Ted Danson

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Ted Danson
Birth name Edward Bridge Danson III
Born December 29, 1947 (age 59)
Flag of United States San Diego, California
Notable roles Sam Malone in Cheers (1982-1993)
Jack Holden in Three Men and a Baby (1987)
John Becker in Becker (1998-2004)
Emmy Awards
Won: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1990, 1993) for Cheers
Nominated: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1983-1989, 1991, 1992) for Cheers
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special (1984) for There's Something About Amelia

Ted Danson (born Edward Bridge Danson III on December 29, 1947) is an American actor most notable for his television work, and specifically, for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Danson was born in San Diego, California to Jessica MacMaster and Edward Bridge Danson, Jr., an archaeologist and anthropologist, respectively. His ancestors immigrated from England and Ireland.[1] Danson was raised near Flagstaff, Arizona.

In 1961, he was sent to Kent School where he was a basketball star. He became interested in drama while attending Stanford University. He transferred to the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received his bachelor's degree.

[edit] Career

[edit] Television

Danson began his television career, as many actors have, as a contract player on daytime soap opera Somerset. He played the role of Tom Conway from 1975 to 1976. He was also in a number of commercials, most recognizably as the "Aramis man".

He made a number of guest appearances in episodic television in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including spots on Laverne and Shirley, B.J. and the Bear, Family, Benson, Taxi and Magnum, P.I..

In 1982, Danson was cast in his most recognizable role, as ex-baseball player and bartender Sam Malone on the hit sitcom Cheers. The show ran from 1982 to 1993. Although he was best known for his work in comedy, he also appeared in an acclaimed drama, Something About Amelia, about a family devastated by the repercussions of incest.

In 1996, several years after Cheers concluded, Danson starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom Ink with his real-life wife Mary Steenburgen. In the same year, they starred as Lemuel Gulliver and his wife in an acclaimed television miniseries of Gulliver's Travels.

Danson went on to star in the more successful CBS sitcom Becker, which ran from 1998–2004. Danson also played himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

He reprised his role of Sam Malone in a second season episode of Frasier and voiced him in The Simpsons episode "Fear of Flying."

Danson returned to series television in the fall of 2006, playing a psychiatrist in the ABC sitcom Help Me Help You, which was cancelled at midseason due to low ratings.

[edit] Film

Danson has also been featured in numerous films. His most notable film appearance was in Three Men and a Baby with Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg, as well as its sequel. He also appeared in the films The Onion Field (his first film), Just Between Friends, A Fine Mess, Made in America, Getting Even with Dad, and Saving Private Ryan.

[edit] Other work

Danson's image, along with that of Scott Bakula, was used as a selectable character in Alien Breed II: The Horror Continues, a science fiction shoot 'em up released for the Amiga home computer system in 1993. Whether or not this use was authorised is unknown.

[edit] Personal life

Danson and his first wife, Randy, were married from 1970 to 1975. Danson's second wife was Casey Coates; the couple were married in 1977. In 1979, while giving birth to their first child, Coates suffered a stroke, and Danson spent several years caring for her and helping her recuperate. The couple had two children, including a second adopted daughter.

His third and current wife is actress Mary Steenburgen whom he wed on October 7, 1995. He is stepfather to her daughter and son. In 2000, Danson and Steenburgen hosted actor Alexis Denisof at their home for a year. [2]

[edit] Controversy

While he was still legally married to Coates, Danson became romantically involved with Whoopi Goldberg. Danson experienced substantial negative press attention after his appearance at a Friar's Club roast in blackface.[3] Although Goldberg is said to have written the monologue, the negative response from guests, the press and the public has been cited as a reason their relationship ended.

[edit] Environmental work

Danson is a long time environmental advocate.

In addition to knowledge gleaned from his father's academic pursuits, Danson's interest in environmental concerns was ignited when he was twelve years old. Bill Breed, then a curator at the Museum of Northern Arizona, introduced Danson and friend Mark Gaede to a game he referred to as "billboarding".

Armed with an axe and saw, Breed, Gaede, and Danson ended up removing, or "killing", over 500 outdoor advertising signs, and illegal birdhouses. (Gaede would become further involved with this kind of activity, which would be termed "monkeywrenching".) [4]

Danson's interest in environmentalism continued over the years, and he began to be concerned, in particular, with the state of the world's oceans. In the 1980s, he was a contributing founder of the American Oceans Campaigns, now referred to as Oceana, and Danson is still a board member.[5]

[edit] TV work

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.wargs.com/other/danson.html
  2. ^ http://imdb.com/name/nm0219206/bio
  3. ^ http://www.nndb.com/people/690/000022624/
  4. ^ Chase, Alston (1995). In A Dark Wood. Houghton Mifflin, pp. xvii. ISBN 0-395-60837-6. 
  5. ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1594/is_n1_v9/ai_20417682

[edit] External links

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