Stephanie Beatriz opened up about how enriching it was to share the screen with Ted Danson for Netflix’s A Man on the Inside.

“Something that I learned from Ted Danson was how to be an incredibly giving and generous person on set,” Beatriz, 43, exclusively told Us Weekly before the show’s premiere on Thursday, November 21. “I thought I was friendly — and then I saw Ted. I thought I was kind to strangers — and then I saw Ted.”

Beatriz praised Danson, 76, for creating a peaceful and positive filming environment.

“Ted Danson is really like a king among men on set,” she continued. “And he is so generous and lovely and wonderful. He’s the kind of actor that I emulate and want to be.”

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The duo, who previously starred on different shows created by Michael Schur, got to collaborate on Netflix’s A Man on the Inside. Based on Maite Alberdi‘s 2020 documentary The Mole Agent.

Ted Danson and Stephanie Beatriz Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix

A Man on the Inside stars Danson as a retiree-turned-amateur private investigator and it offers commentary about living life to the fullest.

“Sometimes you just got to laugh about this s—, otherwise you f—ing lose your mind. When you look in the mirror and see another wrinkle, you’ve got to laugh,” Beatriz noted. “Also, I think some of the toughest things in life have to be dealt with humor. I was cracking up all through my labor and delivery of my kid. I was also terrified I was going to lose her.”

She continued: “My dad — while he was dying of cancer — we were f—ing laughing because we had to. We just had [to]. And also, sometimes you have to look at life and think to yourself, ‘This is actually pretty good. We’re still in it and it’s pretty damn good.’ Then when someone leaves this life and you miss them and you love them you think, ‘Damn, wasn’t that so good that I miss them and I love them still?’”

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Beatriz’s costars Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Lilah Richcreek Estrada took away a similar message from the show.

Stephanie Beatriz in ‘A Man on the Inside’. Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix

“We portrayed the best case scenario — that we do get to get older. I personally think that you can create every stage of your life to be big and beautiful and exactly how you want it. So I’m excited to keep doing that regardless of how old I am,” Estrada, 35, shared with Us. “And I think our show gives us permission to do that at any stage of our life. It shows us that it’s possible.”

Ellis, 45, meanwhile, called A Man on the Inside a “beautiful invitation” to enjoy getting older, adding, “It holds the aging process in such dignity, love, optimism and light. Getting old is the best case scenario. That’s actually what we want. We want to be here for a long time. … There’s such optimism about aging in this show. I think people really connect with it.

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As for Danson, he was thrilled to reunite with Schur, 49, for A Man on the Inside after working with him on The Good Place.

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Ted Danson in ‘A Man on the Inside’. Courtesy of Netflix

“I do want to be purposeful about what [projects] I pick, which is what’s so amazing about working with Michael Schur because what he writes about is important and it’s purposeful,” he shared with Us. “There’s intention behind what he writes. So yes, it can be funny, but it is fully human and I love [it]. I think that’s what actors love most is exploring the human condition. It doesn’t mean you can’t be silly and funny.”

A Man on the Inside is now streaming on Netflix.

With reporting by Mariel Turner