party chat

Ted Danson Trusts His Business Manager With His Life

Ted Danson plays a financier on Damages, but in real life he is not so good with money. Daily Intel found this out when we ran into him last night at the Atlantic Theater Company’s 25th Anniversary Gala at Gotham Hall and quizzed him relentlessly about his taxes. It was awkward.

Are you finished with your taxes?
You know what? I haven’t signed my taxes. I haven’t prepared my taxes since I was — good Lord, in my twenties. I’m really inept. I’m not good at that.

Did you attempt in your twenties to do them yourself?
Yeah. Yeah, I tried, and I think I was horrible at it. But I’ve had a business manager for a very, very, very long time, who I trust with my life.

Have you ever been audited?
I did. I was audited for two or three years once and everything was fine, nothing was wrong, every once in a while you get audited.

So do you think it is random? Or did you do something that may have raised a red flag?
I think it was a drastic change of income one way or the other or something. I don’t remember.

What was your drastic change of income?
I don’t remember if it went up or down. I can’t remember, I’m sorry. I’m a total moron.

So you still trust your business manger even though you got audited?
Oh yeah, you get audited all the time.

I’ve never been audited.
Really?

Nope.
Well, I can’t remember why I was audited. It may have had something to do with a house that’s — why am I telling you my audited story? I’m not telling you my audited story.

Why not?
How do I know you’re not from the IRS? This is crazy!

I don’t think the IRS has the means to send clandestine agents to galas to talk to you about the experience of being audited.
I’m an actor; I’m a total moron. I am blessed — I hope — with a business manager who is ridiculously honest because I sign things and really don’t know what I’m signing

Really?
Really.

So you are very trusting?
I am.

Hmm, so are you nervous that you may be audited again?
No, not at all, because I have a great business manager —

Well, we hope he is great, but we don’t really know because you’re just signing things.
We don’t, but life is good so I’m going to go with yes he is great.

Ted Danson Trusts His Business Manager With His Life