Ted Danson still sorry for blackface Whoopi roast — 30 years later

Once you go black, you never go back.

But once you go blackface, you have to revisit it endlessly — at least if you’re Ted Danson.

Kimmel’s embrace of the tradition had been especially enthusiastic; the comic donned full-body makeup to play NBA star Karl Malone in a ‘Man Show’ sketch.

More than 30 years after donning minstrel makeup for a Friars Club roast of then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg, the “Cheers” actor’s face is still red.

“I need to and want to apologize for the rest of my life,” Danson said during a recent appearance on comedian W. Kamau Bell’s podcast. He went on to describe his tasteless gag as “so arrogant and stupid.”

Friars pan

The racially risque routine occurred in 1993 at New York’s Hilton Hotel, where Goldberg served as guest of honor and Danson appeared as roastmaster. According to contemporary reports, Danson’s routine included race-based jibes, references to his relationship with Goldberg, jokes about mixed-race children, and repeated use of racial slurs.

The act was hardly an unqualified success, offending both audience members and — once word spread — the wider public. Then-New York Mayor David Dinkins (D) reportedly left before the event ended, while television host Montel Williams publicly criticized the performance.

While Danson didn’t respond to the immediate backlash, Goldberg leaped to his defense, arguing that critics simply didn’t get typical roast humor. She added that the outre humor was in line with her own taboo-breaking career.

“We were not trying to be politically correct. We were trying to be funny for ourselves,” she said.

Goldberg also said she had contributed to the material and had even directed Danson to the makeup artist responsible for his Al Jolson-style look.

From ‘Cheers’ to jeers

“Poor Whoopi Goldberg has had to defend me over the years,” the 78-year-old told Bell, adding that he now thinks her defense doesn’t lessen his guilt.

“Your intentions do not matter. The impact you have on people is what matters,” he said.

Unlike today’s popular celebrity roasts, which are filmed and broadcast for public consumption, the 1993 gathering was meant only for those in attendance. While photographs from the roast remain widely circulated, little footage from the event appears to be publicly available.

A 1999 documentary about the Friars Club includes an audio snippet of Danson’s entrance, followed by raucous laughter from the crowd.

RELATED: Druski ‘whiteface’ skit EXPOSES racist double standard

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Sitcom shuffle

Danson’s apology is itself a throwback to the headier days of 2020, when the country’s George Floyd-inspired racial reckoning had Hollywood scrambling to erase any incidents of blackface in popular TV shows.

Affected programs included “The Office,” “Community,” “Scrubs,” and “The Golden Girls,” as well as “30 Rock,” which had a total of four episodes featuring blackface.

Late-night hosts also got into the act, with both Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel apologizing for their antiquated antics. Kimmel’s embrace of the tradition had been especially enthusiastic. While his Oprah Winfrey impersonation required face paint only, the comic donned full-body makeup to play NBA star Karl Malone in a “Man Show” sketch.

Softened-up shock jock Howard Stern infamously donned blackface while impersonating Danson not long after the roast, adding an exaggerated “black” accent for good measure. Although he didn’t apologize directly, he did admit it made him “cringe.”

He added that he didn’t think he was a “bad guy” and that he had “evolved and changed” thanks to therapy.