FRANKNOTE

Years before Leonardo DiCaprio and Larry David were proudly driving Toyota Priuses to red-carpet events, Begley risked derision by taking public transportation to splashy movie premieres. If he had to drive, he took his electric car: In 1991 when his then-girlfriend Annette Bening won an Oscar nomination for "The Grifters," Begley drove her to the Shrine Auditorium in his electric car and then had to find an outlet to recharge it.

"She was a great sport about it," Begley, 58, remembers. "Maybe somewhere deep down she thought I was wacky."

Begley, known for his recurring roles on the TV series "St. Elsewhere," "Six Feet Under" and "Arrested Development," was in town recently to attend a local recycling promotion and talk about "Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life" ( Buy it Here ), a new book that offers dozens of cool, money-saving suggestions on greening your house and sparing the earth.