April 23, 2024 – Actor Ted Danson, known for his roles on sitcoms like Cheers and The Good Place, was diagnosed with plaque psoriasis when he was 25 years old. Danson, now 76, says he spent years feeling shame and embarrassment about the diagnosis and his breakouts, finding excuses not to go swimming or join others in skin-baring activities.
During that time, his psoriasis worsened all over his body. Eventually, he turned to self-deprecating humor, in an effort to point out his own flaws with funny quips before anyone else could.
“It’s not life-threatening, it’s just personality-threatening, emotionally threatening,” Danson told WebMD.
The way he deals with his psoriasis today is completely different, ever since he started a treatment plan with his doctor over 12 years ago.
Each person’s journey with psoriasis is unique, and Danson knows that what works for him won’t necessarily be the right treatment for anyone else. That’s why he wants people with psoriasis to see a dermatologist and forge a plan of their own to get relief.
He said that once the medical community started seeing psoriasis as an autoimmune condition that could be treated internally as well as externally, his skin saw a world of difference.
“It’s not your celebrity’s dream interview: ‘I got plaque psoriasis. I can’t wait to talk to you about it,'” Danson joked. “But the truth is: I have plaque psoriasis, and I can’t wait to talk to you about it.”
