Sam Malone

Living… in Boston, with one foot in the past. Sam has a unique connection to the city, having been a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before he bought the neighborhood tavern, Cheers. He might’ve been a great player, had he not let his drinking derail him. He’s even had Yankees fans acknowledge that he didn’t stink. Except for hitting – he did stink at that.

Profession… owner/bartender at Cheers. As a former Red Sox reliever and current barkeep, Sam knows a lot about slinging both pitches and pitchers of beer. Sam is the heart and soul of the bar, the single biggest reason it’s a place “where everybody knows your name.” Sam bought the bar when he was a big drinker, but he decided to continue operating it after he achieved sobriety for “sentimental reasons.” It might seem an odd career choice for a recovering alcoholic, but it works for Sam – with one notable relapse due to his tempestuous relationship with... well, we’ll get to that. 

Interests... women. Sam loves women, pure and simple, and wants to be with as many attractive women as he is physically able. And he’d rather not hear some egghead like his friend Dr. Frasier Crane put a negative label on his love for the ladies. Why should Sam keep his Sammy-ness all bottled up, rather than sharing it freely with the women of Boston and beyond?

Relationship Status... either single and loving it, or pining for Diane Chambers or (later) Rebecca Howe. His most substantial relationship was with Diane, a woman completely unlike his normal type. Nevertheless, their mutual attraction was clear from the moment she wandered into his bar (and was left there by her then- fiancé), and their eventual relationship was inevitable. They were constantly on-and-off during their five years together, and Sam would take these “off” periods as a chance to return to his usual promiscuous habits. Sam was devastated after she ended their relationship but soon found comfort in the arrival of Rebecca Howe, the bar’s new manager, though Rebecca usually finds his advances easier to resist.

Challenge… overcoming his addictions and insecurities. Despite his reputation as a Don Juan, Sam sometimes worries about the lack of substance in both his relationships and career prospects. Sam is especially insecure about his brother Derek, a handsome and successful lawyer who even got to Diane before he did. And let’s be frank: one man’s “womanizer” is another man’s “sex addict.”

Personality… suave and confident, but narcissistic. Sam tends to revel in his sleaze and promiscuity. He’s handsome and charming, and he knows it. His moral code doesn’t extend far past not dating married, underage, or comatose women. Still, he takes on the sorrows of his patrons and employees and is always willing to listen to their problems, helping out whenever he can. He isn’t bitter about his faded days of glory and fills the bar with his easy-going nature. Sam helps make Cheers a great place to while away a few hours – or years.