Although best known for his role in the long-running sitcom “Cheers,” Ted Danson has enjoyed a long and remarkably varied career, moving seamlessly between movies and television as well as comedy and drama.
As this year’s recipient of the Carol Burnett Award honoring his distinguished work in comedy, Danson’s versatility can be seen in the 13 Golden Globe nominations he has received over the course of his career, winning twice for “Cheers” as well as in 1985 for the heart-wrenching TV movie “Something About Amelia,” playing a father accused of molesting his teenage daughter.
Few actors can claim a longer roster of successful and acclaimed TV comedies, as Danson followed his 11-season run on “Cheers” with another Globe-nominated role as “Becker,” “The Good Place,” and his recurring appearances as a version of himself on Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
His latest nomination comes for the new Netflix comedy “A Man on the Inside,” a touching look at aging that reunites him with “Good Place” producer Michael Schur, casting Danson as a widower who goes undercover in a retirement community.
Born in San Diego, Danson grew up without a TV set (his parents didn’t approve of it, but later bought one to watch “Cheers”), but after graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University (formerly Carnegie Tech) in Pittsburgh, worked primarily in TV during the ’70s, starting with the daytime drama “Somerset.” He then made his mark in dramatic film roles, including “The Onion Field” and his breakout supporting performance in the twisty 1981 thriller “Body Heat.” “Cheers,” like its theme song, transformed the actor into a talent where everybody knew his name as Sam Malone, the former baseball player turned bartender. The series about a Boston tavern populated by eccentric characters became a linchpin of NBC’s powerful “Must-See TV” lineup. The final episode, broadcast in 1993, attracted more than 80 million viewers, ranking only behind “M*A*S*H” among series finales. During those years Danson also appeared in multiple movie roles, including the popular comedy “Three Men and a Baby” and its sequel, with Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg; opposite Jack Lemmon in the drama “Dad,” and in the romantic comedy “Cousins.” In more recent years Danson has shifted between genres, co-starring in the legal thriller “Damages,” the dark satire “Fargo,” the sitcom “Mr. Mayor” and a run on the procedural “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Off screen, Danson’s activism has included Oceana (originally founded as the American Oceans Campaign), an organization committed to preserving the world’s oceans. He met his wife, Mary Steenburgen, on the movie “Pontiac Moon,” and the two have been married since 1995, also teaming on a miniseries version of “Gulliver’s Travels” and the sitcom “Ink.”
Ted Danson, best known for his role as Sam Malone in the hit 80s sitcom “Cheers,” has had a career that is truly worthy of celebration. The iconic actor was recently awarded the prestigious Carol Burnett Award for his outstanding contributions to television, and it’s safe to say that he has certainly earned it.
Danson’s career spans over four decades, during which he has showcased his incredible range as an actor. From his Emmy-winning performance in “Cheers” to his critically acclaimed roles in shows like “Becker” and “The Good Place,” Danson has consistently proven himself to be one of the most talented and versatile actors in the industry.
What sets Danson apart is not just his acting ability, but also his dedication to his craft and his willingness to take on challenging and diverse roles. Whether he’s playing a lovable bartender or a morally conflicted demon, Danson always brings a sense of charm and authenticity to his characters that resonates with audiences.
As he continues to captivate viewers with his performances, it’s clear that Ted Danson’s career is far from over. With his talent, charisma, and undeniable star power, there’s no doubt that he will continue to leave his mark on the world of television for years to come. Congratulations to Ted Danson on this well-deserved honor – here’s to many more years of incredible performances!
No one else can claim the kind of television career that Ted Danson has had. Sure, there are several actors who have appeared on multiple hit shows. But Danson has been a primetime staple over five decades now, with continual hit shows since the moment he hit superstardom as Sam Malone on “Cheers” in 1982.
“Cheers” was an NBC megahit that lasted for a whopping 275 episodes over 11 seasons. He followed that up with another hit, “Becker,” that ran for six seasons and 129 episodes on CBS. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, he turned to drama with main roles in FX’s “Damages” and CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” before discovering NBC’s “The Good Place” — and starting a fruitful relationship with creator Mike Schur, who is now also behind Danson’s latest hit star turn in Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside.”
“It was such a fun, comforting, happy thing to be back on set writing words for Ted,” Schur says. And for Danson, the feeling was mutual: “It was that sense of sweet, kind, funny, meaningful conversations about things that I’m at the right age to be talking about.”
Now, in recognition of his successful long body of work, the Golden Globes is recognizing Danson with its Carol Burnett Award — the ceremony’s highest television honor. “I would be happy with a cookie named after Carol Burnett. I love her, I adore her, I respect her so much,” he says.
But what’s more, in a bit of serendipity, Danson has also been nominated this year for best actor in a TV series, musical or comedy, for “A Man on the Inside.” It reps Danson’s first Globe nom since 2007 (for “Damages”); he has previously won three Golden Globes: Two for “Cheers” (in 1990 and 1991) and one for the TV movie “Something About Amelia” in 1985.
“A Man on the Inside” stars Danson as Charles, a widower who’s taken to a lonely routine after his wife’s death. On a lark, he takes a job with a private investigator to infiltrate a retirement home and spy on its residents. Soon, Charles makes a connection with his fellow aging peers — and an antidote to that loneliness.
“I’ve never had a role quite like Charles,” Danson says. “It’s rare to get the opportunity to explore a character that is this rich and nuanced. It’s even rare to get to play a character my own age, surrounded by vibrant peers with stories that reflect that lived experience. Since the show premiered, it’s been amazing to hear the reception and see how so many people from different generations are connecting to the story, finding not just laughs, but meaning and deep emotion.”
Danson, of course, has also been seen playing a version of himself throughout the run of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and had a major role in Season 2 of FX’s “Fargo.” He has been nominated for 18 Emmys — 11 of which came from every single season of “Cheers.” He won two of those, in 1990 and 1993.
These days, Danson says he gravitates toward roles that contain a bit of drama in the comedy, or comedy in the drama. And that’s why he’s proud of “A Man on the Inside.”
“My joy, the thing that makes me happiest in a script or in life, is if you can find the laugh in the sadness. Or if it’s a drama, if you can find the laugh underneath it,” he says. “If it’s a comedy, I want to know that there’s sadness at the bottom of that funny. That’s my favorite kind of thing to act.”
Ted Danson, the beloved actor known for his roles in hit TV shows like Cheers, The Good Place, and Becker, has had a successful career spanning over four decades. But what sets him apart from other actors in Hollywood is his ability to find “the laugh in the sadness” in both his work and personal life.
Throughout his career, Danson has portrayed characters that often deal with heavy topics, such as addiction, mental health issues, and existential crises. However, instead of dwelling on the darkness of these themes, Danson infuses his performances with humor and wit, finding moments of levity in even the most somber situations.
This ability to balance the serious with the comedic has not only endeared Danson to audiences around the world but has also helped him navigate the ups and downs of his own life. In interviews, Danson has spoken openly about his struggles with alcoholism, the loss of loved ones, and the challenges of aging in Hollywood. But through it all, he maintains a positive outlook, choosing to focus on the joy and laughter that can be found in even the most difficult circumstances.
In a world that can often feel overwhelming and bleak, Ted Danson’s approach to life serves as a reminder that it’s okay to find humor in the sadness. By embracing both the light and the dark, Danson has not only thrived in his career but has also inspired countless others to do the same. So here’s to Ted Danson, a true master at finding “the laugh in the sadness.”
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have been married for 18 years, and have shared how they’ve made their long-lasting relationship work along the way.
The powerhouse couple have a few rules to ensure their communication is aligned, but they refuse to talk over text messages and opt for phone calls and in-person discussions.
Kidman and Urban aren’t the only pair with unconventional marriage rules in Hollywood. Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Brad Falchuk didn’t live together after they were hitched, while Rachael Ray and her husband, John Cusimano, get into “screaming matches” as a healthy means of conflict resolution, and Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen make sure to reconnect with each other at an unusual hour.
Nicole Kidman, Ted Danson and Rachel Ray keep their marriages hot with unconventional rules.(Getty Images)
The “Babygirl” actress and her country star husband decided from the beginning of their relationship that they would only communicate by voice, Kidman told Parade magazine.
“We don’t text,” Kidman said. “We call. We’ve done this since the very beginning. The reason it started at the beginning was because I didn’t know how to text, and it just kind of worked for us. So, now we don’t.
“We just do voice to voice or skin to skin, as we always say. We talk all the time, and we FaceTime, but we just don’t text because I feel like texting can be misrepresentative at times.
Kidman and Urban rely on “skin to skin” and voice calls in their relationship.(Angela Weiss)
“And I’ve had the thing where I reread texts, and I’m like, “What does that mean?” and then read it to somebody and go ‘Can you interpret that?’ I don’t want that between my lover and I.”
“We don’t text. We call. We’ve done this since the very beginning. The reason it started at the beginning was because I didn’t know how to text, and it just kind of worked for us. So now we don’t.”
— Nicole Kidman
Besides their no-texting rule, their secret to a lasting marriage is easy: “Not having secrets,” Kidman said.
“We never tell anybody any advice about their relationship or think that we have a secret. We just approach it with humility and hope, and just really love hanging out. I mean it’s that simple. We love spending time together. We have a lot of fun together and we just choose each other. If there is one person I can hang out with, it’s him and the girls, and that’s it.”
Keith and Nicole have been married for 18 years and have two daughters together.(Dimitrios Kambouris)
Rachael Ray and her husband, musician and entertainment lawyer John Cusimano, have their own ways of keeping the love going strong after 19 years of marriage.
“I am very wildly, wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband,” the former Food Network star said on the first episode of her new podcast, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.” “But he understands I need my space. He needs his space.”
Space and time apart are both non-negotiable for the celebrity chef and her husband.
Rachael Ray and husband John Cusimano have a few unconventional marriage rules.(Jamie McCarthy)
The couple met through a mutual friend in 2001.(Stephen Lovekin)
“It’s very hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or vociferous, loud people to be able to just calm it down,” Ray told her guest, Jenny Mollen. “John and I don’t calm it down ever. We have huge screaming matches all the time, but I think that’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people that are too quiet.
“Too quiet freaks me out. I prefer that you tell me what you think when you think it, and let’s just get it all out there.”
Ray and Cusimano have a unique way of making up after an argument, too.
“John and I don’t calm it down ever. We have huge screaming matches all the time, but I think that’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people that are too quiet.”
“I don’t know that we ever apologize to each other,” the “30 Minute Meals” star said. “Eventually, I pat him on his a–, or he kisses me on the head, and that’s just sort of it. That’s the apology. It’s just sort of understood. ‘I still like your a–. I still like your head.’ It’s kind of in that zone.”
Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen know how to make their almost 30-year marriage last: morning dates.
The couple make the most of their time together in the early hours instead of spending late nights out.
Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen have early morning dates.(Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
“Date nights are kind of, at my age, date early bird specials,” Danson, 76, told People magazine. “The most fun is the early mornings, 4:30 in the morning, coffee in bed, playing Wordle, Connections, and Spelling Bee, talking and laughing and sharing.”
He added, “To both of us, it’s like heaven on Earth.”
Danson refuses to let their busy work schedules interrupt their special time together, even if they’re in different locations.
“Even if she’s working in a different time zone, we will wake up in time to be able to play our games and have coffee over the phone,” he said.
When Gwyneth Paltrow married producer Brad Falchuk in September 2018, the couple retreated to their own separate homes after the wedding.
Gwyneth Paltrow met Brad Falchuk while working on an episode of “Glee” in 2010.(Gregg DeGuire)
One year later, they decided it was finally time to make their union official under one roof and move in together.
At the beginning of their marriage, the Academy Award-winning actress and her “intimacy teacher” approved an arrangement where the couple would spend three nights per week at their own homes before living together at Paltrow’s home the remaining four nights.
“Oh, all my married friends say that the way we live sounds ideal, and we shouldn’t change a thing,” she told The Sunday Times.
In 2020, she told Harper’s Bazaar, “I thought it was really interesting how resonant that was for people. One of my best friends was like, ‘That is my dream. Don’t ever move in.’
Brad Falchuk and Gwyneth Paltrow relied on an intimacy teacher in the beginning of their marriage.(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“Oh, all my married friends say that the way we live sounds ideal, and we shouldn’t change a thing.”
— Gwyneth Paltrow
“I think it certainly helps with preserving mystery and also preserving the idea that this person has their own life. So, this is something I’m trying to remain aware of now as we merge together.”
Judith Light and her husband of 39 years, Robert Desiderio, know the secret to a long-lasting marriage: distance.
The star of the new Apple TV+ supernatural drama “Before” explained why living at opposite ends of the country from her partner makes their bond stronger.
While Judith Light primarily resides in New York, her husband of 40 years, Robert Desiderio, lives in California.(Gregg DeGuire)
“We talk every day. We FaceTime every day,” she told People magazine. “He loves to be alone, and I love to be alone. We both love our alone time. We have that. It’s also very creative for us.”
She added, “We also make sure that, when we’re having something that’s upsetting for either one of us, that we both make sure that we stay in the room, and we keep talking. Sometimes we have to take a break. We say, ‘Wait, we have to stop now. Now, we have to stop, and then we’re going to come back to this.’”
“We talk every day. We FaceTime every day. He loves to be alone, and I love to be alone. We both love our alone time. We have that. It’s also very creative for us.”
— Judith Light
Judith Light and husband Robert Desiderio have been married since 1985.(Gregg DeGuire)
The duo first met while starring in “One Life to Live” in the ’80s before tying the knot in 1985. Desiderio, who has appeared in various television and film projects throughout the years, published his first novel, “The Occurrence,” in February 2020.
“He calls himself a recovering actor,” Light said of Desiderio’s retirement from acting. “Now he’s so much happier than he was.”
“[It] makes our marriage and our relationship much happier.” she added.
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
Nicole Kidman, Rachel Ray, and Ted Danson are three celebrities who have been able to keep their marriages hot by following unconventional rules.
While many couples may struggle to keep the spark alive in their relationships, these three stars have found unique ways to keep their love strong.
Nicole Kidman, for example, reportedly has a rule with her husband Keith Urban that they cannot be apart for more than two weeks at a time. This helps them stay connected and maintain their bond.
Rachel Ray and her husband John Cusimano have a rule that they must have a date night at least once a week, no matter how busy their schedules may be. This allows them to prioritize their relationship and keep the romance alive.
Ted Danson and his wife Mary Steenburgen have a rule that they must always say "I love you" before going to bed each night. This simple gesture helps them show their love and appreciation for each other on a daily basis.
By following these unconventional rules, these three couples have been able to keep their marriages hot and strong, proving that sometimes thinking outside the box can lead to a lasting and happy relationship.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have been married for 18 years, and have shared how they’ve made their long-lasting relationship work along the way.
The powerhouse couple have a few rules to ensure their communication is aligned, but they refuse to talk over text messages and opt for phone calls and in-person discussions.
Kidman and Urban aren’t the only pair with unconventional marriage rules in Hollywood. Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Brad Falchuk didn’t live together after they were hitched, while Rachael Ray and her husband, John Cusimano, get into “screaming matches” as a healthy means of conflict resolution, and Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen make sure to reconnect with each other at an unusual hour.
Nicole Kidman, Ted Danson and Rachel Ray keep their marriages hot with unconventional rules.
The “Babygirl” actress and her country star husband decided from the beginning of their relationship that they would only communicate by voice, Kidman told Parade magazine.
“We don’t text,” Kidman said. “We call. We’ve done this since the very beginning. The reason it started at the beginning was because I didn’t know how to text, and it just kind of worked for us. So, now we don’t.
“We just do voice to voice or skin to skin, as we always say. We talk all the time, and we FaceTime, but we just don’t text because I feel like texting can be misrepresentative at times.
Kidman and Urban rely on “skin to skin” and voice calls in their relationship.
“And I’ve had the thing where I reread texts, and I’m like, “What does that mean?” and then read it to somebody and go ‘Can you interpret that?’ I don’t want that between my lover and I.”
Besides their no-texting rule, their secret to a lasting marriage is easy: “Not having secrets,” Kidman said.
“We never tell anybody any advice about their relationship or think that we have a secret. We just approach it with humility and hope, and just really love hanging out. I mean it’s that simple. We love spending time together. We have a lot of fun together and we just choose each other. If there is one person I can hang out with, it’s him and the girls, and that’s it.”
Keith and Nicole have been married for 18 years and have two daughters together.
Rachael Ray and her husband, musician and entertainment lawyer John Cusimano, have their own ways of keeping the love going strong after 19 years of marriage.
“I am very wildly, wildly, wildly lucky that I have my husband,” the former Food Network star said on the first episode of her new podcast, “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.” “But he understands I need my space. He needs his space.”
Space and time apart are both non-negotiable for the celebrity chef and her husband.
Rachael Ray and husband John Cusimano have a few unconventional marriage rules.
The couple met through a mutual friend in 2001.
“It’s very hard, especially for hot-tempered or creative or vociferous, loud people to be able to just calm it down,” Ray told her guest, Jenny Mollen. “John and I don’t calm it down ever. We have huge screaming matches all the time, but I think that’s healthy. I really do. And I don’t trust people that are too quiet.
“Too quiet freaks me out. I prefer that you tell me what you think when you think it, and let’s just get it all out there.”
Ray and Cusimano have a unique way of making up after an argument, too.
“I don’t know that we ever apologize to each other,” the “30 Minute Meals” star said. “Eventually, I pat him on his a–, or he kisses me on the head, and that’s just sort of it. That’s the apology. It’s just sort of understood. ‘I still like your a–. I still like your head.’ It’s kind of in that zone.”
Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen know how to make their almost 30-year marriage last: morning dates.
The couple make the most of their time together in the early hours instead of spending late nights out.
Ted Danson and wife Mary Steenburgen have early morning dates.
“Date nights are kind of, at my age, date early bird specials,” Danson, 76, told People magazine. “The most fun is the early mornings, 4:30 in the morning, coffee in bed, playing Wordle, Connections, and Spelling Bee, talking and laughing and sharing.”
He added, “To both of us, it’s like heaven on Earth.”
Danson refuses to let their busy work schedules interrupt their special time together, even if they’re in different locations.
“Even if she’s working in a different time zone, we will wake up in time to be able to play our games and have coffee over the phone,” he said.
When Gwyneth Paltrow married producer Brad Falchuk in September 2018, the couple retreated to their own separate homes after the wedding.
Gwyneth Paltrow met Brad Falchuk while working on an episode of “Glee” in 2010.
One year later, they decided it was finally time to make their union official under one roof and move in together.
At the beginning of their marriage, the Academy Award-winning actress and her “intimacy teacher” approved an arrangement where the couple would spend three nights per week at their own homes before living together at Paltrow’s home the remaining four nights.
“Oh, all my married friends say that the way we live sounds ideal, and we shouldn’t change a thing,” she told The Sunday Times.
In 2020, she told Harper’s Bazaar, “I thought it was really interesting how resonant that was for people. One of my best friends was like, ‘That is my dream. Don’t ever move in.’
Brad Falchuk and Gwyneth Paltrow relied on an intimacy teacher in the beginning of their marriage.
“I think it certainly helps with preserving mystery and also preserving the idea that this person has their own life. So, this is something I’m trying to remain aware of now as we merge together.”
Judith Light and her husband of 39 years, Robert Desiderio, know the secret to a long-lasting marriage: distance.
The star of the new Apple TV+ supernatural drama “Before” explained why living at opposite ends of the country from her partner makes their bond stronger.
While Judith Light primarily resides in New York, her husband of 40 years, Robert Desiderio, lives in California.
“We talk every day. We FaceTime every day,” she told People magazine. “He loves to be alone, and I love to be alone. We both love our alone time. We have that. It’s also very creative for us.”
She added, “We also make sure that, when we’re having something that’s upsetting for either one of us, that we both make sure that we stay in the room, and we keep talking. Sometimes we have to take a break. We say, ‘Wait, we have to stop now. Now, we have to stop, and then we’re going to come back to this.’”
Judith Light and husband Robert Desiderio have been married since 1985.
The duo first met while starring in “One Life to Live” in the ’80s before tying the knot in 1985. Desiderio, who has appeared in various television and film projects throughout the years, published his first novel, “The Occurrence,” in February 2020.
“He calls himself a recovering actor,” Light said of Desiderio’s retirement from acting. “Now he’s so much happier than he was.”
“[It] makes our marriage and our relationship much happier.” she added.
Fox News Digital’s Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.
In the world of Hollywood, where relationships often come and go like the changing of the seasons, it can be refreshing to see a few celebrity couples who have managed to keep the spark alive in their marriages. Nicole Kidman, Rachel Ray, and Ted Danson are just a few examples of celebrities who have found success in their relationships by following some unconventional rules.
Nicole Kidman, who has been married to country singer Keith Urban since 2006, has been open about the fact that the couple prioritizes their marriage above all else. They make sure to spend quality time together, even if it means scheduling it in advance. Kidman has also mentioned that they have a rule of never spending more than a few weeks apart, no matter how busy their schedules may be.
Rachel Ray, the celebrity chef and TV personality, has been married to her husband John Cusimano since 2005. One of the unconventional rules that the couple follows is to never go to bed angry. They believe in resolving conflicts as soon as they arise and making sure to communicate openly and honestly with each other.
Ted Danson, known for his roles in shows like Cheers and The Good Place, has been married to actress Mary Steenburgen since 1995. One of the rules that the couple follows is to always make time for each other, even if it means turning down work opportunities or social engagements. They prioritize their relationship above all else and make sure to nurture it consistently.
While these rules may seem unconventional to some, they have clearly worked for these celebrity couples. By prioritizing communication, quality time together, and resolving conflicts quickly, Kidman, Ray, and Danson have found ways to keep their marriages hot and thriving in the often tumultuous world of Hollywood.
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Nicole Kidman, Rachel Ray, Ted Danson, marriage advice, unconventional rules, keeping marriages strong, celebrity relationships, marriage tips, marriage secrets, maintaining a happy marriage
