Ted Danson Was ‘Giggling the Whole Time’ Working with Wife Mary Steenburgen (Exclusive)

Married for 30 years, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen first started dating after starring together in the 1994 film. pontiac moon,

So when the request came from Steenbergen to join the second season of Danson’s hit Netflix series, an inside manThe superstar couple didn’t hesitate.

“I heard Ted coming home nice place And then the first season of this show was full of extraordinary scripts and a cast and crew that he’s very proud to work with,” Steenbergen tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “And I was always a little jealous. So it was very thrilling to be asked to be a part of it. I felt so honored and fortunate every day.”

Danson, who found out about his wife’s casting “probably a few moments ago”, calls working together again “really a dream come true.” He explains, “We both love being actors; we both love the process.” “So we spent two and a half months together, going to work early in the morning, but the whole time just laughing at what we got to say and do. It was a really great opportunity.”

Working on the set at the Paramount lot in Los Angeles felt like a full circle moment for both of them. Steenbergen did his screen test for the film going southWhich starred and directed Jack Nicholson. The actress recalls, “I was told, ‘There’s no way he’s with you because he needs a bigger star.’

Steenbergen says she spent all her money on the trip to LA and had to pay her hotel bill on the last night so she could afford to return to New York City for her waitress job. “They owed me for that night. So I went in and Jack was smoking a big cigar and I said, ‘Thanks for the experience. Good luck with your movie. I really hope it’s great. Can you give me the hotel bill for that one night in cash?'” she says. “And he says, ‘Sit down, kid and don’t worry about it. You’re on the payroll now.'”

The room where Nicholson broke the news to him is on the Paramount lot. She adds, “The people at the archive helped me figure it out and so our grandchildren and my daughter Lily came and we all went into that room.” “It was very exciting to be there.”

About 25 yards away from the office was Stage 25 where Danson filmed his iconic series to encourage“And we moved out of our house because of the fire and we were renting a place in Laurel Canyon,” he says of the wildfires earlier this year, “So the whole thing had a ’70s, early ’80s feel to it, The studio, where we were living, it was just a magical time,”

Although spending time together can be a hurdle for some couples, Danson and Steenbergen enjoyed every moment.

“We even shared a trailer,” the actress laughs. “And there was also our dog, who was very cute. We never get bored of each other. I don’t know what he says, but I still feel like we have a lot of things I want to talk to him about.”

“We found each other later in life, so I pretty much fixed my own things that didn’t work and caused problems in other relationships,” says Danson. “I finally became emotionally mature when I met Mary. We don’t take anything for granted, especially at this age.”

an inside man Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.