Woody Harrelson suffers motorbike accident before being treated by Ted Danson
Hollywood is so often portrayed as a ruthless, cut-throat land where everybody is out for personal gain. While this might not be the most unfair portrait of the film and television industry, some stars have been able to put aside their professional rivalries to form strong relationships. One of the most notable Hollywood bromances is between Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson, which extends far past their on-screen characters in Cheers.
Premiering on NBC in 1982, Cheers went on to become one of the defining sitcoms of the 1980s, launching the careers of various notable actors including Danson. When Woody Harrelson joined the cast in season four, him and Danson struck up something of a friendship which has only seemed to grow stronger as the years have passed.
During a recent appearance on the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, the pair reflected upon their friendship, with Harrelson recalling how they would regularly look out for each other. In fact, after a recent motorcycle accident, it was Danson who came to Harrelson’s aid, patching him up and making sure he was not seriously injured.
According to the celebrated actor, he had collided with a Tesla in Los Angeles and was subsequently thrown over the handlebars of his motorcycle. “A tumble is a fair term. I did go over my handlebars,” he said, “I was honestly and embarrassingly passing this Tesla on the left that I felt was moving a little slow and I didn’t realise he was moving slow because he was taking a left. I was on a motorcycle”.
While Harrelson was not seriously injured during this collision, it was clear he needed some medical attention after being thrown over his handlebars onto the bonnet of a Tesla. “I felt the pain,” he recalled, “but I never thought I’d be killed or anything or maimed”. Luckily, Ted Danson came to his rescue.
“We’re in the bathroom,” Harrelson remembered, “and I was like, ‘You played a doctor right?’ and Ted said, ‘I also played a lawyer so we can sue the guy’”. Seemingly, the actor did a pretty good job of patching up his friend, “His confidence, his demeanour, everything about the way he does it makes you feel like you’re in the best hands,” Harrelson claimed, “I never doubted him”.
For his part, Danson then recalled, “He could’ve been hurt badly. It does make me sad”. Thankfully, the pair lived to act another day, and the incident only served to bolster their relationship. Currently, the pair are embarking upon a new joint venture, creating the podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (Sometimes) which premiered earlier this month.
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