Kirstie Alley’s Life: From ‘Cheers’ To Her Final Days In 2022

Jul 25, 2023

Kirstie Louise Alley was born on Jan. 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas. Before she became the actress and comedienne the world knew her as, she was an interior designer in California, according to Biography. Her move to California brought on a number of lifestyle changes, not all of which were healthy. She suffered from a drug addiction that she finally overcame later, before her big break.

The actress spent the early days of her life in Wichita, Kansas. Her life was simple back in the day, and her father was a lumber company owner. The future actress grew up with two siblings named Colette and Craig.

Later in life, the star attended Kansas State University, but she only lasted for two years as she dropped out after her sophomore year.

Alley then moved to Los Angeles to explore career opportunities as she wanted to become an interior designer. At the time when she stayed in the city, she appeared on the famed game show “Match Game” where she won $500 and $5,500 on two of her Super Matches respectively.

She also got the opportunity to play on another show, “Password Plus.” 

Around that time, Alley experienced a devastating heartbreak as her mom was killed and her father was left injured after a shocking accident that involved a drunk driver.

Alley’s acting break came when she landed a role as a Vulcan student in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982). But it was the 1980s sitcom "Cheers" that catapulted Alley into stardom when she was chosen to replace Shelley Long.

Her hard work paid off as Alley won a Golden Globe and an Emmy in 1991 for her role as Rebecca Howe. She later starred in the show "Veronica's Closet," from 1997 to 2000, while she also had a successful film career that included the movie "Look Who's Talking" and its subsequent sequels.

Alley won another Emmy for her role as Sally Goodson in “David’s Mother” in 1994. She starred in the mini-series “North and South” in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the Showtime comedy “Fat Actress” in 2005. Audiences also remember the actress for her parts in “Village of the Damned,” “It Takes Two,” “Deconstructing Harry” and “For Richer or Poorer.”

Aside from acting in various movies and television programs, Alley also took part in a few reality TV competition shows. On the 15th season of “Dancing with the Stars,” the actress became the dancing partner of Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

One of her last projects before she passed away in late 2022 was “The Masked Singer,” where she wore a costume of the character named “Baby Mammoth.”

Regarding her personal life, Alley was first married to her high school lover Bob Alley. The man has no public photos available as he was not a celebrity. Their marriage lasted from 1970 to 1977. They later separated after the actress realized she was no longer in love with her then-partner.

According to Closer Weekly, her next marriage came in 1983 with actor Parker Stevenson. The pair’s marriage lasted for 14 years, and together they shared two children named Lillie Price Stevenson and William True Stevenson. The actor was Alley’s second and last marriage, as she never remarried before she passed away.

Another actor who was linked to Alley was Patrick Swayze, who was married to Lisa Niemi. Although they never had an affair, the actress told Entertainment Tonight in a 2012 interview that her attraction towards the actor was “worse” because she jeopardized her marriage as well as Swayze’s relationship with his wife at the time. 

Her last known public relationship was with James Wilder, who was 17 years younger than her. They were engaged at one point, but they never got married. 

Unfortunately, the actress was diagnosed with colon cancer and received treatment before she passed away, as confirmed by her manager Donovan Daughtry. Her children took to her official Instagram account on Dec. 6, 2022, to announce that Alley had died after her short and private battle with the medical condition.

“We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” they wrote.

At the time, her children noted that the actress was surrounded by some of her closest family members and “fought with great strength.” They also took the opportunity to express their gratitude to the doctors and nurses of the medical facility where Alley stayed while receiving treatment.

“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,” they added. 

The post was the last existing photo shared on Alley’s Instagram account.

Were you a fan of Kirstie Alley? What do you think of her life story through the years? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure to pass this on to your friends and family.