‘Cheers’ Wrote a Guest Star Role for Richard Burton — But He Said No

The Guest Role That Almost Was

In its debut season, the NBC sitcom Cheers had its sights set on an Oscar-nominated legend: Richard Burton. The show's writers were so determined to land the Welsh actor that they crafted an entire episode around a role tailor-made for him. But the dream casting never materialized, leading to a chain of rejections that eventually landed the part in the hands of a Broadway veteran.

According to Cheers writer Ken Levine, the idea sparked when the team heard a rumor that Burton was willing to do television. “We had heard, I don’t know from who, that Richard Burton was going to guest star on The Fall Guy,” Levine recalled on his Hollywood & Levine podcast. “So we thought wow, okay. If Richard Burton is doing TV, then maybe he’ll do our show.”

The Spy Who Never Came In

Inspired by Burton's acclaimed performance in the 1965 film The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, the Cheers writers penned an episode titled “The Spy Who Came In for a Cold One.” The script was penned by David Lloyd, a writer known for his work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi. The role called for a mysterious man who enters the bar claiming to be a spy — a juicy part that the writers believed would tempt Burton.

“It’s actually a very good part,” Levine said. The team sent the script to Burton’s representatives, hopeful that the star would bite. But the answer was a swift, unequivocal no.

“Well, Richard Burton’s people said, ‘What are you talking about? This is never going to happen in a million years. He’s not doing The Fall Guy.’”

Interestingly, Burton did appear on The Fall Guy later that same year, playing himself in a 1982 episode. But for Cheers, the door was firmly shut.

An Unlikely Successor

With their first choice out of reach, the producers scrambled to find a replacement. Co-creator Glen Charles suggested character actor Jack Elam, best known for his scruffy, one-eyed presence in countless Westerns. But Elam also passed on the role, prompting a wry observation from Levine: “We thought wow, this has got to be the first time that Richard Burton and Jack Elam were both up for the same part and of course both of them passed.”

Eventually, the role went to Ellis Rabb, a respected Broadway actor with a background in classical theater. Rabb brought a distinct theatricality to the part, far removed from the gravitas of Burton or the ruggedness of Elam. Despite the casting chaos, the episode became a memorable part of Cheers season one, later syndicated and streamed on platforms like Peacock.

A Star of Another Era

Richard Burton was no ordinary guest star. The seven-time Oscar nominee was a titan of stage and screen, famous for his volcanic performances in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, and Cleopatra. His personal life, especially his tempestuous marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, made him a perpetual tabloid fixture. By the early 1980s, Burton had mellowed somewhat, appearing in TV movies and even an episode of Here’s Lucy, but a sitcom like Cheers would have been a dramatic departure. The rejection was not surprising, though it left the writers with a tantalizing “what if.”

If Burton had accepted, he would have joined a stellar lineup of guest stars that helped define Cheers over its 11 seasons. The show famously cast athletes like Wade Boggs, politicians like Admiral William J. Crowe, and even pop-culture icons such as John Cleese. But perhaps the most consequential guest star story involves a young actor named Woody Harrelson, who auditioned for a small role and ended up being cast as the iconic Woody Boyd. Harrelson, of course, went on to earn an Oscar nomination himself, proving that Cheers had a sharp eye for talent — even when they missed out on Burton.

The Episode That Survived the Rejections

“The Spy Who Came In for a Cold One” aired on April 14, 1983, as part of the show’s freshman season. The plot centers on a suave stranger named Mr. Claven (played by Rabb) who enters the bar and spins elaborate tales of espionage, captivating the regulars. Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, and the gang are drawn into a mystery that culminates in a twist — the man is ultimately revealed to be a lonely fabricator seeking attention. The episode showcases the sharp writing of David Lloyd and the ensemble cast’s ability to elevate even the most outlandish premises.

Had Burton taken the role, the episode might have carried a different weight. Instead, it stands as a testament to the show’s resilience and adaptability. Cheers went on to become a landmark of American television, winning numerous Emmys and spawning the spin-off Frasier. But the tale of the role that was written for Richard Burton remains a fascinating footnote in the show’s storied history.

What Could Have Been

The failed pursuit of Burton is a classic Hollywood story of ambition and rejection. It also highlights the unpredictable nature of television casting in the early 1980s, when movie stars still rarely deigned to appear on sitcoms. Today, of course, A-listers regularly grace streaming series, but back then, even an actor like Jack Elam was considered a stretch. The fact that both Burton and Elam passed on the same part adds a layer of comic irony to the tale.

Ken Levine later reflected on the experience as a lesson in humility. “You write a part hoping a certain actor will take it, and when they don’t, you realize the episode still works with someone else,” he said. Indeed, Ellis Rabb delivered a performance that fit the show’s tone perfectly, and the episode remains a fan favorite.

For fans of Cheers, the story of the Richard Burton guest role offers a peek behind the curtain — a reminder that even the most successful shows don’t always get their first choice. And for anyone curious about the intersection of Hollywood glamour and sitcom storytelling, it’s a tale worth revisiting.

As of 2023, all 270 episodes of Cheers are available for free streaming on Peacock, including the season one episode that featured a spy who came in for a cold one — and the actor who wasn’t Richard Burton.

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