Ted Danson famously played Sam Malone in the much-loved sitcom, “Cheers” from 1982 to 1993 and has now revealed the reason why he cannot recall the show’s finale. According to Danson, that last episode is pretty much a blur for him.
Danson is an Emmy-award-winning actor and sitcom star, and during a recent appearance on his podcast, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.” The name of the podcast reflects a description of his character’s bar in the hit comedy series. During the July 22 episode of the podcast, Danson, 78, spoke to fellow actor and “New Girl” star, Jake Johnson.
“People say, ‘What was it like? What did you do when ‘Cheers’ was over?’ I said, ‘I had [messed] up my life so much that I didn’t even realize ‘Cheers’ was over,” he said.
About Ted Danson & Iconic Comedy Series ‘Cheers’
The popular sitcom “Cheers” ran from 1982 to 1993, and it followed the social life of a group of Boston locals in their favorite bar, headed by Danson’s character, Sam. The show enjoyed an 11-season run and its finale was reportedly the most-watched single TV episode of the 90s.
Around the time of the “Cheers” finale, Danson’s marriage to his second wife, producer Cassandra “Casey” Coates failed, and they eventually divorced in 1993. Reportedly, it was the actor’s extramarital affair with Whoopi Goldberg that contributed to the demise of their marriage. At the time, Danson was co-starring with Goldberg in “Made in America.”
“I wanted to stop being a liar,” Danson said, adding that he “barely knew myself” at the time. “I wanted to be emotionally mature. I wanted to change massively, and I went for it.”
Danson And His ‘Postgrad Grow-up Class’
Danson then spoke of his healing journey, which he described as his “postgrad grow-up class.” He said he visited with a mentor in Long Beach, California, who gave him “a whole different kind of therapy, spirituality kind of thing.”
The “Cheers” alum then married actress and “Pontiac Moon” co-star, Mary Steenburgen in 1995. He then became stepfather to her two children, Lilly and Charlie.
In November last year, Danson opened up to USA TODAY about working with his longtime wife in season 2 of his Netflix series, “A Man On The Inside”
“It’s so much fun to play falling in love with someone you’re madly in love with,” he said, adding, “You just sink into each other, which is lovely.”
On the podcast with Jake Johnson, Ted Danson also spoke of how he got to star alongside Mary Steenburgen in the pickleball comedy, “The Dink,” and playing other complex characters.
Danson recalled that they met on the set of “The Dink,” and explained that Mary complimented Johnson, saying “He was one of the most special people I have ever met.”
“The Dink” was released on Apple TV on Friday, July 24, 2026. Readers can watch the full “Where Everybody Knows Your Name.” podcast episode in the video included below.
