Ted Danson may have built a career as one of Hollywood’s most beloved leading men, but when it comes to romance on screen, he admits it’s not as effortless as it looks.
During a recent appearance on the Today show alongside his wife, actress Mary Steenburgen, the longtime couple opened up about what it’s really like to play romantic roles after more than three decades of marriage.
“Easier for me because I’m not crazy about love scenes with strangers — actors,” Danson confessed with a laugh. When the host joked that it was a “good answer sitting next to your wife,” Danson made it clear he meant every word. “No, but it’s also true. You feel guilty and awkward and it’s wrong,” he said.
While his wife couldn’t resist teasing him — “See, I don’t — I don’t, but anyway,” Steenburgen said, smiling — Danson playfully covered his ears, pretending not to listen. “Is she going to talk about it?” he joked.
Despite the lighthearted banter, Danson said working with Steenburgen actually makes things easier. “But I have total permission, because she knows I love her and we’re husband and wife, to fall madly in love with her on camera,” he shared.
The two star together in Season 2 of A Man on the Inside, and they explained that filming romantic scenes together can still feel surprisingly new. “It’s an interesting challenge because it’s the opposite,” Steenburgen said. “Usually you would go, ‘Hi, nice to meet you,’ then you’re doing some sort of romantic scene with the person you just met. In our case, we had to unlearn everything about each other and see each other for the first time.”
The couple also revealed a sweet ritual they share before filming—a way to stay grounded and connected in their work and their marriage. “Yes, normally you just say ‘break a leg,’ but we both studied … Mary studied with Sandy Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse,” Danson said.
Steenburgen added, “We, just to remind ourselves to really connect, we would say his name right before the take — and it worked.” Danson agreed: “He grounds you.”
Their relationship, built on humor, honesty, and mutual respect, has been a Hollywood rarity. The pair first met in 1983 and married in 1995, blending their families with two children each from previous marriages.
Earlier this year, Steenburgen told People she hadn’t always seen Danson as the family man he is today. “I admired him so much as an actor, but I didn’t personally know him, and I had this stupid idea that he was maybe kind of a slick guy,” she admitted. But once she got to know him, she quickly realized, “how wrong” she was.
She laughed, recalling one of his quirks that made her fall for him even more: “Slick guys don’t say, ‘gosh-a-rooni,’ after making love. I’d like to apologize to my granddaughters.”
After three decades of marriage, Danson and Steenburgen’s love continues to be rooted in friendship, laughter, and authenticity — both on and off screen.