Ted Danson's real-life love story sounds like a rom-com. The actor, who currently stars in Netflix's A Man on the Inside, is in a relationship with fellow A-lister, Mary Steenburgen. Married for 29 years, the pair were introduced in 1983, but it wasn't until 1993 that their friendship became something more.
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen began dating in 1993
According to Ted, 76, it was on a canoe trip with friends in Mendocino, California, that they got together. "It was very magical," he told PEOPLE. "We came back in love, to be honest, or I'll say smitten."
After almost 30 years of marriage, Ted and Mary are happier than ever. "I want as long as possible in my life with Mary," he said in 2021. "I know it will have all of its hard parts but I want to experience love in all those moments."
Their relationship has become "more profound and deeper" with time
Meanwhile, Mary, 71, has noted that their love has become "more profound and deeper" over the years and that she "would literally sign up for 100 more lifetimes with him". Here, we explore their deliriously romantic love story…
Ted and Mary's first meeting
Technically, Ted and Mary first crossed paths in 1983, when he auditioned to play her on-screen husband in Cross Creek.
At the time both actors were already married – Ted had tied the knot with designer Cassandra Coates, while Mary had wed A Clockwork Orange star, Malcolm MacDowell.
It wasn't until a decade later, after their respective divorces, that they would get to know each other.
After reconnecting on the set of Pontiac Moon (1994), the duo became good friends but neither one was looking to date. Their platonic relationship turned romantic after a canoe trip to Mendocino.
A birthday proposal
It didn't take long for Ted to realise he'd found the one. "I was so clear I didn't want to be with anyone else — couldn't imagine not being with her at all times," he told PEOPLE in 2018.
Determined to marry the woman of his dreams, the Cheers star jetted to Houston, where Mary had been filming Powder. He proposed on her 42nd birthday in February 1995.
Marrying in Martha's Vineyard
Ted and Mary said 'I do' on October 7, 1995. They wed at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, with Tom Hanks, Laura Dern, Woody Harrelson and Bill and Hillary Clinton in attendance.
A beautiful blended family
When Ted and Mary got together, they got to know one another’s families.
Ted was already a father to daughters, Kate and Alex, from his second marriage to Casey Coates. Meanwhile, Mary shared a daughter, Lily, and a son, Charlie, with her ex-husband, Malcolm McDowell.
During their wedding in 1995, the couple ensured that all four of their children had a role in the ceremony.
Ted also became friends with Mary’s ex, Malcolm. Speaking to PEOPLE in 2023, Malcolm called his friendship with the couple “fantastic”, explaining that they still get together for family celebrations. “They're a wonderful couple, and Mary's great," he added.
More in love than ever
Mary and Ted are the definition of couple goals, as they continue to travel around the world, support each other on different projects and spend time with their families.
In a new interview with US Weekly, the 76-year-old revealed the secret to his marriage with Mary. "Once you meet her, you'll understand," he said. "She's magnificent and we love each other and we laugh a lot."
"We both get one ingredient in life, which is so important, that if something goes wrong, you look at yourself knowing and trusting the other person is looking at [themselves], which is what allows you to grow," he continued. "If you're with somebody who's not willing to look at themselves, that doesn't work."
