A recent reunion featuring the cast of Cheers led to an epic roast of Woody Harrelson, though he wasn’t around to respond. With the 30th anniversary of the Cheers finale, plus a revival of the Cheers spinoff Frasier on the way, the ATX Television Festival hosted a reunion that included actors Ted Danson, George Wendt, and John Ratzenberger and series co-creators James Burrows, Len, and Glen Charles. Over the course of the discussion, there were remembers of Cheers alum Kirstie Alley, who passed away in December 2022.
As reported by IndieWire, the Cheers reunion also had some lighthearted moments. Danson, who played the memorable bartender Sam, led a hilarious roast of Woody Harrelson (who played Woody Boyd). Given that Harrelson wasn’t present at the ATX event, Danson encouraged others to share their funny memories of Harrelson. Went, who portrayed Norm, obliged and shared a story of how the vegetarian Harrelson reacted after eating pork. Their quotes are below:
DANSON: “Woody’s not here, so we can rag on him. Woody was a vegetarian, which meant he had horrible gas. He would come up to me sometimes during rehearsal and say, ‘Hey, I need your advice. I respect you so much.’ And he’d look me right in the eye, waiting for his fart to reach my nose. He was like a killer — he wanted to see my eyes go out. Come on, jump on Woody.”
WENDT: “[One night] we had catered Chinese food, and Woody found out after about 20 minutes that he was eating pork. And he decided to go purge. So I told him, ‘Out of solidarity, I will purge with you.’ And Ted said, ‘I’ll purge, too.’ There were only three stalls in the Stage 25 men’s room, and I’ll tell you this: You don’t want to laugh while puking.”
Could A Cheers Revival Happen?
Rhea Perlman, who played Carla, recently recalled how the co-creators turned down a Cheers revival pitch. Perlman noted that she would have liked to do a revival, in the style of Will & Grace, but the show’s creators didn’t want to “entertain the thought.” Perlman did not mention at the time what the objection was, but it’s possible that there’s a sense of reluctance and protectiveness about bringing back such an iconic sitcom.
There may still be a reunion of sorts. Kelsey Grammer, who portrays Frasier, said there could be Cheers cameos in the upcoming Frasier revival. Grammer has kept his lips sealed on just who could return from the original sitcom, but with a number of spinoff stars already confirmed to return for the sequel show, the door is clearly open for many Cheers guest appearances.
In a time where multiple shows are being revived or rebooted for modern audiences, there’s something to be appreciated about the protectiveness around the legacy of Cheers, even if it comes at the expense of some of its stars poking fun at one another. Going by the easy camaraderie and banter at the ATX reunion, there’s also a case to be made that the cast is perfectly ready to slip into their old roles, whether it be for the Frasier revival, or a continuation of the main show itself.
Source: IndieWire
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
