Ted Danson Reflects on Life During ‘Cheers’

Ted Danson recently opened up about his personal life during the final years of his time on the iconic show, ‘Cheers.’ Speaking on his podcast, ‘Where Everybody Knows Your Name,’ the 78-year-old actor shared insights into his life as the series came to a close in 1993.

Danson admitted that he was not fully aware of the show’s end because of personal turmoil. He confessed, ‘I had f—ed up my life so much that I didn’t even realize ‘Cheers’ was over.’

In the podcast episode, Danson recounted visiting his mentor in Long Beach. He described these visits as a form of spiritual therapy, helping him address issues like emotional immaturity and dishonesty. ‘I wanted to stop being a liar,’ he stated, emphasizing his desire for personal transformation.

Reflecting further on this time, Danson recalled a conversation with guest Charlie Day on the podcast. He shared, ‘The transition was easy because I blew my personal life up so badly,’ noting that he didn’t immediately notice the show’s conclusion.

Ted Danson’s tenure on ‘Cheers,’ spanning from 1982 to 1993, saw him become one of few cast members to feature in all 273 episodes. The show concluded after 11 seasons when Danson opted to pursue other acting opportunities. He remarked, ‘I was changing for the better and working really hard at that, so I thought, ‘Might as well jump completely off the cliff.” This jump led him to explore roles beyond Sam Malone.

Post-‘Cheers,’ Danson took on diverse roles in ‘Becker,’ ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ and ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,’ later gaining fresh fans through ‘The Good Place.’ He currently stars in Netflix’s ‘Man on the Inside,’ portraying a retired professor turned undercover spy in a nursing home.

Discussing his Netflix role, Danson noted, ‘There’s something inherently funny about a 76-year-old man who is a [retired] college professor, whose life shut down, his daughter’s worried, so she says, ‘Get a project,’ and he happens to whimsically find a project where he becomes an undercover spy in a retirement home.’