You might know Ted Danson from his memorable performances in shows like ‘Cheers,’ ‘Becker,’ and ‘The Good Place,’ and now this legendary actor is back mesmerizing the audience with a leading role in his new comedy show ‘A Man on the Inside’ on Netflix.
It’s not just Danson’s acting prowess or his affair scandal that has intrigued fans over the years, some are rather invested in the journey with his hair. Back in his ‘Cheers’ days as the charming bartender Sam Malone, his hair stirred up plenty of discussions and even rumors about whether he wore a toupee or a wig. People were so curious, that it became a bit of a thing—and Danson handled it all with his usual humor and honesty.
Ted Danson Never Had Hair Transplants—He’s Worn a Wig Since His Time on ‘Cheers’
When ‘Cheers’ premiered in 1982, Ted Danson was already dealing with a minor bald spot. To keep up Sam Malone’s image as a smooth, charming ladies’ man, he used some brown hair coloring and a crafty combover to hide the thinning area. It worked for a while, but as the show became a hit, tabloids started speculating about him wearing a full wig. Danson was stuck in a funny spot—he couldn’t shut down the wig rumors without spilling the beans about his real, low-key hair touch-ups.
By the late ’80s, Danson’s hair loss was more noticeable, so he started wearing a small hairpiece to keep Sam’s signature look intact. He first gave the toupee a shot while filming the 1989 movie ‘Cousins,’ and later said it gave him a massive confidence boost. Danson admitted that wearing it helped him see himself as a leading man, which changed the way he thought about himself. Around the same time, he started letting go of his self-deprecating habits, a shift that seemed to line up with his rising success in Hollywood.
Danson kept rocking the hairpiece during ‘Cheers,’ blending it right into Sam Malone’s persona. The toupee even turned into a hilarious gag in a standout moment from the show’s final season. In the 1993 episode ‘It’s Lonely on the Top,’ Danson surprised everyone by whipping off the toupee in front of Rhea Perlman. It wasn’t in the script, so Perlman’s shocked reaction was totally real, making the scene even funnier and more relatable. Fans and critics loved the unexpected twist, and it became one of the show’s most unforgettable moments.
Even after the big reveal on-screen, Danson retained the hairpiece for public events, notably the 1990 Primetime Emmy Awards, where he found himself in the headlines by showing off his bald spot for a moment. By the early 2000s, however, he started owning his natural look. In the short-lived 2006 sitcom ‘Help Me Help You,’ he showed up with his gray hair and bald spot for the first time on TV—a pretty big deal for him personally and professionally. He called it freeing and said it was such a relief to no longer need the hair dye and stop pretending he still had a full head of dark hair.
Danson’s choice to embrace his natural look lined up with a bigger trend of aging gracefully. It was a liberating experience not having to deal with the hassle of keeping up his old style. While he sometimes used hairpieces for certain roles, such as ‘CSI,’ he seemed more and more comfortable displaying his natural hair as time went on. Being open about his bald spot and gray hair won him plenty of respect for keeping it real, all while still playing those charming, confident characters we know him for.
Danson’s hair—or lack thereof—has been a big part of his public image. What started as something he was insecure about turned into a symbol of his ability to laugh at himself and roll with the punches. Whether it was poking fun at tabloid rumors, pulling off his toupee for a joke, or sporting his natural gray hair on set, Danson has shown he knows how to adapt while staying true to who he is. These days, his hair journey is all about confidence, charm, and why people still love him—on screen and off.
Reddit Reacts With Shock and Humor About Ted Danson’s Hair
When fans found out Ted Danson wore a hairpiece, it sparked a mix of curiosity and laughs, especially on Reddit. For a lot of viewers, his character Sam Malone from ‘Cheers’ was the ultimate smooth-talking bartender, and his flawless hair was a big part of the vibe. So, the idea that some of that iconic look came from a hairpiece caught some people off guard and gave others a good chuckle.
One person couldn’t believe it and blurted out, “TED DANSON IS BALD? THE TED DANSON FROM THE GOOD PLACE?” Another admitted they couldn’t stop staring at his hair while watching ‘Cheers’: “My wife told me prior to me watching the show for the first time, so I spent the whole time looking at his hair trying to spot it.”
The hairpiece turned into a fun way to talk about vanity and image in Hollywood. Like one commenter said, it was “a gutsy play for Ted and a terrific arc for the character,” talking about that classic ‘Cheers’ episode where Sam Malone jokes about his hairpiece. Turns out, Ted Danson partly improvised the moment! And apparently, Rhea Perlman’s real shock when he pulled off the toupee made for a rare unscripted TV reaction, which just made the scene even more authentic and hilarious.
Some people weren’t that surprised, chalking it up to the 80s vibe. “Pretty sure that’s just 80s hair,” one person joked, while someone else added, “Watch 1980s TV—great shows but terribly big/ugly hair.” The debates even turned into theories about Ted Danson’s hair today, with people wondering if he’s had transplants or is still wearing a hairpiece. It’s clearly the latter, but the conversation just kept going!
What’s interesting is how something as trivial as hair turned into a symbol of both vulnerability and humor. Like one fan put it, “We love ya Sammy!” Ted Danson’s ability to mix the line between himself and his character just made fans love him even more—toupee or not.
