Kirstie Alley Dies At the Age of 71 Following A Short Battle with Cancer
Kirstie Alley, a beloved actress from the late 90’s – 2000s era, passed away Monday, December 5 as confirmed by
Victoria Liotta
Kirstie Alley, a beloved actress from the late 90’s – 2000s era, passed away Monday, December 5 as confirmed by her children.
True and Lilie Parker wrote to Instagram:
“To all our friends, far and wide around the world…We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce, and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered.”
“The post continued, “She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
“We are grateful to the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care.”
“Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did.”
Concluding, “We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time.”
Hollywood Remembers Kirstie Alley
As the news of Kirstie Alley’s death circulated, many stars in Hollywood came together to express their condolences.
Alley’s Cheers costar Kelsey Grammer said in a statement to PEOPLE, “I always believed grief for a public figure is a private matter, but I will say I loved her.”
Along with Grammer were Alley’s other fellow Cheers costars, Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman who expressed their love. In a statement to PEOPLE, they expressed, “I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of Cheers. 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,” Danson said. “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.”
Perlman adding, “Kirstie was a unique and wonderful person and friend. Her joy of being was boundless. 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.”
Jamie Lee Curtis poured her love for Alley on Instagram as well as John Travolta who wrote, “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had,” and her It Takes Two costar, Steven Guttenberg, who said, “The world is a bit empty without Kirstie.”
Tim Allen, her costar from the 1997 film For Richer or Poorer tweeted, “A sweet soul pass on in Kristie Alley. Sad, sad news. Prayers for all her family.”
An Honorable Career
In 1987 Alley joined the cast of Cheers as Rebecca Howe when the sitcom was at the height of its popularity. She quickly rose to fame and won a Golden Globe for best actress as well as an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in 1991. Alley received her second Emmy for her portrayal of Sally Goodson in the CBS TV movie, David’s Mother, in 1993.
The comedy Look Who’s Talking gave Alley a major career boost in 1989 when she played the mother of a baby whose inner thoughts were voiced by Bruce Willis. She went on to appear in the sequel, Look Who’s Talking Too.
From 1997 to 2000 she had her own sitcom on the network titled, Veronica’s Closet.
In 2005, Showtime created a series Fat Actress in which Alley played a fictionalized version of herself. The show drew comedy from her public and media treatment of her weight fluctuation.
Alley also appeared in Scream Queens (2015-2016), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Summer School (1987), Look Who’s Talking (1989), It Takes Two (1995), and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999).
Rest in Peace Kirstie Alley. Our thoughts are with her family.