She was the Hollywood star who was catapulted to fame by playing Rebecca Howe in Cheers. And Kirstie Alley’s life often emulated the turbulent role, with failed marriages, and a devotion to Scientology.
The actress, who died aged 71 after a short battle with cancer, was described as a ‘fierce’ thespian who was beloved by her fans and co-stars throughout her career.
Even pictures from her school yearbook, obtained by DailyMail.com, show a stunning youngster with a sweet smile that would go on to melt hearts across the world.
Cheers turbocharged her career and she went on to star in Look Who’s Talking, It Takes Two as well as featuring in Star Trek.
As the world remembers one of America’s great sitcom stars, DailyMail.com looks back at the actress’ life through pictures – from her schoolgirl days to some of her most famous roles.
Alley was born in 1951 in Wichita, Kansas. She is pictured here, fresh faced in her high school yearbook before she embarked on her Hollywood career. She graduated from Wichita Southeast High School in 1969
Alley (center top) was one of three siblings and the daughter of a lumberman. She moved to Los Angeles after dropping out of college her sophomore year. She worked as an interior designer in Los Angeles before making it as an actres
Alley was cast in 1987 as Rebecca Howe on NBC’s iconic sitcom Cheers, which revolved around a group of friends and their main hangout, a Boston bar
Alley’s film debut was in the 1982 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a favorite among fans of the series. She opted not to reprise her role as a Vulcan Starfleet officer in later films, saying she was offered less money for sequels than for the original role
Kirstie Alley with her second husband, Parker Stevenson, in 1983
Kirstie Alley in 1990, a year before she won her first Emmy award
Alley (pictured here with Ted Danson) joined the cast of Cheers at the height of its popularity following the departure of Shelley Long. She assumed the role of Rebecca Howe, the Boston bar manager and Danson’s boss on the show
Danson said he had just watched an episode of Cheers on a plane when he heard of his old co-star’s passing. ‘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,’ he said
Victory: Alley earned five Emmy nominations for her role playing Rebecca Howe on NBC’s runaway hit Cheers. Here she is pictured holding her 1994 Emmy for her work in David’s Mother, a made-for-television movie in which Alley portrayed a mother caring for an autistic son
Alley also starred in the hit 1987 movie Look Who’s Talking alongside John Travolta, which was the 5th highest grossing movie of the year and sparked Alley’s deep, decades long friendship with fellow Scientologist Travolta
Alley said she fell in love with Travolta while they were working together on Look Who’s Talking, in which they portrayed a pair of lovers raising a child – and that she remained in love with him long after
By 1995 she had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as her film and television credits continued to climb
After her success on Cheers, Alley’s career took off as she was selected to lead the casts of a number of sitcoms and movies. She is pictured here being honored in November 1997 with the 2056th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
A foxy and leather-clad Alley starred alongside a very young Patrick Dempsey in the 1989 film Loverboy
In 1983, Alley married her second and final husband, actor Parker Stevenson. The pair divorced in 1997 after adopting two children. In a tribute to his late ex-wife, Stevenson said he is ‘so grateful for our years together.’ The pair is pictured here circa 1995
Alley in Carl Reiner’s 1991 dark comedy Sibling Rivalry, which Alley starred in alongside Sam Elliott, Carrie Fisher, Bill Pullman and Jami Gertz. By this time in her career, Alley was on her way to being a bona fide movie star
Alley maintained a close relationship with John Travolta throughout her life. She spoke on multiple occasions about her deep and abiding love for her co-star several times over. The pair is pictured here in 1992 at a Celebrity softball game
Though the pair were never an official romantic item, Alley spoke several times about being ‘madly in love’ with Travolta. They are pictured here glammed up for the 1990 People’s Choice Awards
Alley starred in a number of family-friendly films, including alongside Steve Guttenberg and Full House stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in the beloved 1995 family rom-com It Takes Two
Alley’s eclectic presence in the entertainment industry was emblematic of her universal spirit and ability to charm all sorts of audiences. She is shown here aged 60 in regal robes walking for Malaysian designer Zang Toi at the Spring/Summer 2012 Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week. Alley had known the designer since 1993 and raved about his work, calling his clothing ‘the most beautiful…period.’ The moment was also a triumph for the actress who spent decades battling her weight
Kirstie Alley with her kids William True and Lillie Price in 2005
Throughout the early 2000s and into her last decade, Alley maintained a relationship with Jenny Craig as her weight fluctuated radically. She last became a spokesperson for the brand in 2014 after creating her own weight loss brand that was documented on her reality show Kirstie Alley’s Big Life
Alley credited her time on Dancing with the Stars as well as products from her weight loss brand Organic Liaison for her weight loss. Organic Liaison was eventually acquired by weight loss brand Jenny Craig, with which Alley had a relationship
Alley competed on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars alongside pro-partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The pair made it to the season finale of the show before coming in second behind NFL wide receiver Hines Ward and his partner Kym Johnson
A chic and slimmed down Alley is pictured here in New York City following her stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2011
Alley long-insisted that she achieved all her weight-loss through hard work and without the help of surgery or treatments
Alley also competed on the show’s All Star 15th season, once again alongside Chmerkovskiy. They were the seventh pair to be eliminated
Alley is pictured with her two adopted children William True and Lillie several years ago at a premiere in New York
Alley published two books, The Art of Men (I Prefer Mine al Dente) in 2012 and How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life: Reluctant Confessions of a Big-Butted Star. The former was a comedic memoir of her life and men she’s shared it with, including her ex-husbands, John Travolta, Cheers stars Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson, and her DWTS partner
In 2018, Alley placed second on the 22nd season of Celebrity Big Brother UK. She is pictured here in the infamous house, where her humor and lovable personality won her fans in a tough environment
Alley, a devout Scientologist, is pictured glammed down in Clearwater, Florida in 2021. The controversial religious group’s spiritual headquarters are in Clearwater. Throughout her life, Alley was a committed member of the group and donated millions of dollars to the organization that John Travolta and his late wife Kelly Preston also belonged
Alley’s final major acting role was on the Ryan Murphy created Scream Queens in 2015 and 2016. She’s pictured here opposite show star Jamie Lee Curtis. Following the actress’s admission of support for Donald Trump for president (in 2016 and 2020) she said she was blackballed from Hollywood projects
Mere months prior to her death, Alley was unmasked on FOX’s The Masked Singer in late April 2022. She competed on the quirky singing competition as Baby Mammoth. She is pictured here just after unmasking alongside show host Nick Cannon
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk