Making This Long-Running Network Procedural Was Way Harder Than Any Comedy Ted Danson's Ever Done

With over 100 credits on his resume, Ted Danson has already created an illustrious career for himself. Danson has won 2 Emmys (for Cheers) and has stacked up an astounding 18 nominations since he made a home for himself on the small screen in the 1980s. He started out as heartthrob Sam Malone on Cheers but has since starred in a wide variety of projects, from Becker and Damages to Fargo and Curb Your Enthusiasm. And Danson shows no signs of slowing down, with some of the best reviews of his career attached to his roles in The Good Place and A Man on the Inside. With this many successful acting roles, you would think that Danson would feel confident taking on any part. However, Danson recently admitted that one of his past roles was actually extremely challenging for him.

‘CSI’ Was Ted Danson’s Most Challenging Acting Role

Danson recently sat down with actor Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live) for an episode of his podcast, Where Everybody Knows Your Name. He asked Bayer if she’d ever be interested in taking on any dramatic roles, and she acknowledged that there might be some limits to what she would want to tackle. Danson then admitted that CSI was actually the “hardest thing” he did in his career. This is certainly surprising information since Danson played CSI D.B. Russell for five seasons of the hit CBS procedural drama from 2011 to 2015. He even reprised his role in CSI: Cyber (for another two seasons from 2015 to 2016), which means that Danson played this part for over 100 episodes of television. So, why didn’t he love the gig?

Danson noted that while he loved the writers and the other actors involved with CSI (and the paycheck that went with the role), the acting “was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, because there’s no room for humor. And if you take any possibility of humor away, I’m dead meat. I’m horrible. I’m not good.” While some fans of the series might disagree with Danson’s assessment of his own skills, it makes sense that the role would feel like a pretty big departure for the normally comedic actor. With CSI, Danson wasn’t really allowed to improvise or insert any humor at all, because “that would make people laugh and forget the information about the mystery that the audience wanted to have.”

The 10 Best ‘CSI’ Characters, Ranked

“Truth is, a moral compass can only point you in the right direction; it can’t make you go there.”

‘CSI’ Should Have Brought in Some of Ted Danson’s Humor

Although it makes sense that there was a more somber tone to the series (they are solving murders after all), there might have been a way for Danson to bring some of his own inherent sense of humor into the role. Over on CSI: Miami, David Caruso used to make puns that would end up lightening the mood a bit. In the end, it was the sole focus on death and crime that did Danson in. He said, “If I had to say ‘vaginal tear’ or ‘blood splatter’ again, I would just shoot myself. It was just a hard form [of television] for me, I’m not good at it.” Perhaps if the writers had allowed for a little more humor in some of his scenes, Danson would have felt more at ease in the CSI world. There are a few procedurals (such as The Rookie) that have discovered a way to create some levity while still tackling heavy topics. With Danson’s skill level, a more well-rounded character (with a touch of humor) could have created an intriguing entry into the CSI franchise.

Since Danson wrapped up his role in the CSI world, he’s gone back to starring in projects where he feels most at home. Getting laughs might be a more comfortable arena than brutal crime scene investigations for the actor. Danson has proven that these types of roles, such as his portrayal of Michael in The Good Place, are the right avenue for his career. Although he’s definitely shown that he can impress in a dramatic role, comedies are clearly where he belongs. And now, as Charles in A Man on the Inside, Danson has been able to combine his sense of humor with his crime-solving skills in a part that was tailor-made for him. As long as he can steer clear of blood spatter, he’ll be a happy camper.

All seasons of CSI are available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu