Ted Danson
Edward Bridge Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom Cheers, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He was nominated for more Emmy Awards for roles in the legal drama Damages (2007–2010) and the NBC dramedy The Good Place (2016–2020). He was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 1999.[1]
Ted Danson
- Actor
- producer
- activist
1975–present
-
Randall Gosch(m. 1970; div. 1975)
-
Cassandra Coates(m. 1977; div. 1993)
2
Charlie McDowell (stepson)
Danson made his film debut in 1978 in the crime drama The Onion Field. His breakout film role was as Jack Holden in the films Three Men and a Baby (1987) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). His other film roles include Body Heat (1981), Dad (1989) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).
Danson's other leading roles on television include the CBS sitcom Becker, CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2011–2015), and CSI: Cyber (2015–2016).[2][3] In 2015, he starred in the second season of FX's anthology series Fargo. He has played roles in the HBO comedies Bored to Death (2009–2011) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000–2024), and the NBC sitcom Mr. Mayor (2021–2022).
Danson is also known for his longtime activism in ocean conservation. In March 2011, he published his first book, Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them which was written with journalist Michael D'Orso. He has been married to actress Mary Steenburgen since 1995.
Early life and education[edit]
On December 29, 1947, Danson was born in San Diego to Edward Bridge "Ned" Danson, Jr., an archaeologist and curator of the Museum of Northern Arizona, from 1959 to 1975, and Jessica Harriet (née MacMaster).[4][5] He has an older sister, Jessica Ann "Jan" Haury.[5] Danson was primarily raised in Flagstaff, Arizona.[6] He has Scottish and English heritage. Their ancestors lived in colonial New England and are descended from historical figures like Anne Hutchinson.[7][8]
In 1961, at age 14, Danson enrolled at the Kent School, a university-preparatory school in Connecticut; he was a star player on the basketball team. He became interested in drama while later attending Stanford University; in his search for a better acting program, he transferred to Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. He was graduated with a B.F.A. in Drama in 1972.[9]