In a recent episode of his podcast, Ted Danson revealed that he had been placed on an NBC blacklist before landing his role in “Cheers”.
The actor became known around the world for starring in the iconic NBC sitcom as Sam Malone, a bar owner and former baseball player; Danson appeared in all 275 episodes across 11 seasons, aired between 1982 and 1993.
During a conversation with his co-host Woody Harrelson and guest Harrison Ford on the show “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”, Danson revealed that he was initially placed on a network blacklist of actors who should not take part in the series.
“I was blacklisted from NBC for the show Cheers. I mean, a memo to everyone: ‘Do not hire him,'” he said on the podcast.
When asked by Ford whether he knew why he was on that list, the 78-year-old actor said he believed he had irritated a network executive.
“I had done a pilot with his favorite ingénue actress, who was supposed to play my daughter, and when we were cast, it made sense,” Danson explained.
“But then she grew up and became a young woman, and we were supposed to be father-and-daughter detectives in San Francisco, and it simply didn’t work because of the aging process, and it was awful,” he explained.
According to Danson, the executive ended up blaming him for the failure of the pilot and therefore sent a memo stating that the actor should not be hired.
Even so, Danson was ultimately cast in the role, and the series, created by James Burrows, Glen Charles and Les Charles, became a landmark in television history.
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