When Danson and Mary Steenburgen met, they were both in relationships and decided to remain friends for a long time.
Everything changed between them years later during a canoe trip and a special picnic.
Today, they live happily with children from several marriages and enjoy their grandchildren on a beautiful ranch where the entire family gathers often.
Most people got to know actor Ted Danson from the sitcom “Cheers,” which aired for 11 years and earned him two Emmy Awards. He also won a couple of Golden Globes and became a familiar face on American television.
Newer generations might recognize him best from his appearance in “The Good Place,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Still, Danson’s film and television credits span decades and all kinds of varied projects.
However, Danson started his career right out of college in an Off-Broadway production called “The Real Inspector Hound.” Eventually, he moved to L.A. and studied at the Actor’s Institute, where he would later give classes.
His other major roles include “Something about Amelia,” “The Women’s Room,” and his television debut “When the Bough Breaks.” You might also remember him from “Dad,” “Made in America,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Three Men and a Little Lady,” etc.
His roles in “Cross Creek” and later “Pontiac Moon” marked him differently, as they set the stage for the rest of his life, as he met the person who would not only become his life partner. She became his colleague and the love of his life.
His Previous Relationships and Meeting Mary Steenburgen
Danson dated several women before finding true love. His first marriage was to Randall Gosh in 1970. They met in college and were married before their respective graduations. However, their careers took off, and they split in 1975.
The actor married his second wife, Cassandra Coates, in 1977, and they had their first daughter, Kate, two years later. Sometime later, they adopted another daughter, Alexis. However, complications from her only labor left Coates paralyzed.
That put a strain on their relationship. Danson famously dated actress Whoopi Goldberg while still married to Coates after meeting on the set of “Made in America” in 1992. The media discovered their affair, and Coates filed for divorce, which was finalized in 1993.
Unfortunately, the divorce was complicated and expensive for Ted Danson, and his dalliance with Goldberg ended in 1993 as well. Luckily, the actor was by then free to reconnect with someone special.
He had met Mary Steenburgen on the auditions for “Cross Creek” in 1983, but he was married to Coates then. Danson has expressed that it was a challenging time in his life. Furthermore, Steenburgen was also in a relationship. It was not the right time.
Luckily, Danson was not cast to play Steenburgen’s husband in the project, and in hindsight, they both think it was better that way. But in 1993, they reconnected on the set of “Pontiac Moon,” although neither was looking for a relationship at the time.
Steenburgen had just divorced Malcolm McDowell, with whom she had two children, Charles and Lily Amanda. Danson didn’t think he was “relationship material” at the time, and the actress was not ready for anything more than a friendship.
However, the universe had other plans, and everything changed for them when Danson and his friends organized a unique trip. Suddenly, romance was in the air, and they couldn’t deny their feelings any longer.
Their Relationship Turned Romantic
Danson invited Mary Steenburgen on a canoe trip to Mendocino, California, with his friends. They had a picnic, and the actor called it “magical” and said that they came back in love.
Meanwhile, the actress revealed that they had lived since they were 40 and 45 already. They met at a difficult time when they were still staring “down some demons,” but ultimately, it was fortunate that they reconnected then.
Their relationship stayed steady from then on, and Danson proposed on February 8, 1995. He went to Houston, where she was working on “Powder,” to see Steenburgen for her birthday and popped the question as he knew she was the one for him.
They married on October 7, 1995, in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Their guest list included then-president Bill Clinton and the first lady, who were good friends with Steenburgen.
The actor’s daughter, Kate, and Steenburgen’s girl, Lily, were bridesmaids for the ceremony, while Alexis was a flower girl. The actress’ son carried the rings down the aisle.
Their Happy Marriage Today
After they married, Danson and Steenburgen starred in another project, “Gulliver’s Travels.” Their careers continued as they settled into a peaceful married life. You might remember them from “It Must Be Love” in 2004, where they played a couple who wanted to separate but got back together.
In 2009, the whole family gathered to celebrate Steenburgen’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their four children from different marriages joined them. In 2013, the actress opened up about her life with the actor and how she also stopped dating altogether.
The actress opened up about being cynical about love since her divorce and thought their relationship would only remain a mere crush. She said:
“He’s definitely heaven-sent.”
Unfortunately, there were rumors about a possible divorce in 2017, but it was all because of their characters in “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” They played an exaggerated version of themselves, and the show’s couple was splitting up.