Ted Danson Remembers His White House Encounter with Bill Clinton over Mary Steenburgen

Ted Danson recently shared a memorable story about his early romance with Mary Steenburgen, which included an unexpected encounter at the White House. The actor, now 78, recounted a particularly intense conversation he had with former President Bill Clinton regarding his intentions with Steenburgen, who is a close friend of the Clintons.

Danson recalled, “One of the first things she did was take me to her dear friends in the White House.” This happened while he was co-hosting a panel discussion with Bill and Hillary Clinton. “Bill—yes, the president—walked me around the corner, and there were three Secret Service agents right behind him, all looking at me. The president asked me what my intentions were.”

In response to this probing question, Danson humorously asked, “First question, Mr. President, do you think this was fair?” This lighthearted exchange didn’t faze Clinton, who replied, “No, but it worked. And I didn’t think I had to be fair. After all, you ended up being the best thing that ever happened to her.”

The couple met in 1993 while filming the movie “Pontiac Moon,” and their relationship quickly blossomed. They tied the knot in a lovely October ceremony in 1995 on Martha’s Vineyard.

When reminiscing about their bond, Steenburgen expressed, “Not to sound corny, but I would sign up for 100 more lives.” She praised Danson as someone who has made her a “better person” and noted that his humor is, well, quite charming.

With successful careers spanning years, Danson and Steenburgen recently collaborated on Netflix’s “Man on the Inside.” Steenburgen was thrilled when she learned she had officially joined the cast as Danson’s character’s love interest, even exclaiming about how excited she was to work with her husband.

Danson reflected on their partnership, stating, “We trained the same way. We had really good material to work with. We woke up every morning laughing about what we were supposed to do.”