Ted Danson says personal struggles overshadowed end of "Cheers"

Ted Danson has revealed that personal difficulties prevented him from fully appreciating the end of Cheers in 1993.

Speaking on his podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name, the 78-year-old said he had "f--ked up my life so much" that he "didn't even realize Cheers was over" when the long-running sitcom ended after 11 seasons.

Danson said he "barely knew" himself during the show's final year and sought guidance from a mentor, describing the experience as a blend of therapy and spirituality. He said he wanted "to stop being a liar", become emotionally mature and change his life.

He shared similar reflections in a previous podcast episode with actor Charlie Day, saying the turmoil in his personal life made the transition away from Cheers easier because he was focused on dealing with himself rather than the show's conclusion.

Danson played bartender Sam Malone in all 273 episodes of Cheers from 1982 to 1993. He chose to leave the series to pursue new acting opportunities, and producers decided not to continue the show without him.

Since then, Danson has starred in Becker, Curb Your Enthusiasm, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and The Good Place. He currently appears in the Netflix series A Man on the Inside, playing a retired professor who goes undercover in a retirement home.