Ted Danson’s illustrious career remains golden.
Ahead of the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony, Danson received the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Gala on Jan. 3 to commemorate his work in television throughout his career, which spans over four decades.
Dressed to the nines, the Cheers star, 77, accepted the award, which was presented by his wife Mary Steenburgen, and began his acceptance speech by thanking her for her kind words and the “last 32 years” of laughs and memories they’ve made together.
“I have to admit, I’ve always had a confusing relationship with awards. If I win, I feel a little embarrassed and lonely. If I don’t win, I feel a little embarrassed and lonely. And I finally realized what it was,” he explained, sharing a story about a moment at a family reunion where his loved ones were interviewed about his success.
When it was time for his mother Jessica to speak, Danson recalled how she “thought for a moment,” then said, “Well, I’m happy for him, of course. But I’ve always believed in the nobility of quiet failure.”
“It’s astonishing thing to say,” he said of the moment, before joking, “No wonder I’m confused. I’m not tonight, I am so thrilled to get this award.”
Danson then thanked his crew, which included his hair and makeup team, as well his managers, agents and other representatives he’s worked with throughout his career.
“But I wouldn’t be standing here if we weren’t asked to work with starting with the creators of Cheers,” the actor continued and expressed his gratitude to the series’ co-creators Les and Glen Charles. “Literally everything I have in life acting-wise comes from you all. I cannot thank you enough.”
“For 11 years on, I got to go to work every day and giggle with my friends, Shelly Long, Kirsti, Rita Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammar and Woody Harrelson,” he added. “And they are also the reason why I’m standing here.”
Danson went on to share his favorite anecdotes about his costars. He smiled before sharing how Harrelson was “unbeatable in everything” and recalled how the actor once played hooky and went to Berlin to see the wall fall.
“As Sam Malone said, ‘I truly am the luckiest son of a bitch,'” Danson said before concluding, “And Carol [Burnett], what’s wonderful about this award is that every year we’ll gather together to celebrate laughter and joy. We’ll celebrate you, Carol, and we’ll celebrate all the funny men, women that came before us. Thank you, Carol.”
Danson was announced as this year’s award recipient on Dec. 2, 2024, with Helen Hoehne, the President of the Golden Globes, recognizing the “tremendous impact he has made and continues to make in television.”
“Ted Danson has entertained audiences for decades with his iconic performances that will forever be ingrained in television history,” Hoehne said in a statement. “His renowned career is a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility as an actor and bears resemblance to the award’s legendary namesake.”
The award was first created in 2019 with Burnett being the inaugural recipient and is meant to pay tribute to a figure who has “made outstanding contributions to television on or off screen,” per the press release.
Danson received his first-ever Golden Globe nomination in 1984 for his role as Sam Malone in the hit sitcom Cheers. The beloved series earned him eight more nominations over the next few years, two of which he won in 1990 and 1991.
He also scored best actor in a limited series, anthology or motion picture made for television in 1985 for Something About Amelia.
His career never slowed down, with Danson going on to star in shows like Ink, Fargo, Damages, The Good Place and Mr. Mayor. His roles in Damages and The Good Place ultimately earned him more accolades, with a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor in Damages in 2007 and several Emmy nominations between 2008 and 2020 for both shows.
2024 marked a major year for Danson, including the premiere of Netflix’s A Man on the Inside and the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which he made more than 30 appearances since its premiere in 2000.
For his role as Charles in the Netflix series, Danson was nominated for best performance by a male actor in a television series — musical or comedy.
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