Last month I looked into the cast of Roseanne, this month is dedicated to those fine bar flies at Cheers, and who better to start with than Ted Danson, star of the show throughout it’s eleven year run. I wasn’t born when this one first aired, and was five when it ended, but I have seen every episodes more than once. It’s one of the best ensemble sitcoms ever made, and am very pleased to get to write a paragraph or two in this net worth article. The crux of this post is still the wealth of Ted Danson, as well as a look at his entire career, but in many ways his career has been defined by Cheers.He has been in the business for decades, and won many awards for his comedic performances, and even a few for his dramatic roles. The core of his wealth comes from acting, and considering how popular Cheers still is, I imagine that a fair amount of cash flows in every month for royalties, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let’s take a long look at Ted Danson’s career, see where he made his money.
So let’s dig in, take a long look at his life and career and see where his money came from.
Ted Danson Net Worth 2018 – $60 Million
How Did Ted Danson Make his Money & Wealth?
Ted Danson was born on December 29th 1947 in San Diego California. He was raised in Arizona and became interested in acting and got a Bachelors in Drama. He started his career in the mid seventies, getting steady work on a soap, and bit parts in other shows on at the time. It would not be until the early eighties that his career really took off.
He was cast in Cheers in 1982, playing the lead, if an ensemble comedy can be said to have a lead, of Sam Malone. A former baseball star and womanizer. Alongside Shelley Long, he formed one half of the will they won’t they TV couple of Sam and Diane. It was under threat of cancellation, but was saved by a couple of Emmy awards and the intervention of Brandon Tartikoff, president of NBC’s entertainment division.
Sam Malone was the glue that held the show together, especially after season 5, and Ted Danson’s pitch perfect performance, and comedy chops, were a hit with audiences from season 2 onward. Sam Malone was a very well designed character, it’s so easy to lay it on thick with the womanizing aspect, create that lowest common denominator charismatic misogynist, and while that is certainly a fair reading, I feel it lacks nuance. the negative aspects of his character are thrown into sharp contrast, and shown for what they are, negative. The show is well known for it’s comedy, but there is a real vulnerability to Sam Malone, and it is all down to Ted Danson’s talent as a actor. During the early days of the show’s run Danson was getting around $10,000 per episodes, but by the end he was pulling in $500,000, huge numbers for the time. He also gets a cut of the back end, and syndication rights, due to him as a result of his main character status. That forms the back bone of his wealth, but Cheers is far from the only strut.
Ted Danson has been a core cast member of a number of shows over the years, including CBS’ Becker, while not as big as Cheers it certainly gives him a nice check every month. More recently he was a regular on CSI. He returned to the role of Sam Malone on an episode of Frasier, and as much as I like Cheers I like Frasier more. The performance was fine, and the setting brought a more cerebral look at the character. They could have pushed it further though. He has appeared in a number of films over the years, with a another due out late this year. Most recently he had a regular role on The Good Place, which has been renewed for another season.
Ted Danson Personal Life & FAQ
Is Ted Danson Married?
Ted Danson has been married three times, first from 1970 to 1975 to Randy Gosch, then from 1977 to 1993 to Cassandra Coates and finally to Mary Steenburgen in 1995. He has two children, both to Coates.
Where is Ted Danson from?
Ted Danson is from San Diego, California, but grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona.
What was the deal with Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg?
They dated briefly in the early nineties, while he was still married to Cassandra Coates. Coates had a stroke, and Danson spent several years caring for her before having an affair with Goldberg. The divorce that resulted cost him an estimated $30 million, one of the most costly at the time. Danson came under fire for a skit at the Friar’s Club, reportedly written by Goldberg, where he appeared in blackface and made liberal use of racial stereotypes and slurs. The couple defended the act, but split not long after.
What kind of Philanthropy is Ted Danson involved in?
He is most associated with environmentalism and vegetarianism. He has been Vegan many times int he past, but has now settle on pescatarianism.
