. We didn't go out initially. We re-connected in 1993 at an eco event as a matter of fact. ..It was called "Friends of the River"—an organization that helps clean up the rivers. I had gone on a river-rafting trip and I was very impressed with the organization.

CT: Did you initially realize what an environmental obsession he had?

RCB: I had heard him speak and heard him say at that point, "I don't drive a car anymore." And I went "Oh, yeah right." That's fine for you Mr. Big Shot actor-who-doesn't-have-to-be-anywhere-on-time, but what about the rest of us? So I knew about him, but I didn't know that he was going to be so committed to that. When I saw him in '93, I got the inkling that he had a solar house, he had all these environmental things, but he was still in the mainstream of life, he wasn't living in the woods. I didn't know the extremeness of it.

CT: When did you realize how unique your husband's lifestyle was?

RCB: It wasn't really until I moved into his home and had to live this way that it really hit me. A few months into it, I got it. It was like, "If we go somewhere far in this car, we are going to have to stop and recharge the battery." He would question how much I was throwing away, etc. It's a little different. It's part of the package. It's part of the entertainment. I came into his home and there was a learning curve for me. But he also had to learn a lot. He was all about function and not about form. It was hideous actually—like frat boys were living in our house! If it didn't have a purpose he didn't want it in there. So, I had to bring in some style into his house.

CT: A lot of the show's drama derives from the conflict between you and the eco-obsession of your husband. Is this the reality?

RCB: That's the irony. People see me as the anti-environmentalist. I am pretty green. But he's uber-green. Who could have this lifestyle? Ed's very black and white. He's very extreme. But it takes that sort of commitment to get things accomplished. I like my comforts! But I am probably greener than 80% percent of the population—I'm just not my husband. But I believe this or I wouldn't be living here.

CT: I know you and Ed have a daughter. How does she respond to the environmental efforts?

RCB: We have a ten year-old, Hayden. She doesn't know any different. She thinks, "This is what everybody does, don't they?" The only time she knows it's different is when she goes to other people's houses and they don't do it. Solar panels are normal for her. An electric car is normal for her. She doesn't know any different. In fact, I just got leather seats in my Prius and my daughter said, "I can't sit in this car." She's very much her father's daughter….but she also likes nice shoes.

CT: Speaking of style and fashion, it seems to be a central issue on the show. The clash between you and Ed often derives from your interest in fashion and caring about the look and style of your home and his solely environmental focus. Can you comment on the relationship between fashion and the environment?

RCB: We shouldn't have to be choosing "either or." With more awareness and more people willing to put their money where their mouth is and buy high fashion environmental clothes—there aren't very many fashion directors doing it, but there are designers working with organic fabrics and bringing in the latest styles. Clothes are expensive no matter what. The trick is to get environmentally friendly clothes at Target and places like that. But the more we demand it, the more people there will be to provide it. And it is also a case of understanding the "why" of it. Why should we have organic clothing? Why do we need it? Why is it important? You are not going to go out and throw out your wardrobe. You're just not. But you are going to start thinking about it at least. I still buy high fashion, but if it's organic, I feel better."

CT: What is your hope for Living with Ed?

RCB: First and foremost I want the show to be entertaining. Because without that, we have nothing. It wouldn't belong on TV. If there's entertainment, you can bring people into the tent and give them things to consider. The by-product is to be educational and to inspire and to bring people into another way of living.

CT: Has the reality show changed your life?

RCB: The more I know the more I know what I need to do. It's definitely upped the ante for me. Because of the show, I'm privy to a lot of experts. I can't just go on living with my head in the sand. The Pandora 's Box is now open. And it has definitely changed my life.

CT: Is there anything else you would like to tell viewers?

RCB: I know how hard it is to change; I'm the first to admit it. But if there is enough out there to reinforce it and to support it, you can do it. We're just one more thing out there to do that. If I can do it, you can do it. It doesn't have to be a big sacrifice. You can make it work and feel good about it. You don't have to be Ed Begley. But we have to do something because the environment is in pretty dire straits.

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