A marriage that has lasted over a quarter of a century is quite something in Hollywood. A couple
that manages to stay completely head over heels in love with one another after all that time,
is slowly becoming a thing, but still not something you see every day! However,
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen manage to boast both of those things! This couple’s fun-loving,
self-deprecating humor has kept their relationship as strong today as it was when they met nearly
THREE decades ago. It may have taken them a while to find each other, but when they did,
they knew this was going to be their forever. The duo first met in 1983 when they auditioned
for the film Cross Creek. Ted didn’t get the role and he is grateful for it to this day.
The actor is happy they weren’t cast together at the time because he doesn’t think they would have
been a couple today if that was the case. “I was a hot mess back then,” he said. Mary also says
that she’s relieved they didn’t act together back then. "I was married. He was married.
That was not our moment,” she said. The time had eventually come. In 1993,
the then 46-year-old actor and 40-year-old actress began filming a movie called Pontiac Moon
where they played husband and wife. Both of them had sworn off love by that point.
Mary had even announced to her friends that she was done with relationships!
The Good Place actor had been married in the 70s to actress Randy Danson . They divorced because
their careers had just taken off and they were simply going in different directions.
Two years after that, he married producer Cassandra Coates,
and the pair welcomed a daughter together. During the birth of their child,
Coates suffered a stroke and became paralyzed on one side of her body. Danson spent years
caring for her and they adopted another daughter during the time of the producer’s rehabilitation.
But him caring for his wife and his career rising up thanks to his lead role in Cheers
caused a great strain on their marriage. The rift between them opened the door for trouble
and soon Danson formed a romantic relationship with Whoopi Goldberg while filming the movie
Made in America. The news of the affair got back to Casey and she filed for divorce.
This led to what is considered to be one of the costliest divorces of that time due to no prenup.
Ted had to cough up $30 million to his ex-wife! At the time, the actor thought it may have
been worth it because he and Whoopi considered marriage. But because of how their relationship
started, his family objected, and the two ultimately ended things.
While the CSI actor was going through a crime scene of his own, Mary was also dealing with
a divorce. She was married to English actor, Malcolm McDowell from 1980 to 1990. The couple
had two children together, but, unfortunately, they couldn’t make their marriage work.
It was as simple as throwing in the towel for them. Malcolm opened up about their
split by saying, "I think two actors being together is extremely difficult.
They're both basically babies." Surprisingly, during the tough times
in her marriage and divorce, Mary watched her future husband on TV.
“I always thought Ted was brilliant. When I was going through sad times,
I’d watch Cheers at the end of the day to make me feel better.”
But when they did Pontiac Moon together, Mary admitted she had some preconceived
notions about Ted. She believed he was like his character on the show who was superficial, slick,
and a playboy. It didn’t help that the actor had also grown his hair out for a role at the time.
She said of her first impression, “This is the most ridiculous creature I’ve ever met in my
entire life,” while Danson quickly jumped in and said, “And she was mine from that moment on.”
Neither was looking for a relationship at the time, both felt that they weren’t ready. "I was a
mess-and-a-half. I thought I'm incapable of being in a relationship. But I was working on myself.
Ironic how life works in those moments. Once you throw your arms up and surrender,
a lot of times things come your way,” he said. Although they were desperately trying to avoid
catching feelings, they kept working together and became better friends with each day that passed.
Danson and Steenburgen were each other’s emotional support during a time when they both
desperately needed it. “We met when we were 40 and 45, and we had lived a bit. We had
stared down some demons within ourselves and that was lucky that we met then.”
Despite their best efforts, Mary and Ted fell in love while filming a canoe scene over the course
of five hours. "We paddled in sync. We went out as friends and by the time we came back, we were in
love.” Two years later, they tied the knot. And their honeymoon period never really went away.
Their wedding was what you would expect from a couple of A-listers, but it also created their
blended family and Steenburgen dotes on her husband’s fatherly instinct to this day. “He is
an amazing father, an amazing stepfather, and an amazing grandfather. We have two granddaughters,
and they basically see him as a jungle gym. They just adore him. He is Teddy — that is
their name for him.” How precious is that? Even though they are a busy couple, they still
manage to make time for one another. “I shoot The Last Man on Earth from August to February, and Ted
shoots The Good Place from February to August, so there’s never a time when we’re both free.
We help each other learn lines every night,” she said. That sounds like a lovely hectic household!
Their demanding schedules don’t always match up, but they support one another in every way
possible. “He is just kind to me every single day. If he has an early call, I try to get up
while it’s still dark and make him coffee and send him off. He does the same for me. I think
it’s those little kindnesses that completely make up our life that is so appreciated,” she said.
Their bond is so strong that it's even inspired people around them, including
Ted’s co-star from The Good Place, Kristen Bell "It's intimidating spending time with them because
of how connected they are. It’s beautiful how they obsess over each other,” the actress said.
Ted even admitted that he still gets nervous around her and wants to impress her. The actor
thinks he is the luckiest man on earth to have Mary as his wife. When he was asked to spill
the secret to their happiness, Ted had only one explanation. "I'm married to Mary Steenburgen,”
he said. "She's a remarkable human being, so I'm just incredibly blessed. It feels like heaven on
Earth. If I were to die, I can say, I know what it's like to be loved and to love. I want as long
as possible in my life with Mary,” he said. Come on, Ted, give the rest of us a chance!
Mary gushes about her husband in a similar way. “I’m in love. I kind of honestly feel
like when I was a little girl, all that stuff I put out in the universe about who I wanted,
I somehow manifested that. I would literally sign up for 100 more lifetimes with him,” she said.
On their 25th anniversary, Steenburgen perfectly captured their love in an Instagram post. She
thanked her husband for making her laugh every single day for the 9 125 days they
have been together. She even called him a dreamboat. Well, she isn’t wrong!
They are still a normal married couple, obviously, and do have disagreements.
Mary has a self-admitted jealous streak. "People think they know Ted from watching TV,
so literally a woman has one drink, and she comes up and just wants to sit on his lap!
I want to punch their lights out,” she said. Well, now we know not to get on her bad side!
The couple, who have self-quarantined amid the pandemic, had been alone together except for the
day they went for a PEOPLE magazine photoshoot. They hadn’t seen a single person other than each
for nine months! She joked saying that even after the quarantine they’ve decided to stay together.
Danson jumped in saying, "Every morning we get to choose. It's a rule."
Steenburgen also started writing music, and Danson is proud to be a fan. After The Good
Place wrapped, the actor was more than happy to follow his wife wherever she went on tour.
It’s the simple things like spending quality time together and the little things in life that this
couple truly appreciates. Ted loves the way Mary laughs and smiles. He loves her willingness to
say yes to leap off the tall buildings of life. The actor also adores her sense of fairness,
but also finds his wife incredibly sexy! Mary also praises her husband, seeing just
how lucky they are. At the core of their life is an undeniable connection, according to the
actor. “It’s just so rare that you meet somebody that you’re endlessly fascinated by, and I’m
endlessly fascinated by him. There's no hollow in my heart where I don't love him, or where I
doubt this love.” Are you crying? Because we are! Through the blessings and the hurdles, Mary and
Ted have been each other’s partners. And after 27 years together, they are still utterly in love.
They make each other laugh and admire each other. Danson even said, "If I could be a woman, I'd want
to be her." Let us know what your favorite part of this couple’s relationship is in the comments
below. Don’t forget to like and subscribe so you don’t miss the latest Hollywood love stories!