Ted Danson says wife Mary Steenburgen banned him from wearing Speedos

Ted Danson shares one of the compromises he had to make for his wife.

In a recent episode of his podcast, “Where Everyone Knows Your Name,” the topic of Speedos came up on the show starring Adam Scott. Scott said he was “embarrassed” to be seen in his Speedo as a junior in high school, leading Danson to share that he was “proud of my Speedos.”

The 78-year-old actor shared that he “spent about 10 years” wearing Speedos before he met his wife, actress Mary Steenburgen.

“When I wore them for the first time when we were together and my kids were on vacation, all the kids finally came together,” she said. “And Mary looked at me and said, ‘No.’ And my daughters said, ‘Oh, thank you.’ Thank you so much for saying no to her Speedo.”

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Eventually, the “Cheers” star was able to admit that banning him from wearing Speedos “was the right move,” and Scott praised Steenburgen’s wisdom.

Danson and Steenburgen first met on the set of the movie “Pontiac Moon” in 1993 and quickly became one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples. They married in a ceremony on Martha’s Vineyard in October 1995.

While speaking with actor Don Cheadle during an episode of his podcast in March, Danson shared that Steenburgen helped him discover that while “where he’s about is wanting to be compassionate and loving and kind,” he can be a “b—” sometimes.

“He said, ‘You’re as cruel as a junkyard dog,’ and it was the first time I heard that sentence. And I thought it was so stupid to say that about me,” she said. “Luckily, through my relationship with Mary, I grew and developed and realized, ‘Oh yeah, I have this,’ which is a wonderful thing to know you both are.”

Danson shared that Steenburgen once described him as “rough as a junkyard dog.” (John Shearer/WireImage)

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The pair have worked together many times over the years; She most recently appeared in the second season of the hit Netflix series “Man on the Inside,” where Steenburgen joined the series as the love interest of Danson’s character.

During an episode of his podcast in June 2025, Danson shared what it was like to have his wife on set with guest Brett Goldstein, stating that he felt “part of my job is to host my wife” when joining her on his show.

“If he’s not having a great time, I’m an a-hole,” he said. “And that’s my responsibility.”

The experience turned out to be positive for both; Danson shared that they fell in love all over again while filming their scenes.

“Oh, it’s truly magical. We fall in love. The story unfolds, but I fell head over heels in love with her, and I sat there on camera looking into your wife’s eyes… And in private we’re sickeningly in love, and getting lost in her eyes on camera is pretty amazing,” Danson said.

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Danson said it was easier to work with her husband because he felt “guilty” when filming intimate scenes with other actors. (Michael Buckner/GG2025/Penske Media/Getty Images)

He later talked about what it was like to work with his wife during an interview on the “Today” show, admitting that being married made it easier for him to film more intimate scenes.

“It’s easier for me because I’m not crazy about love scenes with strangers, with actors,” Danson said. After the host said “sitting next to your wife is a good answer”, he added: “No, but it’s also true. You feel guilty and weird and that’s wrong.”

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