‘If I don't leave now, I may not know if I could do anything else, and I want to see if I can do any other stuff.’”
Casting Chemistry with Shelley Long
Danson also credited his casting success to screen chemistry with co-star Shelley Long, who played Diane Chambers. “Shelley and I kept being paired over and over again.
And I do think a big reason why I got Cheers was cause I was paired with Shelley.
100 percent,” he said.
He noted her performance style was distinct from the start. “Cause she was like a full-blown character out of the game.”
Despite their eventual chemistry, Danson initially doubted her fit for the role.
“I thought she would be the worst choice for this part,” he said, quickly adding, “Cause I'm an idiot.”
Their contrasting acting styles sometimes made it hard to be in the same room.
“Our styles of acting, our styles of being were so different that it was almost sometimes hard for me to be in the same room with her,” Danson said.
Still, they cared for each other deeply, and the dynamic was “f***ing magic.”
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After Cheers, Danson starred in Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Good Place, and Netflix's Man on the Inside.
