Ted Danson
Actor who played Sam Malone on *Cheers*.
Ted Danson achieved stardom as Sam Malone, the lead character on the NBC sitcom *Cheers*, which aired from 1982 to 1993. The role earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He later received additional Emmy nominations for his work on the FX legal drama *Damages* and the NBC comedy *The Good Place*. In 2025, he was honored with the Carol Burnett Award. His film debut came in the 1978 crime drama *The Onion Field*, with his breakout film roles occurring in the comedies *Three Men and a Baby* (1987) and its sequel *Three Men and a Little Lady* (1990). He also appeared in notable films such as *Body Heat* (1981), *Creepshow* (1982), *Dad* (1989), and *Saving Private Ryan* (1998). Beyond *Cheers*, Danson led the CBS sitcom *Becker* (1998–2004) and starred in the CBS dramas *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2011–2015) and *CSI: Cyber* (2015–2016). He appeared in the second season of FX’s anthology series *Fargo* and had roles in HBO comedies *Bored to Death* and *Curb Your Enthusiasm*, the NBC sitcom *Mr. Mayor*, and the Netflix comedy *A Man on the Inside*. Danson has been married to actress Mary Steenburgen since 1995; together they received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award in 2025. He is also known for his longtime activism in ocean conservation and co-authored the book *Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them* (2011) with journalist Michael D’Orso. Born in San Diego on December 29, 1947, Danson was raised primarily in Flagstaff, Arizona, and attended the Kent School in Connecticut, where he was a star basketball player. He developed an interest in drama at Stanford University and later transferred to Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with a B.F.A. in Drama in 1972.
- field
- Actor
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Sam Malone on Cheers
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Ted Danson was one of three actors considered for the role of Sam Malone, along with William Devane and Fred Dryer. Originally, Sam Malone was 'a former wide receiver for the New England Patriots [football team]', and Fred Dryer was initially considered because he was a football player. However, NBC executives praised test scenes between Ted Danson and Shelley Long, so the creators chose this pairing. Sam's character was changed into a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Danson appeared on *Cheers* for its entire run of the series. Shelley Long was part of the regular cast from the 1982 series premiere ('Give Me a Ring Sometime') until the fifth-season finale, 'I Do, Adieu' (1987). Long returned for a special appearance in the 1993 series finale, 'One for the Road.'
Reader's Guide
Ted Danson's role as Sam Malone is central to the *Cheers* series. Sam is a working-class, baseball player–turned–bartender. During the first five seasons, Sam and Diane both flirt with and condemn each other as social opposites, repeatedly consummating their relationship and breaking up. When they are not together, Sam has affairs with many women. In the series premiere, 'Give Me a Ring Sometime' (1982), Sam offers Diane a job as a cocktail waitress. In the two-part season finale of season one, 'Showdown' (1983), Sam and Diane kiss passionately in the bar's office. In season two, Sam and Diane consummate their relationship, which becomes dysfunctional. In the two-part season finale, 'I'll Be Seeing You' (1984), Sam and Diane break up for good. In the two-part season three premiere, 'Rebound' (1984), spurred by the collapse of his romance with Diane, Sam relapses into alcoholism. Diane and Frasier help Sam to regain his sobriety. In 'I Do, Adieu' (1987) Sam and Diane are due to marry, but they cancel the wedding when Diane leaves Sam and the bar to begin a career as a writer. In the series finale, Sam and Diane are reunited, become engaged and break up again, realizing that they are never meant to be together.
Did You Know?
- Ted Danson was cast as Sam Malone after test scenes with Shelley Long were praised by NBC executives.
- Sam Malone was originally written as a former wide receiver for the New England Patriots, but was changed to a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
- Danson appeared on Cheers for its entire run of the series.
- In the season three premiere, Sam relapses into alcoholism after his breakup with Diane.
- The series finale features Sam and Diane reuniting, becoming engaged, and then breaking up again.
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