Although Ted Danson is still best known for best episodes of Cheers proved the pair were irreplaceable, but this doesn’t mean the series fulfilled their entire potential.

As the world-weary, cynical barman Sam, Danson was often called upon to play the straight man to the ing cast’s line-up of funny guys. This gave characters like Woody Boyd and Frasier room to become sitcom icons, but it also inevitably limited Danson’s own comedic potential. For all of Cheers’ great guest stars, some of the show’s strongest moments came from Danson’s protagonist cutting loose and showing off his stranger side. Similarly, Danson’s role in the Three Men and A Baby franchise highlighted how funny he was in goofier roles, as did a major hit later in his career.

Ted Danson's Role In The Good Place Shows His Acting Range Way More Than Cheers Did

Cheers Didn’t Showcase Danson’s Range The Way The Good Place Did

Danson’s role as Micheal in The Good Place proves that he was wasted in Cheers despite how popular the series was throughout its original run. As Michael, the campy architect who designed the titular Good Place, Danson played a more offbeat, playful character than Sam Malone and nailed the role. When The Good Place season 1’s iconic twist revealed the real origins of the titular setting, a new side of Danson’s character was revealed and the extent of the actor’s range became even more obvious. As the metaphysical sitcom continued, Danson made the character more complex and comical.

It was Michael that proved Danson’s range was broader than viewers might have reasonably assumed.

However, he never lost touch with the initial quirkiness and absurdity that made Michael so funny and, crucially, so utterly unlike the character that made Danson a household name. Danson’s subsequent roles in NBC’s Mr Mayor and Netflix’s A Man on the Inside tapped into some similarly goofy instincts, but it was Michael that proved Danson’s range was broader than viewers might have reasonably assumed. The Good Place gradually made Michael a more complicated figure, with the architect going from a ing mentor role to a villainous one and back. This helped earn The Good Place its impressive 97% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating.

Cheers' Sam Malone Is Iconic, But Ted Danson's Recent Work Is Some Of His Best Ever

The Good Place Proves Ted Danson Had Untapped Potential After Cheers

Although Cheers saw Danson emerge as a great everyman actor, the star's most recent work proves that this role left a lot of his potential untapped. Danson is now as well known among one generation of viewers for his role as The Good Place’s comical Michael as he once was for the role of Cheers’ straight-talking barman. This has not just paved the way for more roles than explore the actor’s campier side but has also allowed the star to prove he is more than merely Sam Malone. Years after Cheers, Danson has proven himself a versatile comedic actor.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes