The actor played Sam Malone on 11 seasons of the sitcom.
Ted Dansonis toasting hisCheerscostarShelley Long, more than 37 years after she departed the cast of the Emmy-winning sitcom.
“I am always always the worst.
Ted Danson with ‘Cheers’ costar Shelley Long.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
My first reaction to Shelley while we were auditioning was, ‘Oh, no.
That’s a bad, bad idea.”
“We were so, we’re so different.
like, this fair fight.”
In real life, Long left the hit series in 1987 to focus on films and her family.
Danson went on to recount his and Long’s off-camera relationship.
“Because you’d smack her, and she’d smack you back harder.
She was brilliant.”
He also credited Long with landing the role for which he won Emmys in 1990 and 1993.
“And we got teamed up together when we auditioned.”
Danson remained on the NBC series for all of its 11 seasons.
After Long leftCheers, she was replaced byKirstie Alley, whodied in December 2022.
Danson acknowledged in June 2023 that he had been one of the doubters.
“I certainly was worried,” Danson said onToday.
“‘Oh, I just lost my dance partner, Shelley.
So will this even work?'”
He went on to praise Alley as having been “the funniest person.”
