Highlights
- Ted Danson’s longest-running TV character is actually his portrayal of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm, not Sam Malone on Cheers.
- Danson appeared in the second episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm and has been playing the role for 24 years across 12 seasons.
- There’s a possibility of Ted Danson returning as Sam Malone in the Frasier reboot, which would then make it his longest TV role at 42 years, overtaking his Curb Your Enthusiasm role.
Despite playing Sam Malone for over 200 episodes in Cheers from 1982 to 1993, it is actually not Ted Danson’s longest-played character. In fact, it is his small role as Ted Danson in Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm that became his longest-running role. Ted Danson first appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm during the comedy’s first season in 2000. The 12th, and likely last season, of the Larry David comedy airs in 2024, which makes it Ted Danson’s longest television role, since he’s been playing the “character” for 24 years.
After appearing in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12, episode 3 on February 18, 2024, the show surpassed Cheers as Ted Danson’s longest-running show based on season count. On the HBO show, Ted plays one of Larry David’s frenemies, who ends up dating his wife after they separate.
Ted is one of Larry’s oldest friends, but they often end up arguing over small things. He usually buys the comedy writer gifts, but Larry hates the gift or uses them to get himself into trouble.
In the following, we take a look at how Curb Your Enthusiasm smashed Ted Danson’s Cheers record and how long Ted Danson did play Sam Malone on Cheers. We also discuss the liklihood of Ted Danson appearing in the Frasier reboot as Sam Malone.
How Ted Danson’s Curb Your Enthusiasm Character Became His Longest-Running Role
Ted Danson first appeared in the second episode of the very first season of Curb Your Enthusiasm in 2000, playing himself. Danson’s 32 episodes are spread out within the series’ 12 seasons. Outside of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ted Danson is best known for playing Sam Malone in Cheers, which was on air for 11 years.
Though Danson appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which spanned 15 seasons, he was only on the show for seasons 12–15.
Danson has explained how he ended up on Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing himself and how he didn’t meet Larry David until after the pilot of the HBO comedy was made.
“I met him on a place that we both go to—we both live in Martha’s Vineyard when we’re not in California—and we met through mutual friends. We sat there looking at his pilot up in this attic room that was the only room that had a TV in it.”
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“Please quote me. I think—and I’ll speak for myself, I don’t know if Mary felt this way—I felt a little sorry for him. I thought, ‘You know, it’s a nice idea, but…’ But I said, ‘Well, let’s be supportive and say, ‘Hey, Larry, if you ever need anybody, please call us. We’d love to take part in it in any way, shape, or form.’ And a year later or something, we got a call,” he added.
Curb Your Enthusiasm isn’t the first time that Ted Danson has annoyed a character in a Larry David sitcom. In the fourth season of Seinfeld, Jerry and George pitch a sitcom about “nothing,” to NBC. When George thinks he and Jerry are getting lowballed, Larry exclaims, “It’s insulting. Ted Danson makes eight hundred thousand dollars an episode,” he shouts. “I can’t live knowing that Ted Danson makes that much more than me.”
How Long Did Ted Danson Play Sam Malone
Ted Danson played Sam Malone in Cheers for 11 seasons. While the show lost cast members like Shelley Long, who left to explore other options, or Nicholas Colasanto, who sadly died during the third season, Danson’s Sam appeared throughout the eleven-season run. Danson was filming 25 episodes a year at one point.
Although he was one of Cheers’ most popular characters, the actor admits it took him three seasons to really get into the role. The Los Angeles Times spoke with the cast of Cheers in 1993 ahead of the show’s series finale, where Danson opened up about getting into the role.
“I didn’t have a clue about the arrogance of a relief pitcher. The amount of time I was on the air, you develop a kind of ‘What the hell.’”
“People are judging me, I might as well have fun’ kind-of-attitude when you are highly visible. So I think that kind of gave me the arrogance Sam has. It took me that long to figure that out.”
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He has credited the ensemble cast of talented actors, which included Woody Harrelson, Kelsey Grammer and Kirstie Alley, for the show’s longevity.”It is really quite remarkable that they developed characters and hired actors where you can go to any character in the show to carry it. It is not always true about ensemble acting.”
“I think that is why we are truly great. We are a great ensemble show. And we are funny. Plus, we have been around.
“I think there is an allegiance in any TV viewing world that just the fact that you count on someone being there at a certain time and count on them being funny. I think it makes you feel good.
Will Sam Malone Appear In The Frasier Reboot?
If Ted Danson cameos in the second season of the Frasier reboot, which has yet to be renewed, he’ll have played Sam for over 42 years, surpassing the 24 years he’s played Ted Danson on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In an interview with Deadline, Grammer shared that he is open to Frasier crossing paths again with Sam Malone once more.“If Sam Malone is still alive and has a vital connection of making Frasier move to another place.”
On Cheers, Fraser and Sam started as romantic rivals who both liked Diane. When she left Boston for Los Angeles, the two men became friends. When Sam appeared in season 2 of Fraiser, the Kelsey Grammer character noticed how similar he was to his father, Martin. Perhaps Sam could come back to the show and help Frasier reconnect with his late father.
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Whilst David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves will not return to the comedy as Niles and Daphne, Peri Gilpin appeared once more as Roz and Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith. Grammer has also been vocal about wanting Shelley Long’s Diane to return to the show, 40 years after his character broke up with her.
“When I first got the role, the key to Frasier for me was that he loved her with his whole heart, that he loved with all of his being. And that actually defined who he is.”
Source: NewsFinale
