Ted Danson says he and ‘Cheers’ costars pranked Woody Harrelson often

If you can’t beat ‘em, prank ‘em! 

Ted Danson revealed on a recent episode of the Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast that he and his Cheers costars all resorted to pulling pranks on Woody Harrelson after they begrudgingly discovered that their new young costar was good at everything. 

“That was my relationship with Woody for a long time,” Danson explained. “Trying to outdo him at anything and failing miserably.” 

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Harrelson was only 24 years old when he joined the cast of Cheers during its fourth season, stepping in as bubbly new bartender Woody Boyd following the death of Coach actor Nicholas Colasanto. In addition to his onscreen performance, Harrelson also brought a bright, youthful energy to set that really resonated with his older costars.

“He introduced a challenge and a way of life that was just… great for the show,” series creator and director James Burrows said.

Danson agreed that Harrelson’s competitive spirit contributed to a major shift on set. “All the guys were turning 37 and you were like, 24 or 25,” he told Harrelson. “And 37 is when you realize you’re no longer 25, as a man, so we were just… First off, we wanted to beat him, [but] it became blatantly clear we couldn’t beat him at anything — basketball, arm wrestling, whatever, chess.”

So, naturally, they pivoted to pranks. “If you had a good practical joke and then George [Wendt] and John [Ratzenberger] and Kelsey [Grammer] are sitting there you’d go, ‘Oh, no. I have to wait for Woody. I have to try and f— Woody up,’” Danson recalled. “It was that kind of energy you brought to the bar. You really did.” 

On his end, Harrelson described his time on Cheers as the “most idyllic” and “amazing” experience. “I can’t imagine a better experience for an actor, period,” he said. “It was great, Jimmy, and you’re just the greatest leader, papa, to all of us.” 

Danson added, “We were blessed.” 

After joining in season 4, Harrelson stuck with the series until it finally came to a close after 11 seasons. Danson, who played former-baseball-player-turned-bar-owner Sam Malone, starred on the show through the entirety of its run from 1982 until 1993.

Watch Danson, Burrows, and Harrelson reflect on the series in the video above.