“We all have something to share no matter what age we’re at.”
Ted Danson is easily one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood, with a career that spans decades. Maybe you’ve been a fan from the beginning, during his early days as the charming bartender Sam Malone on Cheers, and then discovered his dark side as the conniving afterworld architect on The Good Place. If you’re a true fan, you’ve likely loved watching him play himself recently on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.
While it’s great to be appreciated for your talents, being recognizable has its downsides, especially if you have insecurities, as Danson does — believe it or not. The actor has long struggled with an autoimmune condition known as plaque psoriasis, which causes patches of red skin with stiff, white scaling, and it took a toll on his self-confidence as he was coming up in Hollywood.
To combat the stigma around the condition, the actor has partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb for an initiative to empower those with plaque psoriasis, which affects nearly 6.7 million Americans.
We caught up with Danson about the campaign in a wide-ranging interview, where he also shared his exciting new projects and his perspective on acting as he’s gotten older.
Ted Danson on his skin condition
For much of his career, Danson has struggled with the chronic skin condition. The actor, who was diagnosed with plaque psoriasis at 25, said he spent much of his life trying to hide it. For instance, he avoided swimming and wearing swimsuits out of shame of having the condition. “Your self-confidence gets deflated,” he tells us. “I would make up these silly excuses not to do certain activities because I was embarrassed.”
Over time, his condition worsened and he eventually developed psoriatic arthritis, a complication in which psoriasis begins to affect the joints. He’s found a way to manage the condition through medication and lifestyle changes, including adjusting his diet to include less inflammatory food.
Now Danson has made it his mission to let others with his condition know they’re not alone. He teamed up with pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb for their campaign to spotlight the condition, called “SO, Have You Found It?”
“You don’t have to be alone and feel frustrated and embarrassed,” he says. “Go see a dermatologist or go online, you’ll find some amazing answers that weren’t available when I was 25.”
Danson on getting older in Hollywood
At 76, Danson shows no signs of slowing down. The actor wrapped the final season of the iconic sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and just finished filming the upcoming Netflix comedy series, A Classic Spy.
“I don’t want to disappear just because I’m getting older,” he tells us. “I think we all have something to share no matter what age we’re at.”
While his career remains busy as ever, he admits getting older in the spotlight hasn’t been easy. When he’s not sure what’s next, he turns to his peers for inspiration. One person in particular that he’s looked up to is actress and activist Jane Fonda, who turned 86 in December.
“When I turned 70, I started to look for a nice gentle grassy field to land on and then I met Jane Fonda,” he says. “She just has her foot on the gas pedal — she’s just nonstop acting, advocating, and she’s one of my heroes.”
Danson also leans on his wife, Mary Steenburgen, who shares his passion for acting and has acted alongside him in multiple projects, including Curb. The pair, who’ve been married for 30 years, first met in 1983 when he auditioned to play her husband in the movie Cross Creek, but it wasn’t until their time on the set of the 1994 film Pontiac Moon that their relationship turned romantic.
“We both love being able to talk about acting and share the experience and support each other,” he says. “And at this point in our lives, we just take turns kind of supporting each other and continuing to work.”
Danson on reuniting with his Cheers co-star for a new podcast
Speaking of support, Danson is reuniting with an old friend for his latest project. Danson and former Cheers cast member Woody Harrelson are launching a new podcast called Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (Sometimes), which premieres on June 12 on SiriusXM. Danson emphasizes “sometimes,” citing Harrelson’s “amazing whimsical lifestyle.” (Harrelson doesn’t like cell phones and prefers to live off the grid.)
And of course, they’re going to regale listeners with tales of their time on the beloved sitcom as bar owner Sam Malone and bartender Woody Boyd. Danson admitted the idea was mostly an excuse for the duo to reconnect 30 years after their time on the hit NBC show, but they’ll also talk to different celebrity guests each week, including Laura Dern, Martin Short, and Kristen Bell.
“The basic concept of the show is, ‘How are you, what have you been doing? Let me catch up with you and then I’ll introduce my friends to you that I’ve worked with over the years,’ and [Harrleson] does the same for me,” Danson tells us. “I just love him. He’s such a big bite out of life and I’m never not fascinated by what he is up to.”
Just like with any old friend, Danson said it feels like the pair are picking up where they left off. “When you work together every day, it’s a bond that never goes away.”
