‘The Good Place’ Cast May Have Unlocked the Secret to Ted Danson’s Success
When it comes to the cast of The Good Place, each of the six main actors bought incredible talent to the hit NBC comedy. But, though they are all talented, Kristen Bell (Eleanor), D’Arcy Carden (Janet), William Jackson Harper (Chidi), Jameela Jamil (Tahani), and Manny Jacinto (Jason) all seem to be in awe of Ted Danson (Michael). Considered a veteran in the industry, Danson has a resume that would make plenty of actors envious.
Danson is the epitome of what it means to have a career with longevity. Prior to joining the cast of The Good Place, he’d been working in film and television for over 40 years. At 72 years old, Danson shows no signs of stopping anytime soon and has a new role lined up which is set to premiere in 2021. But what is the secret to his success?
‘The Good Place’ cast gushes about working with Ted Danson
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the cast of The Good Place talked about what it’s like to work closely with Danson. They all spoke very highly of the Cheers alum and identified some key qualities that likely contribute to his success. Funnily enough, Danson’s success might have a lot to do with simply being a good person. Naturally, his talent speaks for itself. But, (according to his castmates) Danson is also incredibly giving, supportive, respectful, and just downright fun.
In the interview, Carden gushed about how Danson always made her feel supported in scenes no matter what. In the 7th episode of the first season of The Good Place, Carden had to do Janet’s “best approximation of human crying.” As she was in front of a huge crowd of extras, she felt a bit uncomfortable and self-conscious about the situation. Sensing her discomfort, Danson decided to join Carden for a take to make her feel more at ease.
How the ‘Cheers’ alum supported D’Arcy Carden in Season 1
“We turned to each other one take and grabbed each other’s hands, and did the cry up into the heavens together. It was so refreshing, his way of being like, ‘I got your back. I’m here with you. I’ll go where you go.’ And from that moment on, you forget that he is the legendary Ted Danson. You’re just like, ‘Oh, this is just the best scene partner I could possibly have.’ He’s just down for whatever. He loves to play. So whatever you give him, he will return it. It’s incredible,” Carden gushed about her fellow castmate of The Good Place.
Harper also echoed Carden’s thoughts stating that Danson always helps to create an incredibly welcoming environment that is enjoyable for all. “There’s a reason that people like him continue to work. Because you want to come to work and enjoy it. You want to come to work and like the people that you’re with. And that’s something that, he sets the tone in so many ways. He’s like, ‘I’m Ted fu*king Damson but we’re all going to be fu*king ladies and gentlemen here. And we’re going to treat each other with respect, and we’re going to laugh. We’re going to make jokes, and we’re going to be kind,” The Good Place alum stated about Danson.
Working with Danson is like being in ‘The Good Place’
Clearly, Danson’s fellow castmates had nothing but nice things to say about him. It’s great that he is able to help create such warm environments for his fellow actors. Perhaps that’s what helped The Good Place cast give such compelling performances. We look forward to seeing what other projects Danson gets up to in the future.
