Kirstie Louise Alley
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8
Awards
Kirstie Alley’s breakout role as Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom Cheers earned her both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. She later starred in Veronica’s Closet and made her film debut as Lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Alley died on December 5, 2022 in Tampa, Florida at age 71 after a diagnosis of colon cancer.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Kirstie Alley — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Kirstie Alley by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Kirstie Alley — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Kirstie Alley grew up in Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of Lillian and Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company. She attended Wichita Southeast High School as a cheerleader and later enrolled at Kansas State University, taking drama classes before dropping out after her sophomore year. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer, she appeared as a contestant on Match Game PM in 1979, winning $6,000.
Kirstie Alley’s film debut came in 1982 as Lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a role that launched her career. She gained widespread recognition playing Rebecca Howe on Cheers from 1987 to 1993, a performance that won her a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. In 1995 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. From 1997 to 2000 she starred in the sitcom Veronica’s Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Alley also competed on Dancing with the Stars in seasons 12 and 15 and appeared in films like Look Who’s Talking 1989 and Drop Dead Gorgeous 1999.
Alley was first married to Robert Dunn Alley from 1971 to 1977, a distant relative with the same last name. She later married actor Parker Stevenson in December 1983; they had two children, daughter Lillie adopted and son William True, before divorcing in December 1997. A devoted Scientologist, she gave $5 million to the Church of Scientology in 2007. She was best friends with John Travolta and close with Oprah Winfrey. Alley suffered a miscarriage early in her marriage to Stevenson and suffered from a fear of flying. She died on December 5, 2022 in Clearwater, Florida from colon cancer, after a diagnosis in May 2022.
Kirstie Alley is remembered for her role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers, which remains a popular sitcom character. Her work on Cheers earned her an Emmy and Golden Globe in 1991, and she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1995. Alley was the third female celebrity Scientologist to pass away after Karen Black and Kelly Preston, all from cancer. Her performance in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was culturally significant as the film was selected for the National Film Registry. Her death prompted tributes from fans and former co-stars.
The complete filmography of Kirstie Alley — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Kirstie Alley — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Kirstie Alley — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Have Photographs Taken of Me at the Time I Was Addicted, and Thought I Looked Good. I See Them Today and Realize My Eyes Were Dead.
I Always Feel Like There Is Some Dude Out There with Money That I Could Fall Back on If I Needed To.
I Don’t Like Psychiatry. I Don’t Believe It Works. I Believe Psychiatrists Are Neurotic or Psychotic, for the Most Part.
When Push Comes to Shove, It Ain’t Science That’s Going to Lift You Up. It’s the Belief, the Spiritual Side of Life That’s Going to Lift You Up, No Matter What Religion You Are.
I Stay Positive Because It’s the Only Way to Live. When I Play Ball, I Play Hardball.
I Was Really Tired of Words Like Plus Size, Round, and Large. I Thought, Come On, We’re Fat.
Seems Like When We Cease to Inspire… We Cease.
The Only Thing You Can Ever Be in Life Is Yourself Because That’s the Only Thing Someone Else Can’t Be.
Little-known facts about Kirstie Alley — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Rebecca Howe from Cheers is the only regular character, aside from Coach Ernie Pantusso played by Nicholas Colasanto, who never made a guest appearance on Frasier.
She shared an apartment with Mimi Rogers while they first began their careers.
Her first husband Robert Alley was a distant relative who shared the same last name.
In 1981, her father was seriously injured and her mother died in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver.
A Star Trek action figure was made in her likeness from the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
In May 2000, she bought the former home of Lisa Marie Presley, a 5,200-square-foot waterfront mansion in Clearwater, Florida for $1.5 million.
She appeared on Match Game PM in 1979, where she won $6,000, identifying herself as an interior designer from Wichita on a job assignment in Los Angeles. In 1980, she was a contestant on Password Plus and took home $800.
She suffered from a fear of flying.
From 1991 to 2020, she owned a 21-bedroom summer house called Mitchell Cottage formerly the Islesboro Inn in Islesboro, Maine.
She was a huge fan of Star Trek. Her career breakthrough came with her film debut as Lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982.
She was awarded the 1983 Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Performance for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles.
She was John Travolta’s best female friend and close friends with Oprah Winfrey.
She looked after John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s daughter Ella Bleu Travolta at the birth of their son Benjamin, and was the first celebrity friend to see the new arrival.
She opened a literacy and tutoring center in her hometown of Wichita, Kansas called Lillie’s Learning Place, named after her daughter.
On November 9, 1995, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
She had a miscarriage when she expected her first child with husband Parker Stevenson.
She attended drama classes at Kansas State University but dropped out after her sophomore year. She moved to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer.
She graduated from Wichita Southeast High School in 1969 and was a high school cheerleader.
When she appeared on Password Plus in 1979, she was partnered with Dick Martin, and when she appeared on Match Game PM, Martin was one of the celebrity panelists.
Upon her death, she was immediately cremated, and her ashes were returned to her surviving family.
She competed during the 12th and 15th seasons of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.
She was briefly engaged to actor James Wilder.
In May 2022, Alley was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer following a doctor’s visit for a sore back. She underwent chemotherapy at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida but died on December 5, 2022 at her home in Clearwater at age 71.
Born to Lillian Maxine Heaton and lumber business owner Robert Deal Alley, her grandparents hailed from Nebraska and Illinois.
She is the third female celebrity Scientologist to pass away after Karen Black on August 8, 2013 and Kelly Preston on July 12, 2020, all of cancer.
She is the second regular cast member of Cheers to pass away, after Nicholas Colasanto on February 12, 1985.
Her father owned a lumber company.
She had English, German, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.
She gave an excellent performance as Virgilia Hazard on the miniseries North & South: Book 1, North & South in 1985.
She was a celebrity spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports from 2000 to 2004 and for Jenny Craig from 2004 to 2007.
She appeared in one film selected for the National Film Registry: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
She adopted her daughter Lillie.
She was a huge fan of both Prince and Jamie Foxx.
While working with Jenny Craig, she lost 75 pounds, bringing her weight to 145 pounds. After parting ways with Jenny Craig, she gained 83 pounds and weighed as much as 228 pounds.
Her father outlived her by four months.
In 2007, she gave $5 million to the Church of Scientology, and in 2010, listed her home in Encino, California for sale at $6.5 million.
She endorsed Donald Trump as the Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election and John James in the 2020 Senate election in Michigan.
She used to live in a farmhouse in Isleboro, Maine.
She was the former sister-in-law of Hutch Parker and Rebecca Pollack.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Kirstie Alley.
Celebrities similar to Kirstie Alley — same craft, ranked by reach.
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