The “humiliating” 1973 role Ted Danson wants to delete from history: “Took 45 takes”
Ted Danson says his first time acting on film was a 1973 commercial he found humiliating, a reminder of the awkward early work many actors take on before finding success. The job involved dressing as a lemon chiffon pie mix and promoting the product on a New Jersey street.
The commercial took 45 takes, with other actors dressed as chocolate and butterscotch. Danson later appeared in the medical dramas *Somerset* and *The Doctors*, before becoming widely known through *Cheers*, which began airing in 1982.
- Danson’s first film job was a pie mix commercial.
- The advert took 45 takes.
- He later found fame on *Cheers*.
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Ted Danson is an American actor whose career began with small parts before he became a familiar face on television. Early adverts and minor roles are common first jobs for performers, though they may look very different from the work that later makes them famous.
After appearing in the medical dramas Somerset and The Doctors, Danson became widely known for playing Sam Malone in the comedy Cheers, which started in 1982. The contrast between those early jobs and a long-running television role helps explain why actors sometimes look back on their first work with embarrassment.