Ted Danson is a skilled Cheers, Danson continues to shine in one successful series after another.
With that iconic head of hair and idiosyncratic conversational style, Danson knows how to entertain audiences in subtle ways. His diverse acting credits include high-brow comedies, satires, crime procedurals, and dark thrillers. He appears in everything from the absurdist Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! to heady indie films like The One I Love. Here are his 10 best roles according to IMDb.
D.B. Russell In CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000 - 2015) - 7.6
Danson acts in the final four seasons of the token, long-running procedural series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He plays Diebenkorn "D.B." Russell, the new night supervisor with a background in forensic botany.
Russell is portrayed as a smart, yet humorous, investigator tasked with straightening up the Las Vegas crime lab. Raised by hippies, Russell maintains an approachable reputation with his staff. While he follows through with his directives, Russell has a laid-back approach only someone like Danson can pull off.
Sam Malone In Cheers (1982 - 1993) - 7.8
Early in his career, Danson landed the starring role in the popular sitcom Cheers. As Sam Malone, Danson plays a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who opens the eponymous bar in Chicago. The show's events take place in the bar, where Sam is front and center in the action.
Danson provides a compelling, hilarious portrayal of contemporary masculinity with his acting in the series. As a former alcoholic and womanizer, Sam displays both the worst and best qualities of the American male ego. He won both Emmys and Golden Globes during the show's run.
George Christopher In Bored To Death (2009 - 2011) - 7.9
In the unique HBO series Bored to Death, created by writer Jonathan Ames. Danson stars as George Christopher, a suave NYC magazine editor who is a friend and mentor to Jason Schwartzman's character, who Ames names after himself. Alongside Danson and Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis also stars as an aspiring comic book writer named Ray.
After Ames decides to post an ad on Craigslist offering private detective services, the trio finds itself in one misadventure after another. Danson is especially brilliant as a burnt-out socialite who despises the intellectual milieu around him.
iral Perry In The Orville (2017 - ) - 8.0
Danson appears in three episodes of Seth McFarlane's Star Trek and classic space series stars McFarlane as Ed Mercer, an officer on board an exploratory spacecraft in the 25th century.
In Season 2, Danson plays iral Perry, a ranking member of the Planetary Union. The Planetary Union is made up of many planets, including Earth, and they work together to maintain order in the universe. While the first season of The Orville received mixed reviews, the second involves better writing, more concrete character development, and genre-appropriate humor.
Sam Malone In Frasier (1993–2004) - 8.0
Even though Danson appeared in the Cheers spin-off Frasier just once as Sam Malone, his cameo is seen among fans of both series as monumental. Sam visits Frasier, played by Kelsey Grammer, who moved from Boston to Seattle to become a radio psychiatrist. Sam visits Frasier at his radio station, and the two quickly catch up about the fates of other characters from the original series.
Sam meets Frasier's father Martin and brother Niles. During his appearance, Sam opens up about his past as a sex addict. He also struggles with a new romantic relationship, ultimately leaving the woman, Sheila, when he finds out she's cheating on him.
Arthur Frobisher In Damages (2007–2012) - 8.1
In this enthralling female-led legal thriller, Glenn Close and Rose Byrne play a pair of corporate lawyers. Close's character, Patty Hewes, is a legendary NYC lawyer whose firm hires Byrne's character Ellen Parsons, a recent law school graduate. While most of the show revolves around the power struggle that evolves between the two women, each season tackles a different large-scale case.
Danson plays a corrupt billionaire CEO who is charged in a class-action lawsuit against a handful of his former employees in Season 1. As Arthur Frobisher, Danson plays up the smooth and handsome white-collar crook, the kind of guy who lies through his teeth while maintaining a smile on his face.
Michael In The Good Place (2016–2020) - 8.2
The Good Place is a singular sitcom from the brilliant mind of Michael Schur. When Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, is killed in a freak accident, she wakes up in the afterlife, particularly in a upotia-like realm replete with endless frozen yogurt and parties. Danson plays Eleanor's guide, a bow-tie wearing man named Michael.
Michael, as a sort of mayor in Eleanor's neighborhood, isn't who he seems, and Danson gives one of the best performances of his career as a quirky, morally confused scout in the great beyond.
Captain Fred Hamill In Saving Private Ryan (1998) - 8.6
That's right. Danson acts in Steven Spielberg's big-budget WWII epic. The movie follows a group of United States Army Rangers, led by Tom Hanks's character Captain John H. Miller, as they search for a lost paratrooper played by Matt Damon.
Danson co-stars as Captain Fred Hamill, who leads a group of 101st Airborne Pathfinders that crosses paths with Miller and his men. Hamill gives his comrades a place to rest for the night on their journey to track down Ryan.
Himself In Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000 - ) - 8.7
Danson pops up off and on over Curb Your Enthusiasm's 10 seasons as a fictionalized version of himself. Larry finds him smug and is clearly jealous of his friend's popularity in Hollywood. Over the course of the show, Ted breaks up with his wife, played by his real-life wife Mary Steenburgen, and dates Larry's ex-wife Cheryl.
Danson is an amusing antagonist to Larry, and the pair often find themselves at odds. However, Larry often comes out looking much worse.
Hank Larsson In Fargo (2014 - ) - 8.9
In Season 2 of FX's anthology series Fargo, Danson portrays Sheriff Hank Larsson. The season also stars Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemmons, Kieran Culkin, and Patrick Wilson. Larsson is a symbol of the old guard in Minnesota, and he works with Wilson's character Lou Solverson, a State Trooper and his son-in-law, to solve a triple homicide in a local diner.
The homicide is linked to an infamous crime family in Fargo: the Gerhardts. Dunst and Plemmons play a married couple who are implicated after a terrible accident.