For other people named Sam Malone, see Sam Malone (disambiguation). Samuel Mayday Malone is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Ted Danson. The central character of the series, Sam is a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. He is the owner of the bar called Cheers, where he also works as a bartender. He is a recovering alcoholic and a notorious womanizer.