Ted Danson has opened up about being “humbled” by his own mortality after facing a health scare recently. The 78-year-old, best known for his roles in Cheers and A Man on the Inside, spoke about his experience on the latest episode of his podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, explaining that it became the “best thing that could have happened.”
Speaking to guest Valerie Bertinelli, he revealed how the cryptic illness changed his life with wife Mary Steenburgen. He said: “The last thing that hit me that was very liberating was I had a bit of a health scare. I'm totally fine, but it was like, ‘Oh, well, that's real.’ And it was humbling in an, ‘Oh, mortality is the real deal. It's not just a rumor. Ted Danson doesn't get a free pass. Love his work, but…’ And I hadn't f***ed up in some way.”
He added: “It was very humbling and calming. I’m fine. It was, I think, the best thing that could have happened to me. I’m doing some things differently. I am meditating now twice a day with Mary. I've always talked about it and lied about it,” he laughed.
Ted did not shed light on what his health scare was, but added: “What it's done for me… The biggest gift of all [is] you can be curious about other people. You can listen and you can be supportive, caring. You can witness them, and I do believe that that's the rest of my life, is to be curious and listen. That's the best thing I can offer. It doesn’t mean that you’ve done all the work, it just means you have experienced allowing so much pain to get to the joy and all that.”
Ted has been a staple of Hollywood for decades, thanks to roles in The Good Place, Three Men and a Baby, Fargo, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and many more. He most recently delighted viewers in the second season of Netflix comedy A Man on the Inside, where he starred as Charles Nieuwendyk opposite wife Mary, whom he married in 1995.
It was announced that he would be reprising his role as the beloved bumbling detective for a third season, telling Tudum: “I’m so excited to see where Charles Nieuwendyk goes next. I’ve been blessed to work with Mike Schur for most of the last decade, and I’m still amazed by what he does. I’m incredibly thankful to him for creating this character and trusting me with him. The cast and crew make it very hard to call this ‘work.’ Huge thanks to Netflix for believing in the show, and letting us keep this ride going.”
