Ted Danson’s fictional divorce on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” had people questioning his actual marriage to Mary Steenburgen.
“I almost didn’t forgive Larry for that,” Danson says in Blake J. Harris’ new biography, “Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David.” In an excerpt published by Entertainment Weekly, he admits he remains unsure whether he has entirely forgiven the show’s creator.
Danson and Steenburgen married in 1995, more than two decades before their television counterparts separated. They first met in 1983 and later reconnected while making “Pontiac Moon,” which opened in 1994.
The authorized biography was released in the United States on October 20. According to HarperCollins, Harris had more than five years of access to David and interviewed his relatives, friends and colleagues.
The Writers Wanted Cheryl to Date Someone Larry Couldn’t Stand
The idea took shape during preparations for the show’s ninth season. Larry’s character had already split from Cheryl, played by Cheryl Hines, and the writers wanted her next relationship to make him uncomfortable.
Executive producer Jeff Schaffer recalled that someone Larry knew would bother him more than a stranger. Ted was an obvious choice: the two characters were supposedly friends, but their encounters often turned into competitions or arguments.
Steenburgen’s earlier appearances created a complication. She was already established as Ted’s wife within the series, so pairing him with Cheryl required the writers to end that marriage first. Danson understood why the writers wanted that relationship.
Friends Who Had Just Seen the Couple Still Asked About a Split
In the biography, Danson remembers friends who had eaten dinner with him and Steenburgen only a month earlier asking whether their marriage was all right.
Reporters contacted him, too. He felt obliged to respond with good humor, although privately he was angry about having to explain his marriage.
Steenburgen answered the questions with sarcasm. “Yeah! Right! We got divorced and decided to announce it on a sitcom!” she recalled saying.
Danson also discussed the experience during a November 2024 appearance on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” TheWrap reported that the couple had publicly clarified in 2017 that they remained together and the separation belonged to the show.
A Fictional Mother Had Already Confused Viewers
Steenburgen had seen a smaller version of the problem during the first season. In a scene at Barneys, she went shopping with an actress playing her mother.
Her actual mother in Arkansas was upset when people began asking why she had not played the role herself. Danson cited that reaction as a reason he expected the divorce storyline to cause problems.
Danson Credits David With Reviving His Love of Comedy
During the October 14 episode of “Where Everybody Knows Your Name,” Jeff Garlin joined Danson to revisit their years on the HBO series. The Team Coco conversation included another discovery: Danson had not initially realized that Larry’s character disliked him.
He had chosen not to read the detailed scene outlines, preferring to arrive and improvise. During a scene at a dry cleaner’s, he entered early enough to hear Larry and another character criticizing Ted, giving him an unexpected view of his fictional self.
Garlin also remembered crying when Schaffer announced the final wrap. Danson was the first person to comfort him on the set’s fake airplane, according to BroadwayWorld. Garlin said he missed working with David and a cast whose members had become friends.
Before joining “Curb,” Danson had stopped finding himself funny and considered pursuing smaller film roles instead.
Working with David gave him a relaxed setting in which to experiment and enjoy looking for laughs again.
“I really owe him a lot,” Danson told Garlin.