In Los Angeles Kirstie Alley, who received an Emmy nomination for her work on “Cheers” and appeared in movies including “Look Who’s Talking,” passed away on Monday. She was 71.
Alley’s children True and Lillie Parker wrote on Twitter that she passed away from cancer that had only recently been identified. The death was verified by Donovan Daughtry, manager of Alley, in an email to The Associated Press.
According to a statement from her children, “as iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
From 1987 through 1993, she played Rebecca Howe alongside Ted Danson in the popular NBC sitcom “Cheers,” which was set in a Boston bar. When the original star Shelley Long left the show, it was at its peak of popularity.
For the part in 1991, Alley would receive an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series. For portraying the title character in the CBS TV film “David’s Mother,” she would win a second Emmy in 1993 for best lead actress in a miniseries or television movie.
From 1997 to 2000, she had her own sitcom on the network called “Veronica’s Closet.” She portrayed the mother of a baby whose inner thoughts were narrated by Bruce Willis in the 1989 comedy “Look Who’s Talking,” which provided her a significant career boost. Additionally, she would show up in the 1990 follow-up, “Look Who’s Talking Too.”
Her co-star in both movies, John Travolta, offered her respect in an Instagram post. Along with a picture of Alley, Travolta stated, “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had.” “Kirstie, I adore you. I’m confident that we’ll cross paths again.”
In the 2005 Showtime series “Fat Actress,” which drew humour from her treatment in the public and media regarding her weight gain and loss, she would portray a fictionalised version of herself.
Additionally, she made multiple appearances on reality TV in recent years, including “Dancing With the Stars.”
Alley, a Wichita, Kansas, native, dropped out of Kansas State University and moved to Los Angeles after enrolling. She made her debut on television as a contestant on “The Match Game” in 1979 and “Password” in 1980. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, which came out in 1982, was her feature debut.