Kirstie Louise Alley (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, Alley 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 | |
|---|---|
 Alley in 1994 | |
| Born | Kirstie Louise Alley January 12, 1951 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 2022 (aged 71) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1978–2022 |
| Spouses | Bob Alley (m. 1971; div. 1977)Parker Stevenson (m. 1983; div. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame |
| Website | kirstiealley |
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, Alley 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.
Alley 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 Alley finished as runner-up. In early 2022, she appeared on The Masked Singer.
Early life and education
Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, on January 12, 1951, to Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company, and Lillian Alley. She had two siblings, Colette and Craig.[citation needed]
Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, where she graduated in 1969. Alley attended college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, where she dropped out after completing her sophomore year.
Career
After leaving Kansas State, Alley moved to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer. In 1979, she appeared as a contestant on the game show Match Game, winning both her games and went on to win $500 in her first Super Match and $5,500 in her second. In 1980, Alley appeared on the game show Password Plus. On both game shows, she described her profession as interior designer. In 1981, an automobile crash involving a drunk driver killed Alley's mother and left her father seriously injured.
In 1982, Alley made her film debut in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in the role of the Vulcan Starfleet 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 so the role was recast.
From 1983 to 1984, Alley was a regular on the ABC television series Masquerade. In the years following, Alley starred in a number of smaller films, including One More Chance, Blind Date and Runaway.
In 1985, Alley starred in the ABC miniseries North and South, and also portrayed feminist icon Gloria Steinem 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. She followed up with roles in films such as Shoot to Kill (1988), Madhouse (1990), and Sibling Rivalry (1990).
In 1987, Alley joined the cast of the NBC sitcom Cheers, where she played Rebecca Howe. She replaced Shelley Long. Alley remained with the show for six years until its eleventh and final season, and earned an Emmy Award and Golden Globe.
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 (1990) and Look Who's Talking Now (1993). After two Emmy Award nominations for her work on Cheers, in 1988 and 1990, Alley won the Emmy on her third nomination, in 1991. In her acceptance speech, Alley memorably thanked "my husband Parker, the man who has given me the big one for the last eight years."
Alley earned her second Emmy for the 1994 television film David's Mother. 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. Her later films included Village of the Damned (1995), It Takes Two (1995), Deconstructing Harry (1997), For Richer or Poorer (1997), and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999).
From 1997 to 2000, Alley played the title character and was executive producer in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet, where she earned another Emmy and Golden Globe nomination. From 2000 to 2004, she served as a commercial spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports, and for Jenny Craig from 2004 to 2007. In 2005, Alley played a fictionalized version of herself on the show Fat Actress. In 2010, she was in the reality show Kirstie Alley's Big Life. From 2011 to 2012, Alley appeared as a contestant on seasons 12 and 15 of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Beginning in December 2013, TV Land aired a sitcom that centered on Alley as Broadway star Madison "Maddie" Banks, who reconnects with her adult son whom 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 ran for five months.
In 2018, Alley appeared on season 22 of the British series Celebrity Big Brother; she finished in second place.
In 2019, Alley returned to the game show Match Game, where she was a contestant in 1979, this time as a celebrity panel. Host Alec Baldwin surprised Alley with a clip from the original series. This made her only the second former contestant to return as a panelist. (The first was actress Brianne Leary, who was a contestant in 1976 and a panelist in 1979.)
In 2022, Alley competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Baby Mammoth" of Team Cuddly.
Personal life
Alley was married from 1971 to 1977 to her high school sweetheart Robert "Bob" Alley, who coincidentally had the same name as her father. Alley married actor Parker Stevenson on December 22, 1983. After a miscarriage, the couple adopted their first child, a son, William True in October 1992, and in 1995, they adopted their second child, a daughter, Lillie. The marriage ended in 1997. In 2016, Alley became a grandmother through her son.
In 1988 and 2000 respectively, Alley purchased estates in Jacksonville, Oregon, and Clearwater, Florida, retaining ownership of both properties until her death in 2022. From 1991 to 2020, Alley also resided on Islesboro Island, Maine. She once owned the Mitchell Cottage, formerly the Islesboro Inn, with her then-husband Stevenson.
Body image
On The Dr. Oz Show on September 17, 2012, Alley said that 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 reaching early menopause in 1992.
While working as a Jenny Craig spokesperson from 2004 to 2007, Alley lost 75 pounds (34 kg), bringing her weight down to 145 lb (66 kg). In May 2009, Alley told People magazine that, after parting ways with Craig, she gained 83 lb (38 kg) and weighed as much as 228 lb (103 kg).
In March 2010, after gossip blogger Roger Friedman alleged a link between her Organic Liaison weight-loss system and the Church of Scientology, Alley denied it on the Today show. In September 2011, Alley announced that she had lost 100 lb (45 kg) using weight loss products from Organic Liaison. In 2012, Alley faced a class-action lawsuit 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. Alley settled the suit in 2013, agreeing to remove the term "Proven Products" from packaging, issue a disclaimer on the brand's website that it is a "calorie-based weight-loss product", and pay a $130,000 settlement.
In April 2014, Alley resumed a role as a spokeswoman 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 50 lb (23 kg).
Scientology
Alley was raised as a Methodist; she became a member of the Church of Scientology in 1979. Alley said that until she became a Scientologist, she was addicted to cocaine but then went through Narconon, a Scientology-affiliated drug treatment program to end her addiction. By 2007, Alley attained the level of OT VII (Operating Thetan Level 7), and by 2018, she was New OT VIII. In January 2008, Alley said, "Scientology made me a lot stronger and tougher [...] It's made me more honest and more willing to take responsibility for other people." Alley gave $5 million to the church in 2007.
Due to her commitment to the Church of Scientology, Alley decided not to reprise her role as Rebecca Howe on any episode of the Cheers spinoff Frasier because the series was centered on the field of medical psychiatry, the principles of which are at odds with those of the Church. Alley was the only former Cheers regular to do so.
Politics
Alley said she supported both Democratic and Republican presidential nominees and independent Ross Perot in 1992, but decided not to vote in 1988 and 2004. In August 2015, Alley tweeted that she would not support Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, during the 2016 presidential election, and on April 8, 2016, Alley tweeted her support for Republican presidential candidates 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, Alley said that she had voted for Trump four years earlier and intended to vote for him again in 2020 because "he's NOT a politician." She also endorsed Republican John James in the 2020 U.S. Senate election in Michigan.
Death
In May 2022, Alley was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, following a doctor’s visit for a sore back. She subsequently underwent chemotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, where she died on December 5 at age 71.
Several celebrities posted tributes to Alley on social media or released memorial statements, including Alley's ex-husband Parker Stevenson, her two children, her Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta, and her Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, and Rhea Perlman.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | One More Chance | Sheila | [citation needed] |
| 1982 | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Saavik | |
| 1984 | Champions | Barbara | |
| Blind Date | Claire Simpson | ||
| Runaway | Jackie Rogers | ||
| 1987 | Summer School | Ms. Robin Elizabeth Bishop | |
| 1988 | She's Having a Baby | Herself | Uncredited |
| Shoot to Kill | Sarah Rennell | ||
| 1989 | Loverboy | Dr. Joyce Palmer | |
| Look Who's Talking | Mollie Jensen | ||
| 1990 | Madhouse | Jessie Bannister | |
| Sibling Rivalry | Marjorie Turner | ||
| Look Who's Talking Too | Mollie Jensen Ubriacco | ||
| 1993 | Look Who's Talking Now | ||
| 1995 | Village of the Damned | Dr. Susan Verner | |
| It Takes Two | Diane Barrows | ||
| 1996 | Sticks & Stones | Joey's mother | |
| 1997 | Nevada | McGill | Also co-producer |
| Deconstructing Harry | Joan | ||
| For Richer or Poorer | Caroline Sexton | ||
| 1999 | The Mao Game | Diane Highland | |
| Drop Dead Gorgeous | Gladys Leeman | ||
| 2004 | Back by Midnight | Gloria Beaumont | |
| 2013 | Syrup | Kirstie Alley | |
| 2015 | Accidental Love | Aunt Rita |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Quark | Handmaiden (uncredited) | Episode: "The Old and the Beautiful" |
| 1979 | Match Game | Herself, contestant | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | Password Plus | Herself | 1 episode |
| 1983 | Highway Honeys | Draggin' Lady | Television film |
| The Love Boat | Marion Stevens | Episode: "The World's Greatest Kisser/Don't Take My Wife, Please/The Reluctant Father" | |
| 1983–84 | Masquerade | Casey Collins | Main cast |
| 1984 | Sins of the Past | Patrice Cantwell | Television film |
| 1985 | A Bunny's Tale | Gloria Steinem | Television film |
| 1985–86 | North and South | Virgilia Hazard | Miniseries; main cast |
| 1985–87 | The Hitchhiker | Jane L. Angelica | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Prince of Bel Air | Jamie Harrison | Television film |
| Stark: Mirror Image | Maggie Carter | Television film | |
| 1987–93 | Cheers | Rebecca Howe | Series regular – 148 episodes |
| 1987 | Infidelity | Ellie Denato | Television film |
| 1988 | Mickey's 60th Birthday | Rebecca Howe | Television film |
| 1990 | Masquerade: The Movie | Casey Collins | Television film |
| 1991–93 | Saturday Night Live | Herself / host | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Flesh 'n' Blood | Starr Baxter | Episode: "Arlo and Starr" |
| 1992 | My Name Is Prince | Vanessa Bartholomew | Music video |
| 1993 | Wings | Rebecca Howe | Episode: "I Love Brian" |
| 1994 | David's Mother | Sally Goodson | Television film |
| 1995 | Peter and the Wolf | Annie/Bird/Duck (voice) | Television film |
| 1996 | Radiant City | Gloria Goodman | Television film |
| Suddenly | Marty Doyle | Television film; also writer | |
| 1997–2000 | Veronica's Closet | Veronica Chase | Series regular; also producer |
| 1997 | Ink | Dahlia | Episode: "Breaking the Rules" |
| Toothless | Dr. Katherine Lewis | Television film | |
| The Last Don | Rose Marie Clericuzio | Miniseries; main cast | |
| 1998 | The Last Don II | Miniseries; main cast | |
| 2001 | Blonde | Elsie | Miniseries; main cast |
| Dharma & Greg | Dr. Tish (uncredited) | Episode: "The End of the Innocence: Part 1" | |
| 2002 | Glory Days | Mike's Agent | Unaired pilot |
| 2003 | Salem Witch Trials | Ann Putnam | Television film |
| Profoundly Normal | Donna Lee Shelby Thornton | Television film; also executive producer | |
| 2004 | Without a Trace | Noreen Raab | Episode: "Risen" |
| Family Sins | Brenda Geck | Television film | |
| While I Was Gone | Jo Beckett | Television film | |
| 2005 | Fat Actress | Kirstie Alley | Series regular; also writer / executive producer |
| 2006 | The King of Queens | Episode: "Apartment Complex" | |
| 2007 | Write & Wrong | Byrdie Langdon | Television film; also executive producer |
| The Minister of Divine | Sydney Hudson | Pilot Episode | |
| 2008 | The Hills | Herself | Episode: "Girls Night Out" |
| 2010 | Kirstie Alley's Big Life | Series regular; also executive producer | |
| 2011–12 | Dancing with the Stars | 34 episodes; contestant | |
| 2012 | The Manzanis | Angela | Television film |
| 2013 | Baby Sellers | Carla Huxley | Television film |
| 2013–14 | Kirstie | Maddie Banks | Series regular; also executive producer |
| Hot in Cleveland | Maddie Banks / Kirstie Alley | 2 episodes | |
| 2015 | The Middle | Pam Staggs | Episode: "Pam Freakin' Staggs" |
| Time Crashers | Herself | Main cast (season 1) | |
| 2016 | Flaked | Jackie | Episode: "Palms" |
| Scream Queens | Nurse Ingrid M. Hoffel (née Bean) / The Green Meanie #4 | Main cast (season 2) | |
| 2018 | Celebrity Big Brother 22 | Herself | Runner-up; housemate |
| 2019 | The Goldbergs | Janice Bartlett | Episode: "Food in a Geoffy" |
| 2019 | Match Game | Herself, panelist | 1 episode |
| 2020 | You Can't Take My Daughter | Suzanne | Television film |
| 2022 | The Masked Singer | Herself/Baby Mammoth | Season 7 contestant; Eliminated in eighth episode of season 7 |
Awards and nominations
Alley's work was honored by multiple associations throughout her career. For her role in the sitcom Cheers, she earned four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning once 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. She won an additional Emmy for her role in the television film, David's Mother (1994).
On November 10, 1995, Alley was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to motion pictures.
| Year | Association | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | American Comedy Awards | Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series | Cheers | Nominated | |
| 1990 | Nominated | ||||
| Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture | Look Who's Talking | Nominated | |||
| 1991 | Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series | Cheers | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Veronica's Closet | Nominated | |||
| 1993 | American Television Awards | Best Actress in a Situation Comedy | Cheers | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| 1990 | Bravo Otto Awards | Best Actress | Look Who's Talking | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Look Who's Talking Too | Nominated | |||
| 1987 | CableACE Awards | Actress in a Dramatic Series | The Hitchhiker | Nominated | |
| 1988 | Nominated | [citation needed] | |||
| 1990 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical | Cheers | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Won | ||||
| 1992 | Nominated | ||||
| 1993 | Nominated | ||||
| 1995 | Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | David's Mother | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical | Veronica's Closet | Nominated | ||
| 1990 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress | Look Who's Talking | Nominated | |
| 1991 | Look Who's Talking Too | Nominated | |||
| Favorite Television Actress | Cheers | Nominated | |||
| 1996 | Favorite Movie Actress | It Takes Two | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Favorite Television Actress | Veronica's Closet | Nominated | ||
| 1988 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Female Television Performer | Cheers | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| 1990 | Nominated | [citation needed] | |||
| 1991 | Won | ||||
| 1992 | Nominated | ||||
| 1993 | Nominated | [citation needed] | |||
| 1998 | Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series | Veronica's Closet | Won | ||
| 1988 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Cheers | Nominated | |
| 1990 | Nominated | ||||
| 1991 | Won | ||||
| 1992 | Nominated | ||||
| 1993 | Nominated | ||||
| 1994 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | David's Mother | Won | ||
| 1997 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | The Last Don | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Veronica's Closet | Nominated | ||
| 1997 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Suddenly | Nominated | |
| 1983 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Nominated | |
| 1985 | Runaway | Nominated | |||
| 1998 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Veronica's Closet | Nominated | |
| 1997 | The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst On-Screen Couple (shared with Tim Allen) | For Richer or Poorer | Nominated | |
| 1999 | Worst Supporting Actress | Drop Dead Gorgeous | Nominated | ||
| 1990 | Viewers for Quality Television Awards | Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series | Cheers | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| 1991 | Nominated | [citation needed] | |||
| 1992 | Nominated | [citation needed] |
See also
- List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame