'Cheers' Stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer and Rhea Perlman Remember Kirstie Alley
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Alley passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered.
The cast of Cheers remembered co-star Kirstie Alley following her death on Monday.
The Emmy-winning actress died after a battle with cancer at the age of 71.
Ted Danson, who played Sam Malone on the long-running sitcom, revealed the special way he remembered Alley to Deadline, noting, “I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of Cheers.”
He continued in the statement: “It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny. She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.”
Kelsey Grammer, who took on the role of Dr. Frasier Crane, kept his statement short and simple: “I always believed grief for a public figure is a private matter, but I will say I loved her.”
As for Rhea Pearlman, who starred as Carla Tortelli, she remembered Alley as a “unique and wonderful person and friend,” adding that her “joy of being was boundless.”
She included some personal memories from their longtime friendship, stating, “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers. She loved kids and my kids loved her too. We had sleepovers at her house, with treasure hunts that she created. She had massive Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire crew of the show and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included. She loved her children deeply. I’ve never met anyone remotely like her. I feel so thankful to have known her. I’m going to miss her very, very much.”
Shortly after her death was announced, Alley's former co-stars John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis shared Instagram tributes to the late actress.
"Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again,” Travolta wrote alongside a photo of the late actress and a candid picture of the two on Instagram.
Curtis shared a photo from the set of the FOX horror comedy, Scream Queens, captioning the post: "I've just heard the sad news that Kirstie Alley has died. She was a great comic foil in @tvscreamqueens and a beautiful mama bear in her very real life. She helped me buy onesies for my family that year for Christmas. We agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection. Sad news.”
Alley's role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers—which she joined in 1987 in the sixth season—is often seen as her big break, nabbing her an Emmy Award and landing her plenty of future roles. Prior to the NBC series, she appeared on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as Saavik.
She later scored another Emmy in the 1994 project David’s Mother and was nominated in 1998 for her role in Veronica’s Closet.
Alley also stunned audiences with fantastic performances in movies like Look Who's Talking, It Takes Two, and Drop Dead Gorgeous, as well as television roles in Kirstie, Hot in Cleveland, and more.
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