Shelley Long facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shelley Long
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Long in 1996
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| Born | August 23, 1949 Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
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| Years active | 1971–2022 |
| Known for |
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| Spouse(s) |
Bruce Tyson
(m. 1981; div. 2004) |
| Children | 1 |
Shelley Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and comedian. She is best known for playing Diane Chambers on the TV show Cheers. For this role, Shelley won an Emmy Award in 1983. She also won two Golden Globe Awards for her work on Cheers.
Shelley Long also appeared in the spin-off show Frasier as Diane Chambers. She even received another Emmy nomination for this guest role. Later, in 2009, she started a recurring role as DeDe Pritchett on the comedy series Modern Family.
Shelley has starred in many movies too. Some of her famous films include Night Shift (1982), Irreconcilable Differences (1984), The Money Pit (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), Hello Again (1987), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), and The Brady Bunch Movie (1995).
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Shelley Long was born on August 23, 1949, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her mother, Ivadine, was a school teacher. Her father, Leland Long, worked in the rubber industry before becoming a teacher.
In high school, Shelley was very active in her speech team. She competed in the Indiana High School Forensic Association. In 1967, she won a big national championship for public speaking.
After high school, she studied drama at Northwestern University. However, she left before finishing her degree to start her acting and modeling career. Her first acting jobs were in local commercials for a furniture store in Chicago.
Acting Career
Shelley Long's acting career really took off when she started performing in local commercials.
Early Roles and TV Shows
In Chicago, Shelley joined The Second City, a famous comedy group. In 1975, she started writing, producing, and co-hosting a TV show called Sorting It Out. She won three local Emmy Awards for her work on this show.
In the 1970s, Shelley also appeared in print ads for shampoo and commercials for soap. In 1978, she had a small part in an episode of The Love Boat.
In 1979, Shelley appeared in the TV movie The Cracker Factory. She played a patient in a psychiatric hospital. That same year, she guest-starred on TV shows like Family and Trapper John, M.D..
Her first movie role was in A Small Circle of Friends (1980). This film was about student protests at Harvard University in the 1960s. In 1981, she played Tala in the movie Caveman. She also appeared as Nurse Mendenhall in an episode of M*A*S*H in 1979.
In 1982, she starred as Belinda in the comedy Night Shift. She acted alongside Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton in this film. She also starred with Tom Cruise in Losin' It (1983). Shelley was offered a role in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but she chose to do Night Shift instead.
Becoming Famous with Cheers
Even though she had been in movies, Shelley Long became very famous for her role as Diane Chambers on the TV show Cheers. Her character, Diane, had a complicated on-and-off relationship with Sam Malone.
Cheers was not very popular at first, but it soon became one of the most loved shows on TV. Shelley left Cheers after its fifth season in 1987. This decision caused some discussion.
Her co-star, Ted Danson, who played Sam, said there was sometimes tension between them. He explained it was about their different ways of working, not personal issues. He also said Shelley's acting often "carried the show." Shelley later said she didn't mean to "sabotage a show" by leaving. She felt confident the cast could continue without her.
In interviews, Shelley explained she left for several reasons. The most important was her wish to spend more time with her daughter. She also said she "didn't want to keep doing the same episode over and over again." She loved working on Cheers and called it "one of the most satisfying experiences" of her life. She missed it but never regretted her decision to leave.
Movie Roles While on Cheers
While she was still on Cheers, Shelley Long continued to act in movies. In 1984, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in Irreconcilable Differences. She also starred in comedies like The Money Pit and Outrageous Fortune. She was offered lead roles in other popular movies but did not accept them.
After Cheers
After leaving Cheers, Shelley's first big project was Hello Again. It was a comedy about a housewife who comes back from the dead. Next, she starred in Troop Beverly Hills. In this comedy, she played a housewife who leads a 'Wilderness Girl' troop to connect with her daughter. Neither of these films were big hits with critics or at the box office.
In 1990, Shelley returned to TV for a miniseries called Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase. She played a character with nearly 20 different personalities. Critics praised her performance. This role led her to more serious parts in TV movies throughout the 1990s.
She also appeared in feature films like the romantic comedy Don't Tell Her It's Me and Frozen Assets. In 1992, she starred in the film A Message from Holly. She played a workaholic who helps her best friend who has cancer.
In 1993, Shelley returned to Cheers for its very last episode, called "One for the Road". She received another Emmy nomination for this return. She also starred in the sitcom Good Advice for two seasons. Later, she appeared as Diane again in several episodes of the Cheers spin-off show Frasier. She was nominated for another Emmy Award for these appearances.
Later Work
Shelley Long played Carol Brady in the popular 1995 movie The Brady Bunch Movie. This film was a fun, exaggerated version of the classic TV show. In 1996, she played Carol Brady again in A Very Brady Sequel. She also appeared in a 2002 TV movie sequel, The Brady Bunch in the White House.
She continued to act in TV movies, like a remake of Freaky Friday. She also starred in the family sitcom Kelly Kelly, which only lasted a few episodes. In 1998, she played the Wicked Witch of the Beanstalk in an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
In 1999, she starred in the TV movie Vanished Without a Trace. She played a mother who searches for her kidnapped daughter. In 2000, she appeared in the movie Dr. T & the Women, directed by Robert Altman.
Shelley has guest-starred in many TV shows. These include 8 Simple Rules, Yes Dear, Strong Medicine, and Boston Legal. She had a recurring role on the popular ABC sitcom Modern Family as DeDe Pritchett. She also starred in TV movies such as Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door and Holiday Engagement. In 2012, she made a guest appearance on Switched at Birth. In 2016, she produced and acted in the movie Different Flowers.
Personal Life
Shelley Long's first marriage to Ken Solomon ended in the 1970s. In 1979, she met her second husband, Bruce Tyson, who worked in finance. They married in 1981 and had a daughter named Juliana. Shelley and Bruce separated in 2003 and divorced in 2004.
Awards and Recognitions
Shelley Long has won and been nominated for several awards for her acting.
- She won an Emmy Award in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Cheers.
- She won two Golden Globe Awards for her role in Cheers (Best Supporting Actress in 1983 and Best Actress in a TV Series in 1985).
- She was nominated for more Emmys for Cheers and Frasier.
- She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her movie role in Irreconcilable Differences.
Filmography and TV Roles
Shelley Long has had many roles in both films and television. Here are some of them:
Film Roles
- 1980: A Small Circle of Friends as Alice
- 1981: Caveman as Tala
- 1982: Night Shift as Belinda Keaton
- 1983: Losin' It as Kathy
- 1984: Irreconcilable Differences as Lucy Van Patten Brodsky
- 1986: The Money Pit as Anna Crowley Beissart Fielding
- 1987: Outrageous Fortune as Lauren Ames
- 1987: Hello Again as Lucy Chadman
- 1989: Troop Beverly Hills as Phyllis Nefler
- 1990: Don't Tell Her It's Me as Lizzie Potts
- 1992: Frozen Assets as Grace Murdock
- 1995: The Brady Bunch Movie as Carol Brady
- 1996: A Very Brady Sequel as Carol Brady
- 2000: Dr. T & the Women as Carolyn
- 2017: Different Flowers as Grandma Mildred
Television Roles
- 1975–1978: Sorting it Out (Host, won 3 Regional Emmy Awards)
- 1979: The Cracker Factory (TV film) as Cara
- 1980: M*A*S*H as Lt. Mendenhall
- 1982–1987, 1993: Cheers as Diane Chambers (Won Emmy and Golden Globes)
- 1990: Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase (TV film) as Truddi Chase
- 1993–1994: Good Advice as Susan DeRuzza
- 1995: Freaky Friday (TV film) as Ellen Andrews
- 1996, 2001: Frasier as Diane Chambers (3 episodes)
- 1998: Sabrina the Teenage Witch as The Wicked Witch
- 2002: The Brady Bunch in the White House (TV film) as Carol Brady
- 2009–2018: Modern Family as DeDe Pritchett (8 episodes)
- 2011: Holiday Engagement (TV film) as Meredith Burns
- 2012: Switched at Birth as Rya Bellows
Images for kids
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Shelley Long in 1996
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President Ronald Reagan and Shelley Long in the Oval Office, February 1984
See also
In Spanish: Shelley Long para niños
