At the age of 71, Ted Danson is living his best life. With a thriving acting career, a loving marriage to Mary Steenburgen that has lasted nearly 25 years, and a beautiful family, Ted couldn’t be happier. In a recent issue of Closer Weekly, Ted opened up about his relationship with Mary, saying, “We wake up and celebrate literally every day. If we didn’t, we’d be idiots because we’re so lucky. We have great kids, grandkids, and each other. We’re madly in love, and it’s just pure joy.”
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Ted. He’s been through his share of heartbreaks earlier in life, but finding Mary was a turning point. “I consider myself a family man,” Ted reflects, “partially because my parents did such an incredible job at it for over 40 years. Their example set the bar high for me.”
Mary Steenburgen’s Healing Journey
Mary Steenburgen Opens Up About How Ted Danson Helped Her Overcome Childhood Trauma
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Early in his career, Ted faced challenges that tested his resilience. After a failed marriage to his college sweetheart, Randall Gosch, Ted found love again with Casey Coates in 1977. It was love at first sight, but the couple faced a terrifying ordeal when Casey nearly died from a stroke while giving birth to their daughter, Kate Danson. At the time, Ted, also a father to daughter Alexis Danson with Casey, put his acting career on hold to care for his wife. “I would have expected Casey to do the same for me if the situation had been reversed,” Ted admitted.
Ted’s Career Breakthrough
Ted’s acting career skyrocketed when he was cast as bartender Sam Malone on Cheers in the early 1980s. “I’m forever grateful,” Ted says about his time on the sitcom, which also starred Woody Harrelson, Kirstie Alley, and Kelsey Grammer. “It was an amazing 11 years of my life. I walk around, and people smile at me because they’re remembering something funny that I was part of on Cheers. It’s a feeling that stays with you forever.”
However, Ted’s personal life took a turn when his marriage to Casey crumbled. His affair with Made in America co-star Whoopi Goldberg became public, leading to one of the most expensive divorces in Hollywood history in 1993. At the time, Ted wasn’t looking for another marriage, but fate had other plans. In the mid-1990s, Ted met Mary Steenburgen. “We found each other when I was 45 and she was 40,” Ted recalled. “We had both lived a bit, stared down some demons within ourselves, and it was lucky that we met then.”
