Kirstie Alley, Emmy-winning ‘Cheers’ star, dies at 71
New York (BP) — Kirstie Alley, a two-time Emmy winner whose roles on the TV megahit “Cheers” and in the “Look Who’s Talking” films made her one of the biggest stars in American comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died Monday. She was 71.
Alley died of cancer that was only recently discovered, her children True and Lillie Parker said in a post on Twitter. Alley’s manager Donovan Daughtry confirmed the death in an email to The Associated Press.
“As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother,” her children’s statement said.
She starred opposite Ted Danson as Rebecca Howe on “Cheers,” the beloved NBC sitcom about a Boston bar, from 1987 to 1993. She joined the show at the height of its popularity after the departure of original star Shelley Long.
Alley would win an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series for the role in 1991.
“I only thank God I didn’t have to wait as long as Ted,” Alley said in her acceptance, gently ribbing Danson, who had finally won an Emmy for his “Cheers” role as Sam Malone in his eighth nomination the previous year.
She would take a second Emmy for best lead actress in a miniseries or television movie in 1993 for playing the title role in the CBS TV movie “David’s Mother.”
Politics
In August 2015, Alley tweeted that she would not be supporting Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, during the 2016 presidential elections, and on April 8, 2016, she tweeted her support for Republicans Donald Trump 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 because “he’s NOT a politician”. She also endorsed Republican John James in the 2020 United States Senate election in Michigan.
Death
Alley died on December 5, 2022, following a short battle with cancer at age 71. 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, alongside a number of other celebrities posted their condolences on social media
