Kirstie Alley, Star of “Cheers” and “Star Trek II,” Dies at 71

Kirstie Alley, the smokey-voiced actress with the piercing eyes who performed the tavern supervisor Rebecca Howe on Cheers and the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, has died on the age of 71.

Alley’s kids, True and Lillie Parker, introduced her passing on her Twitter account Monday night. “We’re unhappy to tell you that our unimaginable, fierce and loving mom has handed away after a battle with most cancers, solely just lately found,” they wrote, including that “she was surrounded by her closest household and fought with nice power.”

In addition they thanked the medical caregivers who handled her on the Moffitt Most cancers Middle and Analysis Institute in Tampa, Fla. 

Alley appeared in additional than 70 films and TV exhibits throughout her profession, however is finest recognized for taking up the position of Howe in the course of the sixth season of Cheers, taking part in an formidable center supervisor who ran the Boston watering gap after it was bought by the Lillian Company. Howe was added to the sitcom after earlier lead, Shelley Lengthy, left the collection to pursue movie tasks. Whereas Lengthy’s fussy, erudite waitress Diane was a mismatched distinction to Ted Danson‘s barkeep Sam Malone, Alley’s brassy Rebecca was surprisingly comparable, with sparks flying as a result of she matched his boldness and confidence.

Finally, the implacable Rebecca was revealed to be simply as neurotic and messy as the remainder of Cheers‘ denizens, and the position received Alley a finest comedic actress Emmy in 1991. 

In a press release to Self-importance Truthful, Danson stated he occurred to have revisited an episode of their TV present. “I used to be on a airplane at the moment and did one thing I not often do. I watched an previous episode of Cheers. It was the episode the place Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who retains saying no, although she desperately needs to say sure. Kirstie was really sensible in it. Her capability to play a lady on the verge of a nervous breakdown was each transferring and hysterically humorous. She made me snort 30 years in the past when she shot that scene, and she or he made me snort at the moment simply as laborious. 

“As I acquired off the airplane, I heard that Kirstie had died,” Danson added. “I’m so unhappy and so grateful for all of the occasions she made me snort. I ship my like to her kids. As they effectively know, their mom had a coronary heart of gold. I’ll miss her.”

She is notable as the one Cheers actor who by no means reprised her position on the spinoff collection, Frasier. In an interview with Leisure Weekly in 1993, when Cheers was airing its finale, she stated she was in opposition to reprising characters. “I don’t return. My opinion about reunion exhibits is that they’re so audiences can go, ‘Gee, they appear 10 years older.’ Effectively, duh, hi there, it has been 10 years!” As for what ultimately turned of her character, Alley stated solely: “The place do I see Rebecca? I don’t. She’s historical past. She ends.”