Early life

Danson was born in San Diego, California, the son of Jessica "Jess" Danson (née MacMaster, 1916 - January 11, 2006) and Edward Bridge "Ned" Danson, Jr. (March 22, 1916 - November 30, 2000), an archaeologist and museum director. He has a sister, Jan Haury (née Danson, born January 11, c. 1943). He was raised in Flagstaff, Arizona. His ancestry includes English and Scottish.

In 1961, he enrolled in the Kent School, where he was a basketball star. He became interested in drama while attending Stanford University. He transferred to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama in 1972.

Career

Television

Early career

Danson began his television career as a contract player on the daytime soap opera Somerset. He played the role of "Tom Conway" from 1975 to 1976. He then spent a few years (1977-1982) as a doctor on the daytime soap opera The Doctors. 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, Magnum P.I., Spiderman, and Tucker's Witch.

Career breakthrough: Cheers

In 1982, Danson was cast in his most recognizable role, as the womanizing former baseball player and bartender Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom Cheers, wherein he has an on-and-off relationship with college-educated, sophisticated Diane Chambers. Though the show finished last in the ratings in the first season, it was well received by critics, and ratings slowly but surely improved in 1983, and by 1986 Cheers was one of the top ten shows on TV. The show had a run of 11 seasons and its finale (May 20, 1993) was watched by 80 million people, becoming the second most watched finale in television history at that time. It won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and a Golden Globe for Best Series - Musical or Comedy. The show ran from 1982 to 1993, with Danson receiving 11 consecutive Emmy nominations and nine Golden Globe nominations, ultimately winning two Emmys and two Golden Globes. In 2002, TV Guide named Cheers the 18th Greatest Show of All Time. It was also included in Time Magazine's 100 Greatest Shows of All Time.

Danson also appeared as Sam Malone in guest-starring roles on other sitcoms, such as Frasier (a Cheers spin-off), The Jim Henson Hour, and The Simpsons.

Later career

Danson went on to star in the successful CBS sitcom Becker (produced by Paramount Television, which also produced Cheers), which ran from 1998 to 2004. Danson also plays 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".

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, which co-starred his later co-star on Damages, Glenn Close. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie and was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 1996, three 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 returned to series television in the fall of 2006, playing a psychiatrist in the ABC sitcom Help Me Help You, which was canceled at midseason due to low ratings.

In 2006, Danson received a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries for his role in Knights of the South Bronx.

In 2007, Danson starred in the FX Network drama Damages as a corrupt billionaire, Arthur Frobisher. The role earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, but he lost to co-star Željko Ivanek. In the second season, Danson became a recurring character instead of one of the principal cast. Nevertheless, Danson received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, but lost to Michael J. Fox for his guest appearance in Rescue Me.

In 1999, Danson was presented a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

In 2011, Danson appeared in the music video for "Make Some Noise" by the Beastie Boys. He is also mentioned in the song's lyrics.

Danson starred in the HBO sitcom Bored to Death as George Christopher, the laconic, salubrious and sometime downright infantile editor of Edition magazine. Critics often praised Danson as being the highlight of the program, calling his character a "scene stealer".

In July 2011, it was announced that Danson would star in the CBS police drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He played D.B. Russell, a new graveyard shift supervisor who previously headed a crime lab in Seattle, Washington. Tony Shalhoub, Robin Williams and John Lithgow were also considered for the role.

In March 2013, it was confirmed that Danson had signed a deal extending his stay on CSI for two more years.

Following the cancellation of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, it was announced that his character D.B. Russell would make a move over to the third spinoff show CSI: Cyber in the second season.

In 2015, Danson appeared in the second season of the TV show loosely based on the film of the same name, Fargo. He portrays sheriff Hank Larsson. He is soon set to star opposite Kristen Bell and Jameela Jamil in the TV series Good Place.

Film

Danson has also been featured in numerous films. His most notable film appearances were in Three Men and a Baby with Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg, its sequel Three Men and a Little Lady, and Cousins with Isabella Rossellini. He also appeared in The Onion Field (his first film, as the bagpipe playing Officer Ian Campbell), Creepshow, Body Heat, Little Treasure, Just Between Friends, A Fine Mess, Dad, Made in America, Getting Even with Dad, and Saving Private Ryan.

Personal life

Danson and his first wife, actress Randall "Randy" Gosch (now professionally known as Randy Danson), were married in 1970 and divorced in 1975. Danson's second wife was producer Cassandra "Casey" Coates; they were married in 1977. On December 24, 1979, while giving birth to their first daughter Kate, Coates suffered a stroke, and Danson spent several years caring for her and helping her recuperate. They later adopted a second daughter, Alexis. Danson's affair with actress Whoopi Goldberg led to their divorce in 1993. It was one of Hollywood's costliest divorces, reportedly costing Danson $30 million.

On October 7, 1995, Danson married actress Mary Steenburgen, whom he met on the set of the movie Pontiac Moon in 1993, and became the stepfather to Steenburgen's daughter Lilly and son Charlie ((McDowell)) from her previous marriage to actor Malcolm McDowell.

Danson had previously been a vegan multiple times. He currently adheres to a pescetarian diet. Danson suffers from Poland syndrome, and was bullied as a child because of it.

Relationship with Whoopi Goldberg

While filming the second episode of The Arsenio Hall Show in late 1988, he met actress Whoopi Goldberg, who he described as "a sexy, funny woman". The two became friends, co-hosting Help Save Planet Earth in 1990, a video guide to saving the environment (Danson played himself, Goldberg played the role of Mother Earth). However, upon the filming of Made in America together in April 1992, the two became romantically involved—a pairing which was heavily featured in gossip tabloids such as the National Enquirer. The couple also appeared on the Rock the Vote TV special that same year, as well as being set to star in a Paramount produced version of Neal Barrett Jr.'s Pink Vodka Blues, written by Marshall Brickman.

Danson experienced substantial negative press attention on October 8, 1993, after his appearance in blackface at a Friars Club comedy roast in honor of Goldberg. In his monologue, Danson made extensive use of offensive racial stereotypes, used the word "nigger" more than a dozen times, and ate a watermelon, angering such guests as Montel Williams and Mayor David Dinkins. Goldberg defended the sketch, explaining that she had helped write much of the material and referred Danson to the makeup artist who painted his face. Danson and Goldberg issued statements emphasizing "the Friars Club tradition of raucous and over the top humor" and describing those offended as newcomers who "were uncomfortable with what to expect." Substantial excerpts from the performance were later printed in Spy. On November 5, 1993, Danson and Goldberg issued a statement signalling the end of their relationship,.

Environmentalism

Danson's interest in environmental concerns was ignited when he was twelve years old and Bill Breed, then a curator at the Museum of Northern Arizona, introduced Danson and friend Marc Gaede to a game he referred to as "billboarding". Armed with an axe and saw, Breed, Gaede, and Danson ended up destroying over 300 outdoor advertising signs.

Danson's interest in environmentalism continued over the years, and he began to be concerned with the state of the world's oceans. In the 1980s, he was a contributing founder of the American Oceans Campaigns, which merged with Oceana in 2001, where Danson is a board member.

In March 2011, Danson published his first book, Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans And What We Can Do To Save Them, written with journalist Michael D'Orso.

Political activism

Danson is a friend of former United States President Bill Clinton, who attended Danson and Mary Steenburgen's wedding. Danson has donated more than $85,000 to Democratic candidates, including Al Gore, John Edwards, Barbara Boxer, Bill Clinton, Al Franken, and John Kerry. He has also donated to the Democratic Party of Arkansas and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Danson and Steenburgen campaigned for Sen. Hillary Clinton during her 2008 Presidential campaign. He attended the wedding of their daughter Chelsea on July 31, 2010.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	The Onion Field	Det. Ian James Campbell
1981	Body Heat	Peter Lowenstein
1982	Creepshow	Harry Wentworth
1985	Little Treasure	Eugene Wilson
1986	Just Between Friends	Chip Davis
	A Fine Mess	Spence Holden
1987	Three Men and a Baby	Jack Holden
1989	Cousins	Larry
	Dad	John Tremont
1990	Three Men and a Little Lady	Jack Holden
1993	Made in America	Hal Jackson
1994	Getting Even with Dad	Raymond Gleason
	Pontiac Moon	Washington Bellamy
1996	Loch Ness	Dempsey
1998	Jerry and Tom	Guy
1998	Homegrown	Gianni Saletzzo
	Saving Private Ryan	Capt. Hamill
1999	Mumford	Jeremy Brockett
2004	Fronterz	N/A
2007	Nobel Son	Harvey Parrish
	The Amateurs	Moose
2008	Mad Money	Don Cardigan
	The Human Contract	E.J. Winters
2009	The Open Road	Coach
2012	Big Miracle	J.W. McGrath
	Ted	Himself	Uncredited
2014	The One I Love	Therapist

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1975-1976	Somerset	Tim Conway #2	Unknown episodes
1979	The Amazing Spider-Man	Major Collings	2 episodes
	Mrs. Columbo	Richard Dellinger	Episode: "Ladies of the Afternoon"
	Trapper John, M.D.	Injured Man	Episode: "Love Is a Three-Way Street"
	B. J. and the Bear	Tom Spencer	Episode: "Silent Night, Unholy Night"
	The French Atlantic Affair	Assistant	Television film
1980	The Women's Room	Norman	Television film
	Once Upon a Spy	Jack Chenault	Television film
	Laverne & Shirley	Randy Carpenter	Episode: "Why Did the Fireman..."
	Family	David Bartels	Episode: "Daylight Serenade"
1981	Benson	Dan	2 episodes
	Magnum, P.I.	Stewart Crane	Episode: "Don't Say Goodbye"
	Dear Teacher	Steve Goodwin	Television film
	Our Family Business	Gep	Television film
1982	Taxi	Vincenzo Senaca	Episode: "The Unkindest Cut"
1982-1993	Cheers	Sam Malone	275 episodes
1983	Allison Sydney Harrison	David Harrison	Television film
1983	Cowboy	Dale Weeks	Television film
1984	Something About Amelia	Steven Bennett	Television film
1985	Little Treasure	Eugene Wilson	Television film
1986	When the Bough Breaks	Alex Delaware	Television film
1987	We Are the Children	N/A	Television film
1989	The Jim Henson Hour	Himself	Episode: "Aquatic Life"
1994	The Simpsons	Sam Malone (voice)	Episode: "Fear of Flying"
1995	Frasier	Sam Malone	Episode: "The Show Where Sam Shows Up"
1996-1997	Ink	Mike Logan	22 episodes
1996	Gulliver's Travels	Lemuel Gulliver	2 episodes
1998-2004	Becker	Dr. John Becker	129 episodes
1998	Thanks of a Grateful Nation	Jim Tuite	Television film
	Veronica's Closet	Nick Vanover	Episode: "Veronica's $600,000 Pop"
2000-2009	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Ted Danson	13 episodes
2000	Search for Atlantis	Himself	Television film
2002	Living with the Dead	James Van Praagh	Television film
2004	It Must Be Love	George Gazelle	Television film
2005	Our Fathers	Mitchell Garabedian	Television film
	Knights of the South Bronx	Richard	Television film
2006-2007	Help Me Help You	Dr. Bill Hoffman	14 episodes
2006	Heist	Tom	2 episodes
2007-2010	Damages	Arthur Frobisher	23 episodes
2008	King of the Hill	Tom Hammond (voice)	Episode: "The Accidental Terrorist"
2009-2011	Bored to Death	George Christopher	24 episodes
2010	Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!	Little Danson Man	Episode: "Greene Machine"
2011-2015	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Director D.B. Russell	86 episodes
2013	CSI: NY		Episode: "Seth and Apep"
2015	American Dad!	Dr. Ray Petit (voice)	Episode: "The Shrink"
	Fargo	Sheriff Hank Larsson	10 episodes
2015-2016	CSI: Cyber	Director D.B. Russell	18 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result
1983	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Cheers	Nominated
1984	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Something About Amelia	Nominated
1985	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film		Won
		Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy	Cheers	Nominated
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
1986	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
1987	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
1988	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
1989	American Comedy Awards	Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series		Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
1990	American Comedy Awards	Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series		Nominated
		Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture	Dad	Nominated
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy	Cheers	Won
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Won
	Viewers for Quality Television	Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series		Nominated
1991	American Comedy Awards	Funniest Male Performer in a Television Series		Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Won
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Viewers for Quality Television	Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series		Nominated
1992	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated
1993	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Male TV Performer		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series		Won
1997	Satellite Awards	Satellite Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film	Gulliver's Travels	Nominated
2000		Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy	Becker	Nominated
2001	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy		Nominated
2003	Satellite Awards	Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film	Living with the Dead	Nominated
2005		Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film	Our Fathers	Nominated
2006		Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy	Help Me Help You	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie	Knights of the South Bronx	Nominated
2008	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Damages	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
2009		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
2010				Nominated

Charities

Ted Danson supports the following charitable causes: Education, Smoking & Smoking-Related Illnesses, AIDS, Hunger, Pediatric AIDS, Literacy, Women's Issues, Children, Animals, Environment.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]