Native to San Diego, California, Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III was born on December 29, 1947, to archeologist and museum director Edward Bridge, Jr. and Jessica Danson. The young Danson was raised just outside Flagstaff, Arizona. After graduating high school he went on to attended Stanford University. During his second year at Stanford he became interested in drama, which began his long climb to stardom.

Best known for the his role as Sam “May-day” Malone of the 1980′s hit television sitcom Cheers, Ted Danson‘s career spans thirty years. A list of his awards and achievements include fourteen nominations for the Prime Time Emmy Awards and over his carrier he has won two Emmy trophies.

He has also won three Golden Globe Awards out of ten nominations, along with an American Comedy Award plus a star on the prestigious Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Before all the fame and awards, Ted Danson began his acting career as a contract player on a daytime Soap Opera entitled Somerset. On the show he played the character Tom Conway from 1975 -1976. His most recognizable commercial role was the Aramis man. Also in the 1970s and into the early 1980s  he earned some acting spots on B.J. and the Bear, Family, Benson, Lavern and Shirley, Taxi, Magnum, P.I. and Tucker’s Witch.

It was 1982 when Ted Danson was cast in the role of Sam Malone, a one time professional baseball relief pitcher turned owner of a bar called Cheers. The show was a huge hit and made Danson and the rest of the actors and actresses of Cheers household names. Cheers ran for 11 seasons and the final episode was watched by 80 million viewers. This made the final Cheers episode the second most watched finale in American television history.

After Cheers Danson had success in a new sitcom called Becker. The series ran six years from 1998-2004 on the CBS television network.  With his television notoriety he garnered featured roles in some major films. Perhaps his biggest roles came in the films, Three Men and a Baby along with its follow up, Three Men and a Little Lady. He and Whoopi Goldberg starred in the hit comedy Made in America. He is currently starring alongside Jonathan Ames in the new HBO series Bored to Death, which airs on Sunday nights.

An avid Democrat, Danson is friends with President Clinton and supported Hillary Clinton in her 2008 presidential bid.