Ted Danson has revealed that he did not initially understand the effect his breakout role as Sam Malone on Cheers had on women, saying it took him years to realize he was being seen as a sex symbol. Speaking on the May 27 episode of his podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name, Danson was interviewed by Abbott Elementary star Lisa Ann Walter, who asked him directly what it was like to discover his appeal. Danson, now 78, said he was genuinely surprised when women began treating him as attractive after the sitcom made him a household name.
The actor explained that before Cheers, he did not think of himself as especially handsome or charismatic. He said that when women showed interest, his first reaction was confusion, as if he could not believe they were talking about him. According to Danson, it took until the second year of Cheers for him to stop arguing with the idea and simply accept it. He said his instinct had always been to protest whenever anyone called him a sex symbol, but eventually he learned to “keep his mouth shut” and let the image stand on its own.
Danson also joked that the show boosted his attractiveness by surrounding Sam Malone with women who reacted admiringly to him. He suggested that the series helped create the perception that he was far more desirable than he believed himself to be. Over time, he said, he accepted the mantle and stopped resisting the label.
Cheers aired from 1982 to 1993, with Danson starring as bartender Sam Malone for all 11 seasons. He was 34 when the series premiered, and the role became the defining hit of his career. Danson won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance on the show. His departure helped bring the long-running sitcom to an end.
Since Cheers, Danson has remained one of television’s most recognizable and successful stars. He went on to appear in Becker, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Good Place, earning additional Emmy nominations for his work in comedy. More recently, he has starred in A Man on the Inside, continuing a career that has spanned decades.
Danson has also spoken publicly about the personal reasons behind leaving Cheers. In an August 2025 episode of his podcast, he said he felt he was changing for the better and wanted to challenge himself by stepping away from the role before becoming defined by it permanently. He explained that he feared never finding out whether he could succeed in other kinds of work if he stayed too long.
