Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley[1] (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC 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, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. On film, she played Mollie Jensen in Look Who's Talking (1989) and its two sequels, Look Who's Talking Too (1990) and Look Who's Talking Now (1993).
Kirstie Alley
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 (1990), Village of the Damned (1995), It Takes Two (1995), Deconstructing Harry (1997), For Richer or Poorer (1997), and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999).
Alley won her second Emmy Award in 1994 for the television film David's Mother. In 1997, Alley received another Emmy nomination for her work in the crime drama series The Last Don. In 2005, she played a fictionalized version of herself on Showtime's Fat Actress, something she would also do on episodes of King of Queens and Hot in Cleveland, as well as in Syrup (2013). In 2013, Alley returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom Kirstie. In 2016, she appeared on the Fox 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, and the 22nd series of the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother (2018), in which she finished as runner-up. In early 2022, she appeared on The Masked Singer.
Early life[edit]
Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas,[1] to Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company,[2] and Lillian Alley.[3] She had two siblings, Colette and Craig. Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, graduating in 1969.[2] She attended college at Kansas State University, dropping out after her sophomore year.[2] After moving to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer, Alley appeared as a contestant on the game show Match Game in 1979.[4] Winning both her games, she went on to win $500 in her first Super Match and $5,500 in her second.[5] She also appeared on the game show Password Plus in 1980. On both shows, she described her profession as interior designer. In 1981, an automobile crash involving a drunk driver[3] killed her mother and left her father seriously injured.[2]
Career[edit]
Alley made her film debut in 1982 in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in the role of the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik.[6] The Saavik character became very popular with Star Trek fans, but Alley chose not to reprise the role in the next two film sequels so the role was recast.[7] She was also a regular on the ABC television series Masquerade from 1983 to 1984.[8] In the years following, she starred in a number of smaller films, including One More Chance, Blind Date and Runaway. In 1985, she starred in the ABC miniseries North and South,[9] and also portrayed feminist icon Gloria Steinem in the television movie A Bunny's Tale.[8] 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.[10]
Later in 1987, Alley joined the cast of NBC sitcom Cheers, replacing Shelley Long. It became her breakout hit role and she remained with the show for six years until its eleventh and final season.[11] In 1989, Alley starred with John Travolta in Look Who's Talking. The film grossed over $295 million worldwide. They then went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now.[12] After two Emmy Award nominations for her work on Cheers, in 1988 and 1990, she won the Emmy on her third nomination, in 1991.[13] In her acceptance speech, she memorably thanked "my husband Parker, the man who has given me the big one for the last eight years."[14]
Alley earned her second Emmy for the 1994 television film David's Mother.[13] For her contributions to the film industry, Alley received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in 1995.[15]
From 1997 to 2000, Alley played the title character in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet, as well as serving as executive producer on the show. She served as the spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports from 2000 to 2004, and for Jenny Craig from 2004 to 2007.[16] She appeared as a contestant on seasons 12 and 15 of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.[17][18]
TV Land aired a sitcom that centered on Alley as Broadway star Madison "Maddie" Banks, who reconnects with her adult son who she gave up for adoption shortly after he was born. The series was titled Kirstie, and reunited her with former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman and Seinfeld star Michael Richards. The series premiered on December 4, 2013,[19] and ran for one season before it was canceled, five months after ending its freshman run.[20]
In 2018, Alley appeared on season 22 of the British series Celebrity Big Brother; she finished in second place.[17] In 2022, Alley competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Baby Mammoth" of Team Cuddly.[21]
Death[edit]
Alley was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in May 2022, following a doctor’s visit for a sore back. Despite chemotherapy treatments at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, she died at her home in Clearwater on December 5, 2022, at the age of 71.[52][53][54][55]
Her ex-husband Parker Stevenson, her two children, Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta,[56] and other celebrities posted their condolences on social media.[57] Her Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, and Rhea Perlman also released statements memorializing her.[58]