Candice Bergen

Summary

Podcast Summary: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Episode: Candice Bergen

Hosts: Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson

Date: July 8, 2026

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Overview

In this warm, lively, and deeply personal episode, Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson welcome the inimitable Candice Bergen, acclaimed actress, model, writer, and photojournalist. Together, they reminisce over Candice's extraordinary life and career, her Hollywood upbringing, wild teenage years, brushes with history, and the friendships that have shaped her. The episode is rich in showbiz lore, candid anecdotes, and unmistakable affection between long-time friends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Growing Up Bergen: A Hollywood Childhood

[03:00-08:59]

• Candice’s father, Edgar Bergen: Legendary radio ventriloquist, famous for Charlie McCarthy—so famous that Candice jokes about being his dummy's “sister.”
  • “When I was born... Then Charlie McCarthy has a sister. That’s who I was. Charlie McCarthy’s sister.” (Candice Bergen, 06:00)
  • “He had his own bedroom next to mine.” (Candice Bergen, 06:21)
• Strange family dynamics: Candice shares Charlie McCarthy was mentioned in her father’s will, but she wasn’t; her take is gracefully humorous.
  • “But then at some point, when he had a will, your father put Charlie McCarthy, his dummy, in the will and not you.” (Ted Danson, 07:10)
  • “Yes, that's true, Ted. That’s true... But evidently it was because I had sort of gone off on my own from the age of 19 and made my own living...” (Candice Bergen, 07:21)
• Her father’s advice: Encouraged her to "focus on photography and writing" and not just acting.

Teenage Rebellion and Infamous Stories

[09:16-13:32]

• Swiss boarding school and the legendary restaurant fire: At 14, sneaked out, accidentally set fire to the finest restaurant in town by igniting fondue.
  • “It wasn’t just any restaurant either. It was the nicest restaurant. It was the Olden in Stadt... And I said, oh, let’s flavor the fat, let’s put some wine in the fat...this flame went up onto the ceiling...” (Candice Bergen, 10:01)
  • “Years later, I went back...and [the ski instructor] said, ‘Aren’t you the woman who burned down the Olden, ladies?’ Yes, I am.” (Candice Bergen, 11:08)
• Desire to escape Beverly Hills: Asked her parents to go to Switzerland; came back a changed “rascal” to their shock.

Legendary Encounters & Brushes with History

[15:50-21:10]

• Close to the Manson murders: Lived with Terry Melcher in the house later rented by Sharon Tate.
  • “Someone came to the door and it was, in fact, one of the Manson family members... And then I was called to testify when they were arrested for the murders.” (Candice Bergen, 17:22)
  • “So we left and moved to his mother’s house at the beach.” (Candice Bergen, 18:39)
• Reflecting on that era: Trauma of the murders changed LA’s feeling of safety overnight.
  • “All of a sudden, you locked your doors, you locked your gates, and you did not let anyone in.” (Candice Bergen, 19:40)

Notable Dates: Trump & Kissinger

[25:11-26:32]

• One-off date with Donald Trump:
  • “He showed up in a maroon limousine and matching suit and maroon patent leather boots...” (Candice Bergen, 25:23)
  • “I was home by 9.” (Candice Bergen, 25:43)
• One date with Henry Kissinger:
  • “He was lovely. I mean, Henry was great company...smart beyond smart and had great manners.” (Candice Bergen, 26:05)

Ventures as a Writer and Photojournalist

[26:33-31:36]

• Early journalism: Pieces for Esquire and photojournalism stints, ranging from covering the KKK to traveling with Jane Goodall.
• Jane Goodall adventure: Gained access by arranging a magazine payment, traveled by boat, survived baboon break-ins and primitive conditions.
  • “I went there in a little, little boat...I had a cheese—Jane Goodall had said, you ought to come bring a cheese.” (Candice Bergen, 27:47)
  • “Jane eventually sort of let her guard down...and then I went home...I had to climb a really big mountain. And all I brought to wear were sneakers and blue jeans and a khaki shirt and four pair of underwear.” (Candice Bergen, 30:39)

Movie Star: From Steve McQueen to Book Club

[37:01-41:32]

• Early career highlights:
  • First films were The Group and The Sand Pebbles with Steve McQueen.
  • “Steve McQueen...was great with me...he had whatever he wanted there…He would say, ‘Want to go on my bike?’” (Candice Bergen, 38:54)
  • “He traveled with three guys...on the weekends, they beat people up...there were brawls going on at night.” (Candice Bergen, 39:45)
• On acting: Entered film before formal acting training, admitting, “I had no idea what I was doing.” (Candice Bergen, 41:09)

Memories and Friendship: Book Club and Beyond

[46:13-49:10]

• Meeting her Book Club peers: Jane Fonda’s story—first spotting Candice at 16, enshrining her as LA’s most beautiful.
• Beauty and License:
  • “Being beautiful...it certainly dumbs you, dear.” (Candice Bergen, 49:10)

Murphy Brown and Its Cultural Impact

[49:36-55:14]

• How the role came about: Diane English pitched her the script; Candice knew she wanted it instantly.
• Live sitcom experiences: “The material was great...so every show was solid and smart and the references were sophisticated.” (Candice Bergen, 50:55)
• Emmy history: Won five, then asked not to be nominated again.
  • “I could feel the house turning on the fifth Emmy...it's time to go.” (Candice Bergen, 52:15)
• Dan Quayle controversy: Show sparked a national debate about single mothers and fatherhood, making headlines.
  • “Dan Quayle then made a rebuttal speech saying...‘Murphy Brown...dismissing the importance of fatherhood’...” (Candice Bergen, 53:19)

Journalist Aspirations & Personal Resilience

[55:59-60:27]

• 60 Minutes offer after Murphy Brown: Declined when told she couldn’t act and be correspondent.
  • “He said, would you like to be a 60 Minutes correspondent? I said, well, sure, but can I still do movies? And he said, no...” (Candice Bergen, 56:17)
• Tragic loss in the Palisades Fire: Lost her home and many family memories.
  • “My house is gone...my house was gone...” (Candice Bergen, 57:58)
• Approach to grief: “I think I just stuff it down. I don’t deal with it...I just stuff it down." (Candice Bergen, 60:09)

Family, Grandchildren, and Contentment

[61:44-62:53]

• Grandparenting joy: Now lives close to her daughter and grandkids in NYC.
  • “They're my granddaughter’s four, my grandson is six, and they’re just heaven.” (Candice Bergen, 62:15)

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Notable Quotes

• “It was the water with a lot of wood in it.” (Candice Bergen on growing up with Charlie McCarthy, 07:07)
• “Yes, that's true, Ted. That's true. Years ago, that was a moment...and thinking, huh?” (Candice Bergen on being left out of her father’s will, 07:21)
• “I just had to bribe my way in...a cheese...Jane Goodall had said, you ought to come bring a cheese.” (Candice Bergen, 27:47)
• “I had no idea what I was doing.” (Candice Bergen on early acting roles, 41:09)
• “Being beautiful...it certainly dumbs you, dear.” (Candice Bergen, 49:10)
• “I could feel the house turning on the fifth Emmy...it's time to go.” (Candice Bergen, 52:15)
• “My house is gone...by the time I got to New York, my house was gone.” (Candice Bergen on the Palisades fire, 57:58)
• “I think I just stuff it down. I don’t deal with it...I just stuff it down." (Candice Bergen on grief, 60:09)
• "You're also a really good friend. You show up and I...I just have so many moments of you. You have this amazing naughty child inside of you." (Woody Harrelson, 64:47)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:00 – Candice’s Hollywood upbringing and Charlie McCarthy stories
• 10:01 – The Swiss restaurant fire story
• 17:22 – Living with Terry Melcher, Manson family connection
• 25:11 – Date with Donald Trump
• 26:03 – Date with Henry Kissinger
• 27:47 – Photojournalism and Jane Goodall adventure
• 38:54 – Filming with Steve McQueen / wild Taiwan shoot
• 49:36 – Murphy Brown: genesis, legacy, Emmy history
• 53:19 – Dan Quayle controversy and cultural impact
• 56:17 – 60 Minutes offer and transition
• 57:58 – Palisades fire and personal loss
• 60:09 – Reflections on grief and resilience
• 62:15 – Grandparenting and family life

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Memorable Moments

• The running joke about Ted and Woody fighting for Candice’s attention.
• The playful exposé of Ted's "fantasy" memory of an onscreen kiss with Candice, which "didn’t even make Google."
• Woody recalling Candice being a “terrible influence” on him with Aperol Spritzes in Rome.
• Candice’s candid but dry humor discussing beauty, celebrity, loss, and resilience.

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Closing Thoughts

This episode is a delightful tapestry of stories—by turns hilarious, poignant, and history-laden. Candice Bergen, with Ted and Woody, shares not only her legendary career but the texture of real life behind the facade: family quirks, iconic Hollywood, tragic near-misses, and survival through joy, loss, and love. The conversation is a master class in friendship, courage, and maintaining your laughter, no matter what life throws your way.

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“You are just your enthusiasm for life and your deliciousness as a friend. You're also a really good friend. You show up...and how my life is graced by our friendship.”
— Woody Harrelson (64:47)

Transcript

[Ted Danson]

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[Candace Bergen]

And she didn't want anything to do with me. I wanted to go and visit her in Africa. Get away. And.

[Ted Danson]

Welcome back to where everybody knows your name. I am so excited to talk to my dear friend Candice Bergen today. She is the loveliest person and has led an extraordinary life in TV and film, from Murphy Brown to Boston Legal to Gandhi to the book club movies, which she was in with my wife, Mary Steenburgen. Speaking of Mary, you might be hearing from her later, so stick around. So let's get to it. Meet my dear friend, our dear friend, Candice Bergen. It's so interesting to sit down and talk on a podcast with somebody you know and love, which I do likewise. I know Mary's your favorite and unfortunately she can't be here, so you're equal

[Candace Bergen]

favorites,

[Ted Danson]

But she sends love.

[Candace Bergen]

Oh, well. And I'll be seeing you guys for.

[Ted Danson]

I know.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Tomorrow night.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Pre celebrations for big birthday.

[Candace Bergen]

No, no, really. I'm going to be 80 and I just hate it.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, you beat me by about a year.

[Candace Bergen]

Really?

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Candace Bergen]

You know, I had a big birthday celebration for my 70th. Didn't faze me one way or another, but 80, it's like, go away. It's just not a good one.

[Ted Danson]

This is my impression of baby boomers passing the baton. No, not yet.

[Narrator/Producer]

No.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, it kind of feels that way.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Just, I mean, I sat there looking at. I do. We have a wonderful research team, so I get to research even my own friends. But this is. This is some of the. Because it just cracks me up that what we're going to talk about. Grew up in Hollywood. Your father, Edgar Bergen. And I'm just going to list stuff, then we'll go back. Arguably. No, not arguably. One of the most famous people in Hollywood during that period in his life. Ian. Charlie McCartney.

[Candace Bergen]

Because he had a radio show. There was no TV yet, so radio was it. I mean, it was a major form of entertainment. And my father had a radio show that was very popular. It was like number one or number two. So people listened to it. And he was very funny. It was very well written. Even though he was a ventriloquist on radio. Right.

[Ted Danson]

I was going to ask you that.

[Candace Bergen]

Such a contradiction.

[Woody Harrelson]

But.

[Ted Danson]

But did he do other things? So people believed that he was indeed a ventriloquist. Otherwise, you're taking his word for it on radio.

[Candace Bergen]

I think they just took his word for it.

[Ted Danson]

Charlie McArthur.

[Candace Bergen]

Charlie McCarthy.

[Ted Danson]

McCarthy.

[Candace Bergen]

Charlie McCarthy. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Right. All right, we'll double back and get him in a minute. All right. As a young woman, young teen in Switzerland, you burn down a restaurant. No, don't respond. Don't respond. But it's true. You've had a date with Donald Trump and Henry Kissinger. Don't respond. You are a world famous model. You were by chance way too close to the Manson murders. You were a photojournalist. You spent two weeks with Jane Goodall. Wait, wait, we'll get back to all these. Co starred with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Steve McQueen, Jack Nicholson, Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds, 10 years on Murphy Brown, one of the best sitcoms ever. So good. You won five Emmys. We'll get back to that. So good that you were asked to be on 60 Minutes as a journalist afterwards. Come back to that. Married some of the most amazing men. Louis Mall Marshall Rose, a daughter who's astounding, Chloe. And you have two or one grandson.

[Candace Bergen]

Two, two grandson. And a granddaughter. And a granddaughter, six and four.

[Ted Danson]

Mary will never forgive me if you're not getting that right. And I got to know you because of the book club movies. Got to know you more.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Let's back up. Okay. Sorry. But you are just astounding. And this was the tip of the iceberg. But I know you've talked about this ad nauseam, but you were kind of second fiddle sometimes to your dad's dummy.

[Candace Bergen]

Kind of always. I mean, when I was born, it was on the front page of the LA Times or examiner, whatever it was. Then Charlie McCarthy has a sister. That's who I was Charlie McCarthy's sister. And then Charlie McCarthy was always my brother. And it just went on and on. He had his own bedroom next to mine.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah. And he had heads in the bedroom. There was an old Charlie in the closet. And I would go in there sometimes, and there was an old Charlie head. There was a sleepy Charlie head. And my father would change the heads. Because when you were a ventriloquist, you had a dummy and you could. And the head went into the body. They were separate parts.

[Ted Danson]

So back then, as a young child, you probably didn't feel second fiddle. This was just the water you were swimming in. Yes or no?

[Candace Bergen]

It was the water with a lot of wood in it.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. But then at some point, when he had a will, your father put Charlie McCarthy, his dummy, in the will and not you. Is that.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes, that's true, Ted. That's true. Years ago, that was a moment I remember in my mother's living room and thinking, huh? There was just no other. There was nothing else to say other than huh. But evidently it was because I had sort of gone off on my own from the age of 19 and made my own living. And I made a good one because I was in a profession that was overpaid and my father didn't think I needed money.

[Ted Danson]

How old were you when he passed away? Rough.

[Candace Bergen]

30, maybe.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, so you really were out in the world, not just as a model, but acting and all of that stuff. But he also took you around with him. He didn't exclude you from the business. You did go with him.

[Candace Bergen]

I appeared on radio show and. And I loved it going on the radio. I was like 6 and I was such a pain. I loved being on the radio show.

[Ted Danson]

And he gave you good advice about.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes, my father at the time, it was so boring, but it was so true. He said, candy, I want you to focus on your interests and do not think exclusively about acting. He said, I want you to focus on your photography and on your writing and develop those interests as well.

[Ted Danson]

And you were already writing.

[Candace Bergen]

I wrote a number of pieces for a magazine called Esquire at the time, which was a sort of a literary magazine. And I always kind of kept writing. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Backing up a little bit. You went to. Was it Westlake then?

[Candace Bergen]

Westlake. Westlake School for Girls. Now it's Harvard. Westlake.

[Ted Danson]

When? For how long?

[Candace Bergen]

I went for the full term. I went from first grade. There was no kindergarten. From first grade through senior year, with a year away in Switzerland my sophomore year.

[Ted Danson]

Okay, let's talk about that. The restaurant two of my favorite stories about you. Okay, you were a bit of a rascal, I guess, in Switzerland. Yeah, yeah. But one time you were in a restaurant. Just tell the story. I mean, it's true, the end result is you burn down a restaurant. But please tell it.

[Candace Bergen]

It wasn't just any restaurant either. It was the nicest restaurant. It was the Olden in Stadt, in a ski resort where the school I was going to was set. And we were a group. I had snuck out because I was only 14. I wasn't allowed to go out at night, so I'd snuck out. I was sitting at a long table with other girls that were older, and we were drinking wine, which you could do in Switzerland because there was no age restriction. And I said, oh, let's. And we were having fondue, meat fondue, which is meat cooked in fat. And I said, oh, let's flavor the fat, let's put some wine in the fat. So I jauntily dumped my glass in the fat and this, this flame went up onto the ceiling of the restaurant and it. We were all evacuated. It was snowing outside. We.

[Ted Danson]

So it caught wood. It, it and. And curtains.

[Candace Bergen]

And it, it caught. Especially me. Well, no, but I mean, I was not allowed out for the rest of it. Yeah, and quite rightly. And the restaurant was evacuated and repaired and then reopened. And then I went back to Stadt with my second husband, Marshall Rose. We were walking in the village and a very nice looking older ski instructor said, excuse me, but aren't you Candice Bergen? And I said, yes, I am. And he said, aren't you the woman who burned down the Olden ladies? Yes, I am. So my name had lived on.

[Ted Danson]

That's fantastic. Why did you go away to school? Were you being sent away or was this just a.

[Candace Bergen]

It was my idea. I don't know how I even knew about schools in Switzerland, but I had heard of them. And I thought I need to get away from palm trees because I grew up in Beverly Hills and it was beginning to suffocate. So I asked my parents if I could go away for a year to Switzerland. And they said, well, okay. But was like, why? But they let me go. And I went with a friend of mine, Vicki Miland, who was the daughter of Ray Miland. And we went together to school in Switzerland and my parents came to visit me two months after I'd started there and I met them at their hotel. I'd put a moon glow rinse on my hair and I pulled out a Marlboro and I was 14 ordered a bloody Mary and my mother burst into tears, quite rightly. And it was just like, Edgar, what are we going to do with her?

[Ted Danson]

I love that. Did you speak French going into the Switzerland?

[Candace Bergen]

No, I didn't. I spoke French coming out of it.

[Ted Danson]

You did? Wow. Which served you.

[Candace Bergen]

Which served me well. When I met Louis Mal, who was the love of my life. And I didn't mention that I spoke French to him until six months after we were married. And he somehow answered the phone in our hotel in French and he looked at me, he said, I didn't know you spoke French.

[Ted Danson]

Do describe Louis Mal because he was Louis Malle, the most respected,

[Candace Bergen]

a French filmmaker, one of France's finest filmmakers, but he sort of abandoned France, which they never forgave him for, and went to America to make movies. He made a movie called Pretty Baby with Susan Sarandon and Brook Shields and was about prostitutes in New Orleans. And he, he was a. A very gifted filmmaker and from a very fine French family which made light bulbs or something. He lived up in sort of above Paris and I went to visit where he was born was really deadly. And he was a very cultivated, educated, charming. He was the most charming guy.

[Ted Danson]

How did you meet?

[Candace Bergen]

We met at a party, a lunch or a dinner at Diane von Furstenberg's in Connecticut. And I was sitting next to him. I didn't know who he was. And we were sort of eating our. Whatever. She served very nice meals. And we were introducing ourselves and he said, I'm Louis Mallon.

[Ted Danson]

He went, you are.

[Candace Bergen]

I was so impressed. I'd been sitting next to this guy who was so quiet. Quiet.

[Ted Danson]

And who made the first move.

[Candace Bergen]

He did, thank God. And we were together and it took us a while. We saw each other again at another dinner in la and then we started seeing each other.

[Ted Danson]

We jumped ahead just a little bit because when you were. I don't know how old you were when you. I'm going to bring up the, the time. The Manson kind of connection to your life. And my. One of my best friends was Guy Webster.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Who you knew as well.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah. And I didn't know you were friends with Guy.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, Guy and Leon, who was also from Ojai. Yes, from Ojai. From Mayor. Everything comes to me from Mary, except my kids. But I think Leon Webster, his wife, you may have modeled with at the same time. She was a world famous all over the place model. But anyway, Guy was best friends with Terry Melcher.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

And you were going out with Terry Melcher when you were. I don't know, young.

[Candace Bergen]

Twice I went out with Terry when I was 15 or 16, and then again when I was 22 maybe. Right.

[Ted Danson]

And Terry is son of Doris Day and a big music producer. And you guys were living together in this house. Right. And at that time, Manson fancied himself as a. Perhaps a person of music and was trying to sell or get Terry interested. Is that. Do I have the story right?

[Candace Bergen]

Yes. Terry went out to. Manson, I think, was camping at a ranch in Malibu Canyon, and Terry went out. He wanted to have his. He had a group of women who lived with him, and they wanted for Terry to hear them sing. And so Terry went out to hear them sing. And then somebody came to the door. And Terry and I were living together at a house up in a canyon of Beverly Hills, and someone came to the door and it was, in fact one of the Manson family members. And he was asking for Terri, and I just said, he's not here, and closed the door. But then I was called to testify when they were arrested for the murders. And Manson went on. Manson knew the house because he had visited Terry there. And then one day Terry came home and he said, we're moving. And I went, oh, oh. When he said today. And Terry had found out that Manson now knew where he lived, and he was afraid of Manson coming to exact revenge for not giving him a recording contract or whatever, which is what you do. And so we left and moved to his mother's house at the beach.

[Ted Danson]

And then sometime later, that was rented by Sharon Tate.

[Candace Bergen]

And then the house on the hill was rented by Sharon Tate. And then Sharon, who was at the time pregnant, had some guests over and Manson didn't come himself, but he sent members of the Manson family and they were all murdered. And they were all horribly murdered. It was.

[Ted Danson]

It really changed. I mean, I can only imagine changed LA.

[Candace Bergen]

Overnight, probably the whole country went up overnight.

[Ted Danson]

You locked your doors.

[Candace Bergen]

All of a sudden, you locked your doors, you locked your gates, and you did not let anyone in.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah, I know. It was incredibly hard on Terry's life. Had an impact, I think, for the rest of his life. Yeah, it should have. Yeah. No, of course. Of course. It must have rocked you as well. I mean.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah, I had. I had. We didn't find out who had committed the murders for months.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Candace Bergen]

And I don't remember. Terry and I had separated and I called him to see how he was. I was away someplace, maybe back east, and he said, I can't believe you called me now. He said, the police have just left and they know who committed the murders and it was Charles Manson.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wow.

[Candace Bergen]

And you just. It was by a hair.

[Ted Danson]

Crazy. Sorry. I mean, it's not. But it is one of those stories. It's just.

[Candace Bergen]

Well, it affected the country. You're right. I mean, everybody was incredibly spooked by it because no one was safe.

[Ted Danson]

That and Truman Capote's. I can't remember the name of the book.

[Candace Bergen]

Black and White.

[Ted Danson]

No. In Cold Blood.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

That book also not the book, but the book that was about the murders in the middle of the country. I can't remember where really were the kind of two events that changed us all. Oh, wait, we don't live in the 50s. We're vulnerable. Foreign. You may have heard the best voice in show business, Morgan Freeman, talking about a serious and underdiagnosed heart condition that's often missed. ATTR Cardiac Amyloidosis, or attrcm. It's a condition that can greatly disrupt your life with symptoms like severe fatigue, shortness of breath and carpal tunnel. If left untreated, ATTRCM may become serious, leading to a shorter lifespan. A truby helps adults with ATTRCM live longer and have fewer hospitalizations due to heart issues, so you can focus more on living for what you love. Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant. There are breastfeeding and about the medications you take. The most common side effects were mild and included diarrhea and abdominal pain. If you have ATTR CM, talk to your cardiologist about a Truby and visit attruby.com podcast. That's a T T R U B Y.com podcast to learn more. It's time to get busy living. Brought to you by bridgebio Staying on top of your health gets trickier with age. It's not about chasing youth, it's about feeling your best so you can keep doing what you love. Nature's Bounty believes your body is brilliant. They're just here to supplement you with over 50 years of trust and 400 plus supplements. They've got something for every part of your journey. Their Magnesium glycinate gives you 240 milligrams of magnesium per two capsules. Their probiotic 10 is a simple one pill a day formula that delivers 20 billion live probiotic cultures. And their Vital Heart is a triple action formula made with ingredients like magnesium and CoQ 10 all and 2 softgels per day. Head to naturesbounty.com and explore supplements that support your bone, gut and heart health. Nature's Bounty it's in Your nature to thrive. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. One thing about summer is that everything just feels easy. It's the season for comfortable, go anywhere pieces that make getting dressed simple. That's what makes Quince such a great fit for the season. They focus on well made essentials that you'll actually live in all summer long. Quince's 100% European linen pants have absolutely changed how I dress for the summer. But to be honest, it's their tees and cotton sweaters that I'm crazy about. They're lightweight, comfortable and easy to move around in. I think they'll change your life too. Make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to quince.com Ted and Woody for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I-n C e.com Ted and Woody for free Shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com Ted and Woody. So backing up again in that time frame won't hold this against you? Oh God, no, no, no. It's funny, I love this story that I don't know, you were 18 or 19 or something and you were at Penn.

[Candace Bergen]

University of Pennsylvania.

[Ted Danson]

University of Pennsylvania. And you had a date with Donald Trump, who was.

[Candace Bergen]

One date.

[Ted Danson]

One date. Yes, one date.

[Candace Bergen]

Very short.

[Ted Danson]

Young Trump.

[Candace Bergen]

Young Trump.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Candace Bergen]

We're the same age who showed up in a maroon limousine and matching suit and vest and shoes. Boots. Maroon patent leather boots. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, I love that story. And without any editorializing, I've heard you say I was home by 9.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah, it was short.

[Ted Danson]

And then the other famous date. Explain Henry Kissinger. We're great friends with David Kissinger who lives near us, but Henry Kissinger, when was that? Was that in the same time frame? Didn't you have a date with Henry Kissinger?

[Woody Harrelson]

I don't.

[Ted Danson]

Oh no, no.

[Candace Bergen]

You know what? I think I did. I think he picked me up to go to Bob Evans house for dinner and he was lovely. I mean Henry was great company and he was smart, smart beyond smart and had great manners and was. It was just, it was lovely company.

[Narrator/Producer]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So that's just a little tidbit. I love those little tidbits in your life. But now you're modeling, then you do, you move to acting and then becoming a photographer, photojournalist or when did that photojournalist part of your life?

[Candace Bergen]

That sort of was between the cracks from the beginning. From when I was 18, I think.

[Ted Danson]

Right.

[Candace Bergen]

And so whenever I was in acting, I would go sort of follow stories and then I got a job with the Today show, which was a very different creature in those days. But I would tell them what I wanted to photograph, they'd approve it and I'd go off and come back and I'd make big prints of what I'd photographed. And I would. So primitive. And I would say, and this is a picture of the Ku Klux Klan and a cross burning. I mean, and that's what I would do.

[Ted Danson]

And you did that?

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Where'd you go for that?

[Candace Bergen]

To Louisiana.

[Ted Danson]

Louisiana.

[Candace Bergen]

David Duke, who was the Grand Dragon of the clan.

[Ted Danson]

You also, on the other flip side of that coin, you went to Africa for two weeks.

[Candace Bergen]

Baby Jane Goodall, who had just written a book called in the Shadow of man, about the closeness between chimpanzees and humans. And I was just fascinated by her and she didn't want anything to do with me. I wanted to go and visit her in Africa. Get away pretty good, by the way. And so finally I just had to bribe my way in. So I got a magazine, a woman's magazine, to pay her $10,000, which she very much needed to keep her station, her research station going on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. And I went there, and I went there in a little, little boat and I was sort of had a seat on the top edge of the boat and one of the. The man in the boat said, you want to marry me? I said no, when he really didn't take it well. And so then when we came near the beach, they sort of circled in the area of the beach, but I had to get out in water up to my chest and held my cameras above my head. And I had a cheese. Jane Goodall had said, you ought to come bring a cheese. And so I had this 10 pound wheels wheel of cheese in red wax on my head with my cameras, trying to not get the cheese wet. My camera's wet and. And I stayed for two weeks on the beach. It was, it was very primitive. I had just like a box with a screen door and I was glad that was a screen door because the baboons would come in the morning because I was stupid enough to have bananas. I took a couple of bananas because there wasn't much to eat there. And so they'd come for my bananas and I was like, go away. And so I would throw the bananas out the door and then I'd tear out the door and go in the Opposite direction to the camp to see if I could get any kind of coffee. Look alike.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. And did she let you tag along? Did you see gorillas or chimps?

[Candace Bergen]

There were chimpanzees. Gorillas were Dian Fossey territory.

[Ted Danson]

Sorry. You're absolutely right.

[Candace Bergen]

And that was more toward the Congo, I believe. But the chimpanzees. And they were very leisurely. I mean, they just would lie about and they'd pick fleas off each other and they'd eat them like crackers. And.

[Woody Harrelson]

They were great.

[Candace Bergen]

And Jane eventually sort of let her guard down a little bit and would talk to me about stuff. And then I went home. I went home, which makes it sound easy. It was not to go home if you didn't go in a boat across the lake.

[Ted Danson]

We.

[Candace Bergen]

There were no boats around that time. You had to climb up a really big mountain. And I had a pair of sneakers.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, so you had to climb the mountain on the way out?

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah, so I climbed the mountain on the way out. And all I brought to wear were sneakers and blue jeans and a khaki shirt and four pair of underwear. And that's all I could fit in my camera bag with my cameras. So. So I climbed out and got a bus going into some town in Tanzania and got out.

[Ted Danson]

Wow. Did you guys stay in touch over the years?

[Candace Bergen]

I would see her. I'd go to events where she was, and she'd never recognize me. Yeah, she wasn't really cuddly with her.

[Ted Danson]

I think she. Men were. I sat at a dinner with her.

[Candace Bergen]

Really?

[Ted Danson]

And Mary contends that she flirted terribly with me.

[Candace Bergen]

Well, I know when I got there, she was still married to Hugo Van Laweck, who was a baron. A baron. Hugo Van Lawek. And he was very handsome, but slightly chimp, like man and

[Ted Danson]

like to groom his wife and.

[Candace Bergen]

Darling, could I root through your hair?

[Ted Danson]

Oh, I. She's one of those people that I got to meet two or three times and oh, no, here goes the neighborhood.

[Candace Bergen]

Honey. Oh, this is great.

[Woody Harrelson]

Blue said, why does Ted get all the fun?

[Candace Bergen]

I remember when you guys got blue.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

You had to give Arthur, who was our dog beforehand, was one of your favorites. I know, but blue is pretty good.

[Candace Bergen]

I remember you being in front of the hotel because you were on Arthur duty when Mary was doing the movie

[Woody Harrelson]

that did not go well. Can you describe what happened?

[Ted Danson]

In front of, like, I was handing my bananas away?

[Woody Harrelson]

No. In front of so many people in Rome. When. With our dogs on.

[Ted Danson]

Like I told you this. He was. Yes. He will comfort You. He's very soft to touch. Y' all can't see him, but this is a beautiful dog over here.

[Woody Harrelson]

He's a beautiful Aussie. An Australian.

[Candace Bergen]

Australian shepherd. Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Beautiful.

[Candace Bergen]

And so clean. Yeah, very clean.

[Woody Harrelson]

I'll get you up here so people can enjoy.

[Ted Danson]

Come here.

[Woody Harrelson]

Your beauty. By the way, Jane Goodall paid no attention to me. I was just telling and loved Ted.

[Candace Bergen]

Loved him. What do you expect? That's what happens.

[Woody Harrelson]

I've had to work at having you pay attention to me, as Ted is, right?

[Ted Danson]

No, no, it's very clear. When we go out to dinner, Candace is very nice and asks me one question, and then she's all over you. That's always the way it goes.

[Woody Harrelson]

We fight over you. That's the truth. What? Blue, come here.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, well, let's. Blue. Blue's not on camera, so people are going to be very confused why we're. Oh, there we go. Ladies and gentlemen, Blue.

[Woody Harrelson]

Blue. Dan Bergen.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Candace Bergen]

Such a good boy.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wait, tell them. Have you told them the name of your dog?

[Candace Bergen]

Bruce.

[Woody Harrelson]

Bruce. Oh, Bruce's brother.

[Candace Bergen]

Lloyd.

[Ted Danson]

Lloyd.

[Candace Bergen]

It's the best name.

[Woody Harrelson]

It's one of my best favorite names for a dog. Coming up. Come on up.

[Ted Danson]

Okay, now we got it. Now we got a podcast.

[Woody Harrelson]

Now we got a podcast.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes, we do.

[Ted Danson]

I fell in love with you even more. More during the book club movies because you did love our dog Arthur.

[Candace Bergen]

Oh, I did. I did. And we flew with him, too.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

He was a smaller version of this la.

[Ted Danson]

We spent Mary's pretty much salary on getting Arthur to Rome because Arthur was not well. I'll just do this quick story about Arthur. Arthur was not well. And we said, well, we can't leave him.

[Candace Bergen]

He was an older dog.

[Ted Danson]

Older dog. And he was almost 18. Yeah, he was too old. He had intestinal problems, let's put it that way. And we got to Rome, and my first day there, I think pretty much as we were getting out, I said of the car from the airport to the hotel, the Hotel de Russi, which we loved. I needed to go to the bathroom. So I was just praying to get far enough away from the entrance to the hotel before he exploded, but I didn't. He right there in front of everybody. And then I made the mistake of trying to clean it up, which just makes it worse. Then I go down because he's not through.

[Woody Harrelson]

People were laughing.

[Ted Danson]

It's one of those moments where paparazzi were there.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah. There were so many paparazzi. You learned how the word paparazzi came to be. Do you Remember that? Like every day, early in the morning when we would go to work, they'd already be out there. And it's like American paparazzi. They're like, meh, it's 10 o'.

[Candace Bergen]

Clock.

[Woody Harrelson]

I guess it's time to go to work in the morning. These guys were out there at like, 5:30 in the morning.

[Candace Bergen]

I don't remember.

[Ted Danson]

So they're capturing this whole thing with me cleaning up Arthur's mess. And I go. I gotta get away from the front door. So I go down to the right a little bit and there was that outdoor restaurant, Remember?

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Where right in front of them, another explosion. And I lean down to clean it up and my glasses fall off in the mess. It was the most humbling time.

[Candace Bergen]

Oh, God.

[Ted Danson]

Happy story is Arthur got well and lived for another year or two as a result of the vets in Rome. So anyway, there you are. That's great.

[Candace Bergen]

And your glasses are.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Woody Harrelson]

All new.

[Ted Danson]

Partially. So here we are. I've gone through. Actually, I'd love to start talking about your acting career. We just did Jane Goodall, because you have acted with. Well, tell me. All right, start with. First film was the Group. Yeah, Right.

[Candace Bergen]

I did a minute in the group.

[Ted Danson]

Right. Second film was. What was it? I don't remember.

[Candace Bergen]

Was it Sand Pebbles?

[Ted Danson]

Yes. Thank you. Sand Pebbles, which you were really, really good in.

[Candace Bergen]

And that was forever in Taiwan. And Taiwan in those days, there was no plumbing. So you'd be driving to work and people would be squatting over the curb. You'd go, oh,

[Woody Harrelson]

how old were you?

[Candace Bergen]

20.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

How long were you there?

[Candace Bergen]

I was in Taiwan for five months. And then I was in. It was endless. I was in the Golden Dragon suite and I ordered oatmeal one morning and they brought me half a watermelon. So that's how it went. And then we went to Hong Kong. We moved, which was heavenly. We were there for a month and a half, and then we went to Malibu Canyon. I mean, it just went on.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wow.

[Candace Bergen]

I was about 30 when we finished the movie. It just went forever.

[Ted Danson]

Okay. I hate people asking, what was it like to work with questions, but come

[Candace Bergen]

on, Steve McQueen, he was great with me. He was great with me. He was. I mean, of course we would. He had a motorcycle there. He had whatever he wanted there. And I was dressed like a missionary, so it was not a fashionable thing. And so he would say, want to go on my bike? I said, sure, Steve. And I'd hop on his bike and we'd go off down the beach in the Middle of shooting. And they say, okay, Steve.

[Ted Danson]

Steve.

[Candace Bergen]

And nobody knew where he was. I mean, you just. And he had. He traveled with three guys. They were like three goons. And then on the weekends, they beat people up. It was kind of like.

[Ted Danson]

Really?

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah, it was like gym or something. And, I mean, they wouldn't kill people. But the room. In Asia, you have room boys. You have. They are not boys. They're men, but they're called room boys. And they're on the corner of every hall, and if you need anything, they will get it for you. So they would. Let's go beat up a room boy. It was like. So the room boys got organized. And, I mean, there were brawls going on at night.

[Narrator/Producer]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Don't you love how I went? Tell me, Candace, what's it like?

[Narrator/Producer]

Steve?

[Ted Danson]

Squeak. Oh, sorry. Steve, there you are. Wow.

[Candace Bergen]

But he was great to me, and. And he was wonderful in that movie.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, he was really good. Yeah. The whole movie was really good. Richard Krena was in it. And also very good. It was about the Sand Pebbles. It was a.

[Candace Bergen]

The San Pablo. The gunboat was called the San Pablo. And they would call them the Sand Pebbles. The sailors.

[Ted Danson]

The Sand Pebbles. Sorry. Thank you. And it was at the Boxer Rebellion.

[Candace Bergen]

The Boxer Rebellion, yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Really good movie. And you were. You were wonderful in it. You weren't. You were wonderful. But you didn't really know. I didn't take acting.

[Candace Bergen]

I. I had no idea what I was doing.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Candace Bergen]

And I. But I tested for it. They said, okay, go. And then when they said, okay, go, little did I realize that it would be to spend the rest of my life in Asia, because you just never. It just never ended.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. What's the longest movie you've ever been on?

[Woody Harrelson]

It wasn't a movie. It was BBC. I did for the BBC. I did F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night and played Nicole Diver. And it was barely seen in the US but the thing that it brought me was that Audrey Hepburn had watched it three times in three different languages. And we happened to meet one day in New York when I was waiting for an interview. And I'd asked when I heard she was there, because my mother was there up from Arkansas. And I said, is there any way my mother and I could meet Ms. Hepburn? And this very officious person said, no, no, no. She's very busy. Please don't even ask again. So I'm like, okay. And so I said to my mother, not to be deterred. If we stand and watch down this hallway, we might catch a glimpse of her when she leaves. And so she was leaving at one point and we were like pinching each other going, there she is. And she looked down and she looked at me. And then she comes walking up to me and she said, are you Mary Steenberchon? And first of all, cannot believe she knows who I am. Second of all, cannot believe she said my name correctly. And then I said yes. And she goes, I've seen Tundras the night three times in three different languages. Let's sit down and talk about it. So I was able to introduce her to my mother and I have this amazing and she kissed your cheeks.

[Ted Danson]

One, two, three.

[Woody Harrelson]

She said, may I kiss you? And I said yes. And she kisses three times. You're very European. You're used to all these things. But a kid from Arkansas, I was pretty blown away too. All the time.

[Ted Danson]

I love that story.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah,

[Ted Danson]

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[Candace Bergen]

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[Ted Danson]

Let let's do let's jump around. Who cares. What's your some of your first memories of Candace and meeting her?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well I met you. I met you early on when we were doing our one year. We did a series in English wrote yeah Ink Ink and you played Ted's girlfriend or you guys dated or something for a while in the.

[Candace Bergen]

In the show.

[Ted Danson]

I looked that up this morning on Google and they have no record of it but I do believe we even kissed. I'm just saying.

[Candace Bergen]

I think we did very chastely.

[Ted Danson]

But that was actually, I think in

[Woody Harrelson]

Ted's mind, it was much better.

[Ted Danson]

It was full on. It was a full on kiss. Candace.

[Woody Harrelson]

Ted had a lot of fantasies about

[Ted Danson]

it, and then she tilted her chin up, just.

[Woody Harrelson]

I love that it didn't even make Google. But in your mind, it was like the hottest scene in all of television.

[Ted Danson]

But was book club the first time you guys really got to hang out?

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, the crazy thing about book club was it was Candace. Myself, Jane Fonda and Diane Keaton still have trouble talking about her in the past tense, so maybe I won't. But anyway, none of us had worked together, really. We had been on the same show, but we didn't. I don't think we had scenes together, or if we did, it was very minimal, but all four of us had not worked together. But I will tell you Jane's best story about meeting Candace, which was when you were.

[Ted Danson]

They were teenagers.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, Candace was a teenager. I don't know if Jane was a teenager. No offense to Jane, but she's a little bit older than Candace. But Jane was dating someone.

[Candace Bergen]

Sandy Whitelaw.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

And Sandy, they were talking about beauties or the most beautiful people in Los Angeles or something one night. And he said, I know who the most beautiful person in Los Angeles is. I've seen her. And it's Edgar Bergen's daughter and Candice Bergen. And Jane goes, well, I have to see her. And he goes, well, I actually have a reason to have to go over there. If you want to tag along, she might be there. And so they come over to your house and you're, I think about 16 or something, and you had climbed up on a ladder. It's just such a perfect visual. You know, you climbed up on a ladder in the library and you're like getting a book, and they walk in and you're getting the book, and then you turn around, blonde hair, you know, swirls around, and you look at them. And Jane goes, oh, my God, you are right. And that was the first time she ever saw you. And you became known from that moment on to anyone they would talk to as the single most beautiful human in

[Ted Danson]

Los Angeles, which went over your head completely back in the day.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah, you could care less. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Although you did say, I read in some interviews, that it does give you a certain amount of license to be really beautiful. Yeah. Being beautiful is sometimes also you cut too many corners in a way that, you know, if you. If you walked in the room without being so beautiful. Maybe your brain would have had to work harder or faster or something.

[Candace Bergen]

There was certainly dumbs you, dear.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah, that's. I didn't want to say that in front of you, but those.

[Woody Harrelson]

How do you feel, Ted? Because you're.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, yes.

[Narrator/Producer]

It's.

[Woody Harrelson]

You're known as quite terrible.

[Ted Danson]

And it succeeded in dumbing me down. Okay. Jumping around back because we mentioned ink and Diane English. How did that come about? Murphy Brown, which was just huge. But how did it come about in the very beginning? Do you remember the first?

[Candace Bergen]

I remember when she and her ex husband, who was a producer, came to my apartment to meet me because I think my agent, who was Brian Lord, a baby Brian Lord at the time, suggested me. And they were like, really? And I met with them and then they gave me the script. And I read the script. I said, I want to do this. And Brian, please get this for me. And then I read the script for them at Diane's house in Malibu Canyon, where they then lived. And it was done.

[Ted Danson]

Had you done theater before then? Had you done anything?

[Candace Bergen]

I hadn't done theater.

[Ted Danson]

Kind of a live audience.

[Candace Bergen]

No.

[Ted Danson]

Wow. Did you take to that right away? Because you did. It was three camera live. Four camera live audience. Right?

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah. Which was invented by Desi Arnaz.

[Ted Danson]

I know. I love that.

[Candace Bergen]

I have his book.

[Ted Danson]

I love that. At Paramount.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

So what was that like, your first audience? Was that just effortless because the material was so good or what?

[Candace Bergen]

The material was great. I mean, Diane wrote the scripts for the first four years and so every show was solid and smart and the references were sophisticated and the jokes hit home. And then she left and the show continued for far too long, but nobody could really face leaving.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. But.

[Woody Harrelson]

Well, you also won a jillion awards as it kept going. I mean, I feel like five. Five Emmys.

[Ted Danson]

You won five Emmys. And here's what. I'm so glad we brought this up because it just irritates me no end. Mostly because you won five and I won two. But besides that, besides this, this is a killer. After five you told people, I don't want to be nominated anymore.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, my God. I read that.

[Ted Danson]

Y. That's wrong. That's just wrong for the rest of us.

[Candace Bergen]

That's right. I did, because it was Helen Hunt's turn. Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Such a better person.

[Woody Harrelson]

I love that.

[Ted Danson]

Was that really like. Yeah.

[Candace Bergen]

I could feel the house turning on the fifth Emmy. I just sort of felt the house going, eh, we think she's had enough now. And I thought it's time to go.

[Ted Danson]

Award rooms are the toughest audiences on the planet.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. So then it wasn't just humility, it was also smart.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. What do you think? I mean, you guys were on the map before Vice President Quayle made that speech referencing Murphy Brown, weren't you? Were you already. Or Was that yes. No. 1. Was Diane English still there? Was that in the.

[Narrator/Producer]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Great. Cause that really did. Did it change? I mean, you were already hugely popular, but you became a little more political or current or what?

[Candace Bergen]

It pushed us up a couple of notches to, like, number one, for a

[Ted Danson]

year or two, describe what that moment was. William.

[Candace Bergen]

Dan. Qu. We'd done, you know, I don't know if Diane was still working on the show then, but they had done a show where Murphy talks about the importance of fatherhood. And it was felt that we were dismissing fathers as a critical component of the family. And in fact, because Murphy had had a baby, so it was like, what do we do with Murphy? Let's make her pregnant. Okay. And then, well, who's the father? Ex. Husband. And so it wasn't completely, like a random thing, but. But it caused a big hoo. Ha in. In the audience, in the viewership, and. And somebody had. Had made a. Many people were quoting Dan Quayle in it, and Dan Quayle then made a rebuttal speech saying, and Murphy Brown. I can still hear it in my ears, but not exactly dismissing the importance of fatherhood and calling it just another lifestyle choice. And so I just stayed in my room. I didn't come out of the house while it was going on because it was so huge. It was on the front page, above the fold of every paper, including the Times. And I was like, yeah, it was just too much for me. So Diane handled it. I never said a word.

[Ted Danson]

And she handled it. By. You mean in her writing, in the Murphy Brown where you did address it?

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. Yeah. Isn't that amazing?

[Candace Bergen]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

Diane English, really good writer.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah. You're still friends? Yes. We don't see her as often as we used to, but yeah, she's quite amazing.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah. We saw each other for dinner here.

[Ted Danson]

Good. You mean. Let me ask you, was that before our dinner or is it who's first? Usually on your call?

[Woody Harrelson]

Our dinner is tomorrow night, Ted.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, I hate this.

[Woody Harrelson]

Are you messing with the space time continuum here or something? Something in real life. Our dinner is tomorrow night.

[Ted Danson]

Yes. That's great.

[Woody Harrelson]

Just in case she has other plans.

[Ted Danson]

I'm all over the place, but after Murphy Brown 60 Minutes, this I just love reached out to you, CBS, 60 Minutes, and asked you if you wanted to join the team of 60 minutes as a journalist. Correct?

[Candace Bergen]

Yes, they did. They did. I'm not sure that the regular correspondence supported this as an idea. In fact, they didn't. It was like, what are you doing? But the head of 60 Minutes said, would you consider. And we did a test. I interviewed some Oakland official. It was a disaster. But he said, would you like to be a 60 Minutes correspondent? I said, well, sure, but can I still do movies? And he said, no. So I said, well, no. I said, I want a little more latitude. He said, well, you can't have it. So I didn't do it.

[Ted Danson]

What do you think they saw in you? Do you think they were hiring Murphy Brown, or do you think they were? Because you had written amazing. You're a really brilliant writer.

[Woody Harrelson]

Oh, my God. I love your books. I love your writing and your. I love even my emails from you. They're hilarious. And they shall remain between us, but it's tempting because they're so frigging funny.

[Ted Danson]

So do you think they saw you as a writer and thought, well, she's very good as a writer, or.

[Candace Bergen]

I don't know what they saw me as because it only lasted a few minutes.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, really? Okay. I love where you live. We won't say where, but I love that you can.

[Candace Bergen]

Well, my house is gone.

[Woody Harrelson]

We know that.

[Ted Danson]

Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

But where you are now, in New York. In New York?

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Yes.

[Woody Harrelson]

Candace lost her home in the Palisade fire. And was that everything from your childhood there?

[Candace Bergen]

Wow. Yeah.

[Woody Harrelson]

So all the photographs. All the photographs of Chloe and you guys and your history was there.

[Candace Bergen]

I mean, we have some of them in New York, but the major part was there.

[Woody Harrelson]

It's so strange and horrible and scary.

[Candace Bergen]

It was a very mismanaged fire.

[Ted Danson]

That's what we're beginning to learn.

[Candace Bergen]

Huh?

[Ted Danson]

Where were you? Were you in New York?

[Candace Bergen]

I had left the morning of the fire to go back to New York. Nobody knew the fire was coming. And by the time I got to New York, my house was gone.

[Ted Danson]

Wow.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Wow. You talked once about. Because we didn't drive up into the Palisades for months.

[Candace Bergen]

It was blocked.

[Ted Danson]

Devastating. It was blocked, but then it was also devastating. And I guess part of me was, whatever. I didn't want to be devastated.

[Candace Bergen]

It was very hard.

[Ted Danson]

But you told the story of driving with your brother and somebody else for the first time, and it was just so overwhelming that your brain just kind of shut down and you'd Fall asleep and wake up and fall asleep. Amazing.

[Candace Bergen]

It was just too much.

[Woody Harrelson]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Can you look at. Because you have experience. We all have, but you've experienced some big losses in life, people, homes, things like that. How do you handle. Do you think? Grief, sadness? Do you compartmentalize? What is it? I mean, it feels like there's something very healthy about you. Or is it. I'm just missing it and I don't see you.

[Candace Bergen]

I think I just stuff it down. I don't deal with it. I just. I mean, I've never dealt with it, and I've never wailed in a doctor's office. I just don't deal with it. I just stuff it down.

[Ted Danson]

Well, that's kind of remarkable because people who usually do that are ill. Yeah. Wow. Well, good for you. Thank you for being here. And healthy.

[Woody Harrelson]

You. You are also an amazing listener. So you do let other people talk about their feelings to you. Well, you know, that's important. Yeah. But, yeah, the invitation's always there. Should you need to wail, I am here.

[Candace Bergen]

Thank you, honey.

[Ted Danson]

I thought I could poke and pinch and make you cry, but I guess I'm not gonna. No. Shoot. Okay.

[Candace Bergen]

I've got.

[Woody Harrelson]

She could make you cry easier than I have.

[Candace Bergen]

Armor that you have no idea the depth of.

[Ted Danson]

Just as a commentary on my skills as a podcaster. That's what Blue thinks.

[Woody Harrelson]

Is he asleep?

[Ted Danson]

Yes, he's sound asleep, waiting for the door to open so his life can continue. So, grandmother, Mother. Life is good.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm. You know, I would never. I would, because I'm so careful with my daughter because she's such a force and bossy, but I would never have said, are you going to have a baby? I didn't. Never passed my lips. But she had two. And I mean, it's just thrilling, just thrilling to have these. They're my granddaughter's four. My grandson is six, and they're just heaven.

[Woody Harrelson]

They are really adorable and really smart, funny kids. And you live very close to them, so it's really.

[Candace Bergen]

Yes. I can walk to their. I mean, they live in my old apartment, and so it's just three long blocks up to the top of their. Of their building from me.

[Ted Danson]

I love that you can look out your window and if you time it right, you can see them exit their building and walk down the street.

[Narrator/Producer]

Yes.

[Ted Danson]

Underneath your building.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

That's pretty cool.

[Candace Bergen]

Yeah.

[Ted Danson]

Candace, thank you. I can't imagine how boring our dinner's going to be tomorrow night because. What do you want to talk about? Nothing. Please don't ask me anything, please. But thank you so much.

[Candace Bergen]

Thank you, Ted. It's always a pleasure.

[Woody Harrelson]

I feel cheated that I. I didn't get to just go on a love fest about how much I love you,

[Ted Danson]

but let's go out on that.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay. That my most hilarious memories of both book club and book club. The Next Chapter, which we did film in Roman Venice, which was a thrill because. Sorry, Chatsworth, but I usually end up. That's usually where I end up shooting things. And to go to Rome was such a thrill, but from Candice was a terrible influence on me because I've never had a drink when I work. And on the very first night at the Hotel derussy, you had this lovely pink thing and a goblet. I had no idea what it was. And you said, naparel spritz. That's what you have to drink in Rome. So I'm like, okay, I'll have one. And then every night, I had to have one. And I don't even drink.

[Candace Bergen]

Literally, Mary. It's barely considered a drink.

[Woody Harrelson]

Okay, well, that's the kind of attitude that caught me in big, big trouble. That's why I weigh, like, twice as much at the end of the film as I did. But I just have so many moments of you. You have this amazing naughty child inside of you. She once started a fire in a restaurant in.

[Ted Danson]

We did that one.

[Woody Harrelson]

You did okay. And nearly burned the place down. And like 20 years later, when she goes back there with Marshall, they still went, oh, yes, that was you. But she has this, like, absolutely alive, naughty child dinner at all times. And that is one of my favorite things about you. You are just your enthusiasm for life and your deliciousness as a friend. You're also a really good friend.

[Candace Bergen]

You.

[Woody Harrelson]

You show up and I just. I showed up today to be able to say how much I adore you and how my life is graced by our friendship.

[Candace Bergen]

Likewise. Mine, too. Thank you, sweetie.

[Ted Danson]

All right, any closing thing about me gracing?

[Woody Harrelson]

Not really.

[Ted Danson]

Okay.

[Woody Harrelson]

But we can talk about blue a little bit more.

[Candace Bergen]

Teddy, you are a gift to all of us. And you are the best of men. You are.

[Ted Danson]

And cut.

[Woody Harrelson]

Wow.

[Ted Danson]

That was our lovely friend, Candace Bergen. It was a real pleasure to have you on, Candace. And thank you, Mary, for dropping in. That's it for this week. Special thanks to Team Coco. If you enjoyed this episode, send it to a loved one rate and review on Apple Podcasts. If you have a mind and you're in a good one mood once again, you can watch our full length video [e-mail] teamco see you next time. Where everybody knows your name.

[Narrator/Producer]

You've been listening to where everybody knows your name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson sometimes. The show is produced by me, Nick Liao. Our executive producers are Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross, and myself. Sarah Fedorovich is our supervising producer. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel with support from Eduardo Perez. Research by Alyssa Grall. Talent booking by Paula Davis and Gina Bautista. Our theme music is by Woody Harrelson, Antony Yen, Mary Steenbergen and John Osborne.

[Candace Bergen]

You're never just one thing. You're the boss.

[Woody Harrelson]

Hey, Google, when's my next meeting?

[Candace Bergen]

The athlete that class wrecks me and their mom.

[Woody Harrelson]

Everyone in the all new Mazda CX5 more to move every side of you. Learn [e-mail] Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Sequences shortened and simulated.

[Narrator/Producer]

Hey, what's going on over there? It's me, Trevor Noah. You know me. You don't know me.

[Ted Danson]

Oh, you do.

[Narrator/Producer]

I was worried there for a second. Well, if you know anything about me, you'll know. I love having interesting conversations, conversations where we scratch beneath the surface, like what's really going on in the news? Or what is that celebrity really thinking about that scandal that they had? Or what's the worst way to be a parent? I mean, you want to find that out so you can be the best parent, right? Well. Well, regardless of what it is, this podcast is all about figuring that out, talking to interesting people who have interesting ideas that give us an interesting perspective on the world that we're living in. So make sure you tune in. Check out what now with Trevor Noah, available now on the Sirius xm.

[Ted Danson]

Applause.