Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakout role was as

Rebecca Howe Rebecca Howe is a fictional character of the American television sitcom ''Cheers'', portrayed by Kirstie Alley and created by Glen and Les Charles. Rebecca appeared in 147 episodes of ''Cheers'' between 1987 and 1993 and in one episode of ''Wi ...

in the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

sitcom '' Cheers'' (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 to 2000, she starred as the lead in the sitcom ''

Veronica's Closet ''Veronica's Closet'' is an American sitcom television series created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, that aired on NBC for three seasons, from September 25, 1997, to December 7, 2000. The show stars Kirstie Alley as Veronica "Ronnie" Chase, ...

'', earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. On film, she was perhaps best known for her role as Mollie Jensen in ''

Look Who's Talking ''Look Who's Talking'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling, and starring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The film features George Segal as Albert ...

'' (1989) and its two sequels, ''

Look Who's Talking Too ''Look Who's Talking Too'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film and a sequel to director Amy Heckerling's 1989 comedy ''Look Who's Talking''. The film stars the original cast members John Travolta and Kirstie Alley as James and Mollie Ubriacc ...

'' (1990) and ''

Look Who's Talking Now ''Look Who's Talking Now'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy film, and the third and final installment in the film series that began with '' Look Who's Talking'' in 1989. It finds John Travolta and Kirstie Alley reprising their roles as James a ...

'' (1993). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Alley appeared in various films, including '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' (1982), '' Summer School'' (1987), '' Shoot to Kill'' (1988), '' Madhouse'' (1990), ''

Sibling Rivalry Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not. Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced ...

'' (1990), '' Village of the Damned'' (1995), '' It Takes Two'' (1995), ''

Deconstructing Harry ''Deconstructing Harry'' is a 1997 American black comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis and others. The fil ...

'' (1997), ''

For Richer or Poorer ''For Richer or Poorer'' is a 1997 American slapstick comedy film directed by Bryan Spicer starring Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley as a New York socialite couple who decide to end their spoiled relationship. The supporting cast includes Jay O. Sande ...

'' (1997), and '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'' (1999). Alley won her second Emmy Award in 1994 for the television film ''

David's Mother ''David's Mother'' is a 1994 American made-for-television drama film directed by Robert Allan Ackerman and stars Kirstie Alley as a devoted mother trying to cope with her autistic teenage son David ( Michael Goorjian). The film aired on CBS on A ...

''. In 1997, Alley received another Emmy nomination for her work in the crime drama series ''

The Last Don ''The Last Don'' is a 1996 novel by American author Mario Puzo, best known as the author of the 1969 novel ''The Godfather''. The story follows an aging Mafia Don and his family as they try to retain power. The story alternates between the fil ...

''. In 2005, she played a fictionalized version of herself on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

's ''

Fat Actress ''Fat Actress'' is an American comedy television series starring Kirstie Alley. In the United States, it aired on Showtime from March 7 to April 18, 2005. The series was created and written by Alley and Brenda Hampton. Premise Alley gave a gl ...

''. In 2013, Alley returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom '' Kirstie''. In 2016, she appeared on the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

comedy horror series '' Scream Queens''. She also appeared in reality television including '' Kirstie Alley's Big Life'' (2010) and served as a contestant on the 12th season of '' Dancing with the Stars'' (2011–2012), where she finished in second place, behind

Hines Ward Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American football coach and former wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the ...

, and the 22nd series of the British reality show ''

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

'' (2018), in which she finished as runner-up. In 2022, she appeared on ''

The Masked Singer ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''.

Early life

Alley was born in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

, to Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company, and Lillian Alley. She had two siblings, Colette and Craig. Alley attended

Wichita Southeast High School Wichita Southeast High School, known locally as Southeast, is a public secondary school in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Wichita USD 259 school district and serves students in grades 9 to 12. Southeast is one of many high schoo ...

, graduating in 1969. She attended college at Kansas State University, dropping out after her sophomore year. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a Scientology as a business, business, or a new religious movement. The most recent ...

and work as an interior designer, Alley appeared as a contestant on the game show ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

'' in 1979. Winning both her games, she went on to win $500 in her first Super Match and $5,500 in her second. She also appeared on the game show ''

Password Plus ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' are American TV game shows that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of ''Password'', which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differen ...

'' in 1980. On both shows, she described her profession as interior designer. In 1981, an automobile accident involving a drunk driver killed her mother and left her father seriously injured.

Career

Alley made her film debut in 1982 in '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' in the role of the

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

Starfleet Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...

officer Lieutenant Saavik. The Saavik character became very popular with ''Star Trek'' fans, but Alley chose not to reprise the role in the next two film sequels, later stating that she was offered less money than for ''Star Trek II''. Actress Robin Curtis succeeded her in the role. She was also a regular on the ABC television series '' Masquerade'' from 1983 to 1984. In the years following, she starred in a number of smaller films, including '' One More Chance'', ''

Blind Date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...

'' and '' Runaway''. In 1985, she starred in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

miniseries ''

North and South North and South may refer to: Literature * ''North and South'' (Gaskell novel), an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell * ''North and South'' (trilogy), a series of novels by John Jakes (1982–1987) ** ''North and South'' (Jakes novel), first novel ...

'', and also portrayed feminist icon

Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a c ...

in the television movie '' A Bunny's Tale''. In 1987, Alley starred alongside Mark Harmon in the comedy film '' Summer School''. The film was a box office success, grossing over $35 million in the United States. Later in 1987, Alley joined the cast of NBC sitcom '' Cheers'', replacing

Shelley Long Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Long portrayed Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom '' Cheers'' and received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Se ...

. It became her breakout hit role and she remained with the show for six years until its eleventh and final season.Interview with Kirstie Alley, ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...

'', December 4, 2013. In 1989, Alley starred with John Travolta in ''

''. The film grossed over $295 million worldwide. They then went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, ''

'' and ''

''. After two Emmy Award nominations for her work on ''Cheers'', in 1988 and 1990, she won the Emmy on her third nomination, in 1991. Alley earned her second Emmy for the 1994 television film ''

''. For her contributions to the film industry, Alley received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

in 1995. From 1997 to 2000, Alley played the title character in the NBC sitcom ''

'', as well as serving as executive producer on the show. She served as the spokesperson for

Pier 1 Imports Pier 1 Imports, Inc. is an online retailer and former Fort Worth, Texas-based retail chain specializing in imported home furnishings and decor, particularly furniture, table-top items, decorative accessories, and seasonal decor. It was publicl ...

from 2000 to 2004, and for Jenny Craig from 2004 to 2007.

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...

aired a sitcom that centered on Alley as a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

star and a new parent. It was titled '' Kirstie'', and reunited her with former '' Cheers'' co-star

Rhea Perlman Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress. She played head-waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom '' Cheers'' (1982–1993). Over the course of 11 seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting ...

and '' Seinfeld'' star Michael Richards. The series premiered on December 4, 2013, and ran for one season before it was canceled, five months after ending its freshman run. She was partnered with

Maksim Chmerkovskiy Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy ( uk, Максим Олександрович Чмерковський ; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-American Latin–ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely known ...

on the 15th season of ''Dancing with the Stars'', where she finished in second place. In 2015 Alley was cast in '' Time Crashers'', a reality history program on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

. In 2022, Alley competed in season seven of ''

'' as "Baby Mammoth" of Team Cuddly.

Personal life

Alley was married from 1970 to 1977 to high-school sweetheart Bob Alley, who coincidentally had the same name as her father. Alley married actor

Parker Stevenson Richard Stevenson Parker Jr. (born June 4, 1952), known professionally as Parker Stevenson, is an American actor best known for playing Frank Hardy in the 1970s TV series ''The Hardy Boys'' and Craig Pomeroy on the 1990s TV series '' Baywatch' ...

on December 22, 1983. Following a miscarriage, the couple adopted their first child, a son, in October 1992, and in 1995, they adopted their second child, a girl. The marriage ended in 1997. In 2016, Alley became a grandmother through her son. From 2000 until her death in 2022, Alley was a resident of Clearwater, Florida. From 1991 to 2020, Alley also lived on Islesboro Island, Maine. She once owned the Mitchell Cottage, formerly the Islesboro Inn, with her then husband. Alley later purchased another home on Islesboro.

Body image

On '' The Dr. Oz Show'' on September 17, 2012, Alley said she started gaining weight in late 2003, and that she had been a compulsive eater all her life without gaining weight, only noticing the change after she reached early

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medical professionals often ...

in 1992. While working as a Jenny Craig spokesperson from 2004 to 2007, Alley lost , bringing her weight down to . In May 2009, she told ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'' magazine that, after parting ways with Jenny Craig, she gained and weighed as much as . In March 2010, after gossip blogger

Roger Friedman Roger Friedman is an American journalist who runs the website, Showbiz411.com since 2009. Friedman's career started at Ballantine Books in the early 1980s as a book publicist, where he helped create bestsellers for baseball strategist Bill James, ...

alleged a link between her Organic Liaison weight-loss system and the Church of Scientology, Alley wrote: "Please Google Mr. Roger Friedman. He is spreading lies about me and my new business. You will see his history & why Fox fired him. Going to have Mr. Attorney call Mr. Friedman's Attorney tomorrow ... Mr. Friedman is treading on thin LIBELOUS ice with my company." In September 2011, Alley announced she had lost using weight loss products from Organic Liaison. In 2012, she faced a

class-action lawsuit A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class actio ...

alleging false advertising; the suit claimed that her weight loss was the result of exercise, including training for the TV show ''Dancing with the Stars'', not Organic Liaison products. She

settled A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

the suit in 2013, agreeing to remove the term "Proven Products" from packaging, issue a

disclaimer A disclaimer is generally any statement intended to specify or delimit the scope of rights and obligations that may be exercised and enforced by parties in a legally recognized relationship. In contrast to other terms for legally operative langua ...

on the brand's website that it is a "calorie-based weight-loss product", and pay a $130,000 settlement. In April 2014, she resumed a role as a spokesperson with Jenny Craig; the Organic Liaison product line was acquired by Jenny Craig's parent company, and subsequently integrated into Jenny Craig's product line. In January 2015, Alley said that, since starting the Jenny Craig weight-loss program again, she had lost .

Scientology

Alley was raised as a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

, but became a member of the Church of Scientology in 1979. At the time she became a Scientologist, Alley said she had a

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

addiction and went through

Narconon Narconon International (commonly known as Narconon) is a Scientology organization which promotes the theories of founder L. Ron Hubbard regarding substance abuse treatment and addiction. Its parent company is the Association for Better Li ...

, a Scientology-affiliated drug treatment program, to end her dependency. By 2007 she had attained the level of OT VII (

Operating Thetan In Scientology, Operating Thetan (OT) is a notional spiritual status above Clear. It is defined as "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time (MEST)." According to religious scholar J. Gordon Melton, "It’s ...

Level 7), and by 2018 she was New OT VIII. According to Alley, "Scientology made me a lot stronger and tougher ... It's made me more honest and more willing to take responsibility for other people." In May 2000, she purchased a waterfront mansion from former Scientologist

Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (born February 1, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. She is the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley, as well as the sole heir to her father's estate. Presley has developed a caree ...

for $1.5 million. The house is in Clearwater, Florida, the spiritual headquarters of the Church of Scientology. Alley donated $5 million to the church in 2007. As a member of the Church of Scientology, Alley opted not to, though was never asked to, reprise her role as Rebecca Howe on any episode of ''

Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...

'', because the series was centered on the field of medical

psychiatrists A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

; she was the only former ''Cheers'' regular not to do so.

Politics

In August 2015, Alley tweeted that she would not be supporting

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, the Democratic nominee, during the

2016 presidential elections This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: K ...

, and on April 8, 2016, she tweeted her support for Republicans

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

and Rudy Giuliani. On October 8, 2016, Alley retracted her endorsement of Trump, tweeting, "I hate this election and I'm officially no longer endorsing either candidate." In October 2020, she stated she had voted for Trump in 2016 and intended to vote for him again in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

because "he's NOT a politician." She also endorsed Republican John James in the

2020 United States Senate election in Michigan The 2020 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent Michigan. It was held concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other election ...

Death

Alley died from colon cancer at

Moffitt Cancer Center Houston Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute is a nonprofit cancer treatment and research center located in Tampa, Florida. Established in 1981 by the Florida Legislature, the hospital opened in October 1986 on the University of South ...

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, on December 5, 2022, at the age of 71. As per a statement released by her children, the cancer had only been recently discovered. Her ex-husband Parker Stevenson, her two children, ''Look Who's Talking'' co-star John Travolta, and other celebrities posted their condolences on social media. Her '' Cheers'' co-stars

Ted Danson Edward Bridge "Ted" Danson III (born December 29, 1947) is an American actor. He achieved stardom playing the lead character Sam Malone on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'', for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. ...

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...

, and

also released statements memorializing her.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Alley's work has been honored by multiple associations throughout her career. For her role in the sitcom '' Cheers'', she earned four Golden Globe Award nominations winning one for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1991, and five Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning one for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991. On November 10, 1995, Alley was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to motion pictures.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alley, Kirstie 1951 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actors from Wichita, Kansas Actresses from Kansas American film actresses American former Protestants American Scientologists American television actresses Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners California Republicans Contestants on American game shows Former Methodists Kansas State University alumni Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners People from Islesboro, Maine Wichita Southeast High School alumni Deaths from colorectal cancer Deaths from cancer in Florida