Edward Bridge Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor and comedian. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom Cheers, for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. He was further Emmy-nominated for the legal drama Damages (2007–2010) and the NBC dramedy The Good Place (2016–2020). He was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 1999.
Danson made his film debut in 1978 in the crime drama The Onion Field. His breakout film role was as Jack Holden in the films Three Men and a Baby (1987) and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990). He also acted in Body Heat (1981), Creepshow (1982), Dad (1989) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).
Danson's other leading roles on television include the CBS sitcom Becker (1998–2004), CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2011–2015), and CSI: Cyber (2015–2016). In 2015, he starred in the second season of FX's anthology series Fargo. He has played roles in the HBO comedies Bored to Death (2009–2011) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000–2024), and the NBC sitcom Mr. Mayor (2021–2022).
Danson is also known for his longtime activism in ocean conservation. In March 2011, he published his first book, Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them which was written with journalist Michael D'Orso. He has been married to actress Mary Steenburgen since 1995.