When NBC’s Cheers debuted in 1982, the hit sitcom seemed to have found lightning in a bottle, a successful ensemble cast that would eventually pave the way for a young Woody Harrelson to step into television history.
But long before Harrelson ever poured a beer as Woody Boyd, the heart and soul of the fictional Boston bar belonged to a very different character: Ernie “Coach” Pantusso. Played to perfection by veteran actor Nicholas Colasanto, Coach was far more than just comic relief. He was the lovable anchor of the series.
Behind the scenes, however, quiet heartbreak was unfolding throughout the show’s third season, according to Screen Rant. Colasanto had been quietly battling severe heart disease for years.
In early 1985, the beloved 61-year-old actor suffered a fatal heart attack. The news sent shockwaves through the cast and crew and placed the show’s creators, James Burrows and Glen and Les Charles, in an unthinkable position.
Rhea Perlman as Carla Tortelli, Nicholas Colasanto as Ernie ‘Coach’ Pantusso, Ted Danson as Sam Malone of ‘Cheers’/Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo BankParade Daily? SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ?
Replacing a core cast member on a hit television series is never easy and producers realized that hiring another actor to imitate Colasanto’s character would be disrespectful to his memory. Therefore, they banked on Harrelson’s portrayal of Woody to inject new life into the show as a new character, taking on Coach’s old job.
Writers cleverly linked the characters together by introducing Woody in Season 5 as Coach’s pen pal from Indiana. He traveled to Boston to finally meet him, but after learning of his passing, he was hired by Sam Malone (Ted Danson) to take his bartending job on the spot.
Harrelson brought a fresh, innocent, and completely original energy that mirrored Coach’s sweetness without ever feeling like he was imitating his character. What began as a tragic necessity turned into one of the most brilliant, seamless recasts in sitcom history.
The actor reflected on the transition to The Huffington Post. “I wasn’t really familiar with Cheers, so I didn’t have this relationship with Nicholas Colasanto, which would have made it really strange for me,” Harrelson began.
He continued, “I had watched Cheers exactly twice before doing my first scene. And I gotta say, it sounds like a hard thing, but in reality, that group of people was so great and so gracious and so wonderful to me that they made it kind of easy.”
Harrelson concluded, “I think it was probably more awkward for those guys. You know? I gotta say, it was just an extraordinary experience. Everybody was so cool and supportive.”
Losing a core cast member usually kills a hit sitcom. But Cheers survived because the creators didn’t try to replace Nicholas Colasanto; they just opened the door for Woody Harrelson to continue his legacy. Decades later, it stands as one of the best recasts in TV history.
Related: ‘Friends’ Quietly Recast a Major Character After Just One Episode—And Fans Barely Noticed
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