It was the end of an era for a generation of TV fans, but the "Cheers" finale was something of a blur for Ted Danson
The Emmy-winning actor and sitcom icon, who starred as Sam Malone on the workplace comedy, reflected on the end of the series during a recent appearance on his podcast "Where Everybody Knows Your Name."
"People say, 'What was it like? What did you do when 'Cheers' was over?' I said, 'I had [messed] up my life so much that I didn't even realize 'Cheers' was over," Danson, 78, told fellow actor and "New Girl" star Jake Johnson on the July 22 episode.
"Cheers" ran from 1982 to 1993 and followed the social happenings of a group of Boston locals at the eponymous bar, headed by Danson's character Sam. After an 11-season run, the series'
finale reportedly became the most-watched single TV episode of the '90s.
But Danson shared that turmoil in his personal life overshadowed the career milestone.
The actor's marriage to his second wife, producer Cassandra "Casey" Coates, was crumbling around the time of the "Cheers" finale (the couple divorced in 1993). Danson's extramarital affair with actress Whoopi Goldberg, who he costarred with in "Made in America," contributed to the demise of their relationship.
"I wanted to stop being a liar," said Danson, adding that he "barely knew myself" at the time. "I wanted to be emotionally mature. I wanted to change massively, and I went for it."
Danson said his healing journey, which he described as his "postgrad grow-up class," included visiting a mentor in Long Beach, California, who gave him "a whole different kind of therapy, spirituality kind of thing."
The actor went on to marry actress and "Pontiac Moon" costar Mary Steenburgen in 1995. He also became stepfather to Steenburgen's two children, Lilly and Charlie.
Danson opened up about working with his longtime wife on the second season of his Netflix series, "A Man on the Inside," in a November interview with USA TODAY.
"It's so much fun to play falling in love with someone you're madly in love with," Danson said. "You just sink into each other, which is lovely."
Contributing: Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ted Danson shares emotional reason he doesn't remember 'Cheers' finale
