Jake Johnson (Full Episode) | Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Conan O’Brien talks with actor Ted Danson and filmmaker-actor Jake Johnson about ensemble comedy, craft and the realities of long-running television. Johnson describes how watching Cheers as a child shaped his idea of television as a weekly “place” viewers return to, and he and Danson trade observations about screen chemistry, the importance of teams on set, and how performances can feel “sweaty” or effortless depending on tone and writing.

Johnson recounts dropping out of school at 15 due to undiagnosed dyslexia and being pushed by his mother to write, which led him to scripts and eventually theatre work, NYU and comedic ensembles. Danson describes his own early career path through theatre and guest roles, including a stint on Taxi, before being cast in Cheers through repeated chemistry reads with Shelley Long.

The most substantial segment is Danson’s first-person recollection of co-star Nicholas Colasanto’s declining health. He says Colasanto had heart disease, did not disclose it, and near the end was short of oxygen and relied on lines written on surfaces around the set. Danson also recalls the cast returning after Colasanto’s death and finding a poignant line he had written for himself, which the cast ritualised by tapping as they entered.

The conversation also touches on parenting, therapy and emotional maturity, including Johnson’s account of reconnecting with his father later in life and grieving his death, and both men’s reflections on balancing work identity with family life and creative purpose.

• Jake Johnson says Cheers was a childhood north star for his acting, shaping how he thinks about television ensembles.
• Ted Danson recalls Cheers being critically liked but "dead last" in ratings early on, before later success changed the career stakes.
• Johnson says he dropped out of school at 15 due to dyslexia and began writing stories and plays at his mother’s insistence.
• Danson says Cheers co-star Nicholas Colasanto had heart disease and did not tell the cast, and later struggled with oxygen deprivation on set.
• Danson recounts discovering a line Colasanto had written on the set after his death and says the cast burst into tears and later tapped it when entering.
• Both discuss how working in ensembles can reduce anxiety and improve performances through trust and shared rhythm.