"Life becomes fun at any age": Ted Danson refuses to slow down in life and career at 77

Ted Danson has opened up about the mindset that keeps him energized and fulfilled in his seventies. During an interview with People at PaleyFest 2025 in New York City, he reflected on how his long career and his role as retired private investigator Charles Nieuwendyk in Netflix’s A Man on the Inside have reinforced the importance of staying active and engaged.

Although he once believed turning 70 meant it was time to “slow down,” the 77-year-old Danson now embraces the opposite approach, choosing to keep both his personal life and career vibrant.

He emphasized the value of optimism, and being involved, saying, “Keep your foot on the gas pedal, stay curious, get out there and stay hopeful.” 

With his birthday coming up in December, Danson credits a positive outlook with improving his health, energy, and overall enjoyment of life. He believes that maintaining enthusiasm and momentum at any age not only enriches one’s experiences but also keeps life fun and meaningful.

“It's not just altruistic,” the actor noted in the interview. “It's good for your health. It's good for your energy. It's fun — life becomes fun at any age.”

Ted Danson set to return to screen with A Man on the Inside season 2

In A Man on the Inside, Ted Danson portrays Charles Nieuwendyk, a widower and retired engineering college professor who discovers renewed purpose by taking on the role of an amateur sleuth. In the first season, he relocated to a retirement community as part of his mission to uncover the person responsible for a crime.

The comedic mystery series is based on the Oscar-nominated 2020 documentary The Mole Agent. Alongside Ted, the main cast members of the show include Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Charles’ daughter Emily; Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Julie Kovalenko, a private investigator with her own company who hires Charles; and Stephanie Beatriz as the retirement community Managing Director Debra 'Didi' Santos Cordero. 

The upcoming second season expands Charles’ investigative efforts as he assumes a new undercover identity, this time posing as a college professor. He attempts to track down a mysterious blackmailer targeting the university’s president, Jack Berenger, played by Max Greenfield. Adding a personal twist, Danson’s real-life wife, Mary Steenburgen, joins the series as his character’s romantic interest Mona Margadoff, allowing Charles to explore the possibility of love and companionship again.

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