Ted Danson - Danson To Battle Barrymore In New Whale Film

Actor-turned-environmentalist TED DANSON is putting his activism aside to play a ruthless oilman in new film EVERYBODY LOVES WHALES.

The former Cheers star is the latest addition to the Cold War-era film, based on a true story of a small-town reporter and a Greenpeace volunteer, played by Drew Barrymore, who are on a mission to save three whales trapped under the ice of the Arctic Circle.

Meanwhile, Danson will play a money hungry oilman, who has no interest in saving the mammals.

The actor, a longtime ocean advocate, has worked for decades to restore and protect the world's marine life - he helped create the American Oceans Campaign in the 1980s and serves as a board member for advocacy group Oceana.

Vinessa Shaw, Kristen Bell and Tim Blake Nelson have also been cast in the Ken Kwapis film, set for release in 2012.