Kirstie Alley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kirstie Alley
Alley at the 46th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1994
Born	Kirstie Louise Alley (1951-01-12)January 12, 1951 Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Died	December 5, 2022(2022-12-05) (aged 71) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Actress television personality
Years active	1976–2022
Spouse(s)	Bob Alley ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1977)​ Parker Stevenson ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1997)​
Children	2

Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakout role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), receiving an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991 for the role. From 1997 to 2000, she starred in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Alley appeared in various films, including Summer School (1987), Shoot to Kill (1988), Look Who's Talking (1989) and its two sequels (1990–1993), Madhouse (1990), Sibling Rivalry (1990), Village of the Damned (1995), It Takes Two (1995), Deconstructing Harry (1997), For Richer or Poorer (1997), and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999). She won her second Emmy Award in 1994 for the television film David's Mother.

In 1997, Alley received a further Emmy nomination for her work in the crime drama series The Last Don. In 2005, she played a fictionalized version of herself on Showtime's Fat Actress. She later appeared on Kirstie Alley's Big Life (2010), and was a contestant on the 12th season of Dancing with the Stars (2011–2012), finishing in second place. In 2013, Alley returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom Kirstie. In 2016, she appeared on the Fox comedy horror series Scream Queens. In 2018, she was a contestant on the 22nd series of the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother, in which she finished as runner-up.

Early life

Kirstie Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company, and Lillian Alley. She has two siblings, Colette and Craig. Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, graduating in 1969. She attended college at Kansas State University, dropping out after her sophomore year. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer, Alley appeared as a contestant on the game show Match Game in 1979. She won both rounds, winning $500 in the first round and $5500 in the second round. She also appeared on the game show Password Plus in 1980. On both shows she described her profession as interior designer.

Career

Alley made her film debut in 1982 in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, playing the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik, but chose not to reprise that role in the next two sequels, later saying she was offered less money than for Star Trek II. In the years following, she starred in a number of smaller films, including One More Chance, Blind Date and Runaway. In 1985, she played Virgilia Hazard in the ABC miniseries North and South, books I and II.

In 1987, Alley starred alongside Mark Harmon in the comedy film Summer School. The film was a box office success, grossing over $35 million in the United States. Later that year she joined the cast of NBC sitcom Cheers, replacing Shelley Long and remaining with the show until its eleventh and final season. In 1989, Alley starred with John Travolta in Look Who's Talking. The film grossed over $295 million worldwide. They then went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now!

Alley has won two Emmy Awards. After two nominations for her work on Cheers, in 1988 and 1990, she won for her third, in 1991. She earned her second for the 1994 television film David's Mother. For her contributions to the film industry, Alley received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in 1995.

From 1997 to 2000, Alley played the title character in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet, as well as serving as executive producer on the show. She served as the spokesperson for Pier One from 2000 to 2004, and for Jenny Craig from 2005 to 2008.

TV Land aired a sitcom that centered on Alley as a Broadway star and a new parent. It was titled Kirstie, and reunited her with former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman and Seinfeld star Michael Richards. The series premiered on December 4, 2013, and ran for one season before it was canceled, five months after ending its freshman run.

In February 2011, Alley was announced as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Their first dance, a cha-cha-cha, earned them the second-highest score, 23 points of a possible 30. In May, Alley and Chmerkovskiy performed their final dance, also a cha-cha-cha, which earned them a perfect score of 30 out of 30. Alley finished the competition in second place, behind NFL Super Bowl champion Hines Ward. She also took part in the 15th season of Dancing with the Stars for a second chance to win the mirrorball trophy again with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. They were the seventh couple eliminated from the competition.

In 2022, Alley competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Baby Mammoth" of Team Cuddly.

Personal life

Alley was married from 1970 to 1977 to high-school sweetheart Bob Alley, who coincidentally had the same name as her father. Alley married actor Parker Stevenson on December 22, 1983. Following a miscarriage, the couple adopted son William one week after his October 5, 1992 birth, and in 1995 adopted daughter Lillie. The marriage ended in 1997. In 2016, Alley became a grandmother after her son William had a son of his own.

From 1991 to 2020, Alley had a 21-bedroom summer house in Islesboro, Maine, the Mitchell Cottage, formerly the Islesboro Inn.

Body image

While working as a Jenny Craig spokesperson from 2004 to 2007, Alley lost 75 pounds (34 kg), bringing her weight down to 145 pounds (66 kg).

In May 2009, she told People magazine that, after parting ways with Jenny Craig, she gained 83 pounds (38 kg) and weighed as much as 228 pounds (103 kg).

In March 2010, after gossip blogger Roger Friedman alleged a link between her Organic Liaison weight-loss system and the Church of Scientology, Alley wrote: "Please Google Mr. Roger Friedman. He is spreading lies about me and my new business. You will see his history & why Fox fired him. Going to have Mr. Attorney call Mr. Friedman's Attorney tomorrow . . . Mr. Friedman is treading on thin LIBELOUS ice with my company."

In September 2011, Alley announced she had lost 100 pounds (45 kg) using weight loss products from Organic Liaison, a company which she had founded in 2010. In 2012, she faced a class-action lawsuit alleging false advertising; the suit claimed that her weight loss was the result of exercise, including training for the TV show Dancing With the Stars, not Organic Liaison products. She settled the suit in 2013, agreeing to remove the term "Proven Products" from packaging, issue a disclaimer on the brand's website that it is a "calorie-based weight-loss product", and pay a $130,000 settlement.

In April 2014, she reunited as a spokesperson with Jenny Craig; the Organic Liaison product line was acquired by Jenny Craig's parent company, and subsequently integrated into Jenny Craig's product line. In January 2015, Alley claimed that, since starting the Jenny Craig weight-loss program again, she had lost 50 pounds (23 kg).

Scientology

Alley was raised as a Methodist, but became a member of the Church of Scientology in 1979. ..... She has continued her Scientology training and, as of 2007, had attained the level of OT VII (Operating Thetan Level 7).

In May 2000, she purchased a 5,200 sq ft (480 m²) waterfront mansion from former Scientologist Lisa Marie Presley for $1.5 million. The house is in Clearwater, Florida, the spiritual headquarters of the Church of Scientology. Alley donated $5 million to the Church in 2007.

Politics

In August 2015, Alley tweeted that she would not be supporting Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee during the 2016 presidential elections, and on April 8, 2016, she tweeted her support for Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani. On October 8, 2016, Alley retracted her endorsement of Trump, tweeting, "I hate this election and I'm officially no longer endorsing either candidate."

In October 2020, she stated she had voted for Trump in 2016 and intended to vote for him again in 2020 because "he's NOT a politician". She also endorsed John James in the 2020 United States Senate election in Michigan.

On January 6, 2021, during the Capitol attack, Alley supported the protesters who had stormed the Capitol. She tweeted that "war sucks" although sometimes it was necessary, and asked people to go home because they were in danger.

Death

Alley died from colon cancer on December 5, 2022, at the age of 71. Per a statement released by her children, the cancer had only been recently discovered. She had been undergoing treatment in Tampa, Florida.

Her ex-husband Parker Stevenson, her two children, Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta, and other celebrities posted their condolences on social media. Her Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, and Rhea Perlman also released statements memorializing her.

Honors

On November 10, 1995, Alley was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to motion pictures.

Filmography

Film

Television

Dancing with the Stars

Season 12 performances

Season 15 performances

Dancing with the Stars references

Awards and nominations

Alley's work was honored by multiple associations throughout her career. For her role in the sitcom Cheers, she earned four Golden Globe Award nominations winning one for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1991, and five Primetime Emmy Award nominations winning one for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991.

See also

In Spanish: Kirstie Alley para niños

• List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame