Ted Danson Says He Barely Remembers ‘Cheers’ Ending Because His Personal Life Was Falling Apart

Ted Danson said he has almost no memory of “Cheers” ending because his personal life was falling apart at the time. Speaking on his podcast, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” Danson, 78, said he “barely knew” himself during the show’s final stretch in 1993. He recalled a friend asking what it felt like when the series wrapped and said he had not even processed that it was over.

Danson starred as bartender Sam Malone for all 11 seasons of the sitcom, appearing in every one of its 273 episodes alongside Kelsey Grammer, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Woody Harrelson and Rhea Perlman. The show ended in 1993 after Danson told producers he wanted to pursue other projects, a decision he has previously said he pushed for after years of internal discussion among the cast.

The comments add new detail to Danson’s account of a turbulent period in his life. At the time, he was in the process of divorcing his second wife, Cassandra Coates, following an affair that became public after he filmed the 1993 movie “Made in America.” Danson said the emotional fallout consumed him so completely that the show’s conclusion barely registered.

“I had messed up my life so much that I didn’t even realize ‘Cheers‘ was over,” Danson said, adding that he felt disconnected from his own sense of self during that time.

He said the experience pushed him to seek guidance from a mentor, whom he described as central to a period of personal change. Danson said he wanted to stop being dishonest with himself and others, and he pursued what he called a form of therapy focused on emotional growth. He has said in earlier interviews that the upheaval, while painful, ultimately cleared the way for him to meet actress Mary Steenburgen, whom he married in 1995 after the two reconnected while filming “Pontiac Moon” in 1994.

Danson’s remarks offer a rare, direct account of how a major personal crisis intersected with the end of one of television’s most successful sitcoms. “Cheers” ran for 11 seasons and won 28 Emmy Awards, making it one of the defining comedies of its era. Danson’s admission that he has little recollection of its conclusion underscores how significant off-screen turmoil can shape an actor’s experience of even the most celebrated professional milestones, offering context for longtime fans who have followed both the show’s legacy and Danson’s later career.

Danson continues to revisit his “Cheers” years on his podcast, where he has previously addressed strained relationships with castmates from that period. He is currently appearing in a Netflix series in which he plays a retired professor working undercover in a nursing home. Danson has not indicated whether he plans to discuss the finale period further, but his podcast has become a recurring venue for reflections on his time on the sitcom and the personal changes that followed it.