Kirstie Alley: an actress to remember

Actress Kirstie Alley was a force in the world of comedy. She died at age 71 from an unexpected illness that advanced quickly: colon cancer.

On December 5, 2022, her children Lillie and True said goodbye to their mother. "As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother," her children wrote.

Photo: kirstiealley / Instagram

William True and Lillie Parker were the adopted children of Kirstie Alley and her husband, fellow actor Parker Stevenson.

The actress was known for her roles in films like 'Look Who's Talking' and sitcoms like 'Cheers' and 'Veronica's Closet.' Let's have a look at her eventful life and career.

Kirstie Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1951 and stayed there until she was 30. Working as an interior designer, one day she decided to try her luck in Hollywood.

Within a few months of arriving in Hollywood, she landed a role in 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.'

Her feline gaze, her imposing presence, and her recognizable voice, in addition to her undeniable talent, led Kirstie Alley to stardom. One of the projects you may remember her for was the limited series 'North and South' in 1985-6.

The actress rose to fame in the 80s when she gave life to Rebecca Howe, the owner of the most iconic bar on television: 'Cheers'. The NBC sitcom went around the world and inspired many great comedies of the 90s.

Rebecca was the new, on-and-of-again love interest of the bartender of 'Cheers,' Sam Malone. This role was played by Ted Danson.

Kirstie Alley shared the screen and friendship with stars like Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, and Kelsey Grammer. The series was on the air for eleven seasons and Rebecca Howe arrived in the sixth.

Kirstie Alley was nominated for five Emmy awards for her role as Rebecca. She won just one, in 1991.

Obviously, the series 'Cheers' was a turning point in the career of Kirstie Alley. She instantly became a Hollywood star.

In 1989, she was part of the successful movie 'Look Who's Talking.' She got into the skin of Mollie Jensen, a single mother (whose son was voiced by Bruce Willis) with John Travolta as her romantic interest.

Critics trashed the film, but it was such a blockbuster (grossing almost $300 million, having cost $7.5 million) that it would get two sequels.

John Travolta was one of the first to say goodbye to Kirstie Alley after the news of her death came out in 2022. He wrote on Instagram: "Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had."

The next decade was a bit less successful for Kirstie Alley. She starred in the sequels of 'Look Who's Talking' and several other, lesser-known productions. However, her comeback would be on TV.

Kirstie Alley produced and starred in the acclaimed comedy show 'Veronica's Closet' from 1997 through 2000. The sitcom won a People's Choice Award and the actress herself was also nominated for several prestigious prizes, including an Emmy.

From the 2010s onward, the actress took advantage of her widespread fame and participated in celebrity talent/reality shows like 'Big Brother,' 'Dancing with the Stars,' and 'Masked Singer.' She also had her own reality show for one season: 'Kirsty Alley's Big Life' (2010).

In those years, Kirstie Alley mostly made the news for her support of Donald Trump. They had a famous exchange on Twitter where he said she was a "strong and intelligent" woman. The actress would later claim that she was blacklisted in Hollywood for supporting Trump.

Beyond the ideological and political, the legacy of Kirstie Alley as a comedic actress remains monumental in Hollywood.

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