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Before sitcoms likeThe Big Bang TheoryandF.R.I.E.N.D.Sruled the airwaves, there wasCheers. The Ted Danson starrer centered around a former relief pitcher and bartender Sam Malone and the relationship he shares with the patrons and employees of his bar. The show was one of the highest-rated shows and its finale had record viewership at the time.
Danson earned big for his lead role in the series. The veteran star is now a lead in various series such asThe Good Place, Becker, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, andMr. Mayor. However, he hit his peak when he was starring in the sitcom and reportedly earns millions even now in residuals.
How Was Ted Danson Cast InCheers?
The sitcomCheerschanged the TV industry for good. The show was so revolutionary that it reportedly had terrible ratings in the first season and was on the verge of getting canceled before getting a new lease of life and becoming one of the most-watched sitcoms in the world. It lasted eleven seasons and reportedly earned 111 Primetime Emmy nominations.
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Ted Dansonwas one of the first actors to be cast in the role of Sam Malone. Initially written to be a retired football player, Danson’s personality did not match the requirement and hence, it was changed to be a former relief pitcher. The actor was reportedly doing a guest spot onTaxiwhen he met creators Glen and Les Charles and James Burrows (viaGQ).
Speaking about meeting the creators for the first time and the audition process, Danson said,
I got called in at the last second to do a guest spot on Taxi, and Jimmy, Les, and Glen were on the Paramount lot, putting together Cheers. I ran over and met them. It was one of the few times that I didn’t doubt myself—even though it took a month to get the part.
Though the casting was reportedly a long and arduous process for the actor, it eventually made his life and the wait seemed to be extremely worth it. The actor also won two Primetime Emmys for his work on the show.
What Was Ted Danson’s Salary InCheers?
Despite being almost canceled after the first season ofCheersfailed to garner good ratings, the series picked up after its second season and slowly became one of the most-watched shows. Ted Danson was propelled to global stardom due to the series and also reportedly became the highest-paid actor on TV at the time.
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By the series finale, Danson’s salary for the series reportedly included a whopping $450,000 per episode paycheck. According toCelebrity Net Worth, the actor netted a salary of $12 million per season in its final three seasons, and adjusted to inflation, he would have earned almost $25 million every season.
The Richestalso mentioned that the actor still earns fromCheersvia residuals and his residual checks alone pay him $5 million every year. Interestingly, Danson reportedly joked about receiving his final salary years before he even reached that stage, according to actress Kate Mulgrew, who played Janet Eldridge in the show (viaPeople).
What Is Ted Danson’s Net Worth?
WithCheersalone, Ted Danson could have spent the rest of his life not working and probably spending all his time on his ocean conversation activism. However, the actor has had a prolific career since the end of the sitcom in 1993. He has had film roles and other lead roles on popular TV shows.
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Danson played roles in films likeCousins, Three Men and a Baby, Saving Private Ryan, Dad,and more. He also appeared as a lead in the showsBecker, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Good Place,andMr. Mayor. He has no doubt received heavy salaries for these roles.
Celebrity Net Worth reported that his work onCheersas well as his other acting gigs made him earn $80 million. The actor reportedly owns a number of properties that add to his net worth, including multiple homes in Ojai and Santa Monica as well as a cottage in Nashville.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
