Ted Danson credits fate for meeting Mary Steenburgen later in life

Ted Danson expressed how grateful he is for meeting his wife Mary Steenburgen in his 40s.

In an exclusive interview with People, The Good Place alum claimed that the couple never would have worked out if they had met when they were younger.

"Thank God we didn't meet earlier," he shared.

The 76-year-old actor who recently starred in A Man on the Inside, revealed that he was emotionally immature when he was young. 

"I was not really fully emotionally baked until shortly before I met her."

He told the magazine that a year before he met Steenburgen, he had decided he would try his best to become a better person.  

"I worked very hard at it or I don't think Mary Steenburgen would've even seen me," he stated.

Fate brought the two lovebirds together at the perfect time. 

Danson met the Elf actress in 1983 at the same audition, where they developed a strong bond while working together on the 1994 adventure comedy film, Pontiac Moon. 

Before he settled down with his 71-year-old wife, the Cheers actor had previously been married twice.

His first wife was actress Randy Gosch in 1970, but got divorced five years later. 

He then married Casey Coates in 1977, with whom he shares two daughters. However, the two split in 1993.

The American comic actor finally tied the knot with his current wife in 1995.