Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley Headshot

Actress

Birth Name: Kirstie Louise Alley

Birth Date: January 12, 1951

Death Date: December 5, 2022

Birth Place: Wichita, Kansas

Spouses: Parker Stevenson

Partners: James Wilder

Kirstie Louise Alley was born January 12, 1951, in Wichita, KS. She lived a typical Middle American childhood. Her father Robert owned a lumber company, and her mother Lillian was a homemaker to her and her two siblings.

After finding her niche as cheerleader while in high school, she tried college, but decided what she really wanted to do was act. She moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, working as an interior decorator, while at the same time, going out on auditions. Her social life was another story. Alley ran with a fast Hollywood crowd and found salvation in the Church of Scientology, the religion based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, a former science fiction author.

Wanting to get noticed and hoping to raise extra cash, she auditioned for game shows. She appeared on "Match Game" (CBS, 1973-1982) in 1979 and "Password Plus" (NBC, 1979-1982) in 1980, impressing producers and the audience with her quick wit and dark girl-next-door good looks. She got her first big break, playing Lieutenant Saavik in the feature film, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." The movie did well - to the point that Trekkies would consider it the best of the "Star Trek" films - and Kirstie Alley could now legitimately call herself a Hollywood actress.

Following her promising breakout role as Saavik, Alley worked steadily in projects through the mid-1980s. She starred in the acclaimed Civil War-era TV miniseries "North and South" (ABC, 1985), and later was cast as the new bar owner and love interest in "Cheers," following the departure of the beloved Shelley Long and her character, Diane Chambers.

At the time Alley joined the show, "Cheers" was one of the best and most popular sitcoms in television history. The show centered around Sam Malone (Ted Danson), an alcoholic ex-Red Sox pitcher, and the eccentric patrons and staff at Cheers, the bar owned and run by Sam.

The rocky romantic chemistry generated between Sam and one of his waitresses, Diane Chambers, drove the show to primetime supremacy and Long to leave for a career in movies. Replacing Long was, well, a long shot, but the show did not miss a beat when Alley assumed the role of Rebecca Howe, the bar's new owner and Sam's eventual love interest, until it went off the air in 1993.

She won an Emmy as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for 1991 and won the Golden Globe as well that same year. The motto at Cheers was "Everybody knows your name" and now everybody knew who Kirstie Alley was.

She used her TV success as a launching pad into features, starring in the comedy "Look Who's Talking" (1989) with friend and fellow Scientologist John Travolta. The movie grossed over $100 million, ensuring two sequels - "Look Who's Talking Too" (1990) and "Look Who's Talking Now" (1993).

Alley won another Emmy for her role as the mother of an autistic boy in the made-for-TV movie, "David's Mother" (CBS, 1994). She played a social worker in "It Takes Two" (1995), the movie debut of Ashley and Mary-Kate Olson, then moved on to more prestigious fare, earning excellent reviews as a psychiatrist married to Woody Allen's writer character in the film "Deconstructing Harry" (1997).

After a few unmemorable TV movies, she hooked up with the powerhouse producing team of Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman and David Crane, the creators of the TV sitcom smash "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004). The show they created for Alley was "Veronica's Closet" (NBC, 1997-2000), in which the star played Veronica Chase, the divorced owner of a lingerie company called (surprise!) Veronica's Closet.

"Veronica's Closet" stayed open for business for three seasons. She did a beauty pageant movie, "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), then spent more time on the cover of the tabloids than on TV or movie screens because of weight gain.

The ever- savvy Alley worked it to her advantage. She published her memoirs, How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life (2005), in which she chronicled how her depression over her miscarriages and infertility led to binge eating. She played herself in "Fat Actress," which, while not a hit, won her new fans for its self-deprecating tone.

And then landed a spokeswoman gig for Jenny Craig. During the 2007-08 season, she made guest appearances on the comedy series "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 2006-2010), and turned up as a celebrity judge on the Jerry Seinfeld-produced matrimonial reality/game show "The Marriage Ref" (NBC, 2010-11).

In a move that was sure to endear her to even more fans, as well as burn many a calorie, in February 2011 Alley joined the celebrity cast as a contestant on the 12th season of "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ).

Kirstie Alley died on December 5, 2022 at the age of 71.

Credits

Tucker Carlson Today

Guest
Show
2021

You Can’t Take My DaughterStream

Actor
Suzanne
Movie
2020

Scream Queens: terreur à l'hôpital

Actor
Nurse Hoffel
Show
2018

Harry

Guest
Talk
2016

Match GameStream

Guest
Game Show
2016

To Tell the TruthStream

Guest
Game Show
2016

Scream QueensStream

Actor
Nurse Hoffel
Series
2015
77%

Time Crashers

Self
Show
2015

Scream Queens: Extras

Actor
Show
2015

Accidental Love

Actor
Aunt Rita
Movie
2015

The Meredith Vieira Show

Guest
Talk
2014

KirstieStream

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Madison "Maddie" Banks
Series
2013
35%

KirstieStream

Executive Producer
Series
2013
35%

Kirstie

Actor
Madison Banks
Show
2013

The GoldbergsStream

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Susie Goodman
Series
2013

Baby Sellers

Actor
Carla Huxley
Movie
2013

Dancing With the Stars: All-Stars

Contestant
Show
2012

Katie

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Talk
2012

The Chew

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Talk
2011

Celebrity Big Brother

Self
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2011

The Fran Drescher Tawk Show

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Show
2010

The Talk

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Talk
2010

Hot in ClevelandStream

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Maddie Banks
Series
2010

Kirstie Alley's Big LifeStream

Executive Producer
Reality
2010

Kirstie Alley's Big LifeStream

Self
Reality
2010

On the Red Carpet

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Show
2010

The Marriage Ref

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Show
2010

The MiddleStream

Guest Star
Pam Staggs
Series
2009

The Dr. Oz Show

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Talk
2009

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Guest
Talk
2009

The Wendy Williams Show

Guest
Talk
2008

Today With Kathie Lee & Hoda

Guest
Show
2007

Write & Wrong

Actor
Byrdie Langdon
Movie
2007

Write & Wrong

Executive Producer
Movie
2007

Rachael Ray ShowStream

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Talk
2006

Dancing With the StarsStream

Contestant
Reality
2005

Fat ActressStream

Actor
Series
2005

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

Guest
Talk
2005

Family Sins

Actor
Brenda Geck
Movie
2004

While I Was Gone

Actor
Jo Beckett
Movie
2004

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Guest
Talk
2003

Salem Witch Trials

Actor
Show
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Profoundly Normal

Actor
Donna Lee Shelby Thornton
Movie
2003

Profoundly Normal

Executive Producer
Movie
2003

Without a TraceStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

Back by Midnight

Actor
Gloria Beaumont
Movie
2002

BlondeStream

Actor
Miniseries
2001

Live With Regis and Kelly

Guest
Show
2001

The Mao Game

Actor
Diane Highland
Movie
1999

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Actor
Gladys Leeman
Movie
1999
47%

The King of QueensStream

Guest Star
Series
1998

The Last Don II

Actor
Show
1998

Veronica's Closet

Actor
Veronica "Ronnie" Chase
Series
1997

Dharma & Greg

Guest Star
Series
1997

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

The Last Don

Actor
Show
1997

The Last Don

Actor
Rose Marie Clericuzio
Movie
1997

Nevada

Actor
McGill
Movie
1997

Toothless

Actor
Dr. Katherine Lewis
Movie
1997

Deconstructing HarryStream

Actor
Joan
Movie
1997
73%

For Richer or PoorerStream

Actor
Caroline Sexton
Movie
1997
17%

Ink

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Show
1996

Access Hollywood

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News
1996

Pedro y el Lobo

Voice
Annie / Bird / Duck / Cat
Movie
1996

Radiant City

Actor
Gloria Goodman
Movie
1996

Sticks and Stones

Actor
Joey's Mom
Movie
1996

Suddenly

Actor
Marty Doyle
Movie
1996

Suddenly

Executive Producer
Movie
1996

Peter and the Wolf

Actor
Show
1995

Matrimonio Para Dos

Actor
Movie
1995

Gemelas Para el Amor

Actor
Movie
1995

Almas Gemelas

Actor
Movie
1995

Village of the Damned

Actor
Dr. Susan Verner
Movie
1995

It Takes TwoStream

Actor
Diane Barrows
Movie
1995
8%

Extra

Guest
News
1994

David's MotherStream

Actor
Sally Goodson
Movie
1994

David

Actor
Sally Goodson
Movie
1994

Late Show With David Letterman

Guest
Talk
1993

Look Who's Talking Now

Actor
Mollie Ubriacco
Movie
1993

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Guest
Talk
1992

Clive James: Postcard From Los Angeles

Guest
Show
1990

Madhouse

Actor
Jessie Bannister
Movie
1990

Sibling Rivalry

Actor
Marjorie Turner
Movie
1990

Look Who's Talking Too

Actor
Mollie
Movie
1990

Loverboy

Actor
Dr. Joyce Palmer
Movie
1989

Look Who's TalkingStream

Actor
Mollie
Movie
1989
55%

Shoot to Kill

Actor
Sarah Rennell
Movie
1988

Summer SchoolStream

Actor
Ms. Robin Elizabeth Bishop
Movie
1987
57%

Infidelity

Actor
Ellie Denato
Movie
1987

The Oprah Winfrey ShowStream

Guest
Talk
1986

North and South, Book II

Actor
Virgilia Hazard
Miniseries
1986

Stark: Mirror Image

Actor
Maggie Carter
Movie
1986

Prince of Bel Air

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Jamie Harrison
Movie
1986

North and SouthStream

Actor
Virgilia Hazard
Miniseries
1985

A Bunny's Tale

Actor
Gloria Steinem
Movie
1985

Blind Date

Actor
Claire Simpson
Movie
1984

Sins of the Past

Actor
Patrice Cantwell
Movie
1984

Champions

Actor
Barbara
Movie
1984

Runaway

Actor
Jackie
Movie
1984

Masquerade

Actor
Casey Collins
Show
1983

The Hitchhiker

Actor
Show
1983

CheersStream

Actor
Rebecca Howe
Series
1982
87%

Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanStream

Actor
Lieutenant Saavik
Movie
1982
87%

Entertainment Tonight

Guest
News
1981

One More Chance

Actor
Sheila
Movie
1981

20/20Stream

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News
1978

Good Morning America

Guest
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1975

Saturday Night LiveStream

Host
Series
1975

Today

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News
1952

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