Born:
December 29, 1947
in
San Diego, California
Best Known For:
Playing Sam Malone in Cheers.
Early-life:
Born Edward Bridge Danson III on December 29, 1947, in San Diego, California. As a youngster he was a local basketball star, but became interested in drama while attending Stanford University. Danson later transferred to the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, and not long after graduating was cast as an understudy in Tom Stoppard's stage production of The Real Inspector Hound. Deciding it was the career for him, Danson moved to LA to train at the Actors' Institute.
Career:
After numerous small TV and film roles, including parts in acclaimed dramas The Onion Field and Body Heat, Danson's big break came in 1982 when he was cast as retired baseball player and barkeeper Sam Malone in US sitcom Cheers. The show ran for more than a decade, and during that time, Danson received nine Emmy nominations, winning twice, and two Golden Globes. He went on to star in the successful sitcom Becker, which ran for six years. He's also starred in a number of films, including Three Men and a Baby and its sequel, Made in America, Saving Private Ryan and a highly acclaimed adaptation of Gulliver's Travels. More recent TV work includes roles in Damages, Bored to Death, and CSI.
Quote:
"I am the king of the faux pas. I call everybody by their wrong name, and I congratulate women who are not pregnant."
Trivia:
Danson enjoys tap dancing.