Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Louise Alley (born January 12, 1951) was an American actress and spokesmodel. She first achieved recognition in 1982, playing Saavik in the science fiction film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Alley is best known for her portrayal of Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997–2000, she starred on the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Alley received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Famein 1995.
Alley has appeared in several movies, including Summer School (1987), Shoot to Kill (1988), Look Who's Talking (1989) and its two sequels (1990–93), Madhouse, Sibling Rivalry (both 1990), Village of the Damned, It Takes Two (both 1995), Deconstructing Harry, For Richer or Poorer (both 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 the reality show Kirstie Alley's Big Life (2010), and was a contestant on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars (2011–12), finishing in second place. In 2013, she returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom Kirstie, and in 2016 joined the second season of the Fox comedy horror series Scream Queens. In 2018, Alley finished as runner-up in season 22 of the British reality series Celebrity Big Brother.
== Early life ==
Kirstie Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of Lillian Mickie (néeHeaton), a homemaker, and Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company.[1][2] She has two siblings, Colette and Craig. Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, graduating in 1969.[3] She attended college at Kansas State University, dropping out after her sophomore year.[3] After moving to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer, Alley appeared as a contestant on the popular game show Match Game in 1979 (not during the "Match Game '79" season). She won both rounds, winning $500 in the first round and $5500 in the second round.[4] She also appeared on the game show Password Plus in 1980. In 1981, a car accident caused by a drunk driver killed her mother and left her father seriously injured. Her father eventually recovered.[3]
== Career ==
Before becoming an actress, Alley was an interior designer, as she announced during her appearances as a contestant on the game shows Match Game and Password Plus. She made her movie 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, saying later that 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.[5] 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.[6] 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 around the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now![7]
Alley has won two Emmy Awards[8] during her career. Her first two nominations for her work on Cheers did not win her the award, but her third, in 1991, did. In her speech, she thanked then-husband Parker Stevenson, calling him "the man who has given me the big one for the last eight years".[9] She won her second Emmy for 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.[10]
From 1997 to 2000, Alley played the title character in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet, as well as serving as executive producers 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,[11] and ran for one season before it was canceled, five months after ending its freshman run.[12]
=== Dancing with the Stars ===
Main articles: Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 12) and Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 15)
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[13] again with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. They were the seventh couple eliminated from the competition.
== Personal life ==
Alley dated Bob Alley in high school. They married in 1970. Her husband had the same name as her father.[14] They divorced seven years later as their career paths diverged.[15] Alley was married to her second husband, Parker Stevenson, on December 22, 1983. They divorced in 1997. Alley and Stevenson shared custody of their two children, William True and Lillie Price.[16] In 2016, Alley became a grandmother after her son William had a son of his own.[17]
She has a house islesboro, Maine.[18]
She died on 5 December, 2022, in Tampa Florida after a short battle with cancer. According to her family, it was recently discovered.https://www.winknews.com/2022/12/06/actress-kirstie-alley-dies-in-tampa-at-71-following-battle-with-cancer/
=== Weight gain and loss ===
Alley appeared on The Dr. Oz Show on September 17, 2012, where she admitted that she started gaining weight in late 2003. Alley claimed she spent her whole life eating obsessively without gaining weight, and only noticed a change in her body after she went into early menopause in 1992.[19]
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).[20]
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).[21]
In September 2011, Alley announced that she had lost 100 pounds (45 kg) using weight loss products from Organic Liaison, a company she had founded in 2010.[22] 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 settledthe 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.[23][24]
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.[23] In January 2015, Alley claimed that, since starting the Jenny Craig weight-loss program again, she had lost 50 pounds (23 kg).[25]
=== Scientology ===
Alley was raised as a Methodist, but became a member of the Church of Scientology in 1979.[26] At the time she became a Scientologist, Alley admitted to having had a cocaine addiction and went through Narconon, a Scientology-affiliated drug treatment program,[27] to end her dependency.[28] She has continued her Scientology training and, as of 2007, has attained the level of OT VII (Operating Thetan Level 7).[29]
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.[30]
=== 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.[31][32] On October 8, 2016, Alley retracted her endorsement of Trump, tweeting, "I hate this election and I'm officially no longer endorsing either candidate."[33]
She has publicly voiced her opposition to spanking and other forms of corporal punishment on many occasions, most notably on the Howard Stern Show[34] in 2013, when Stern and Quivers also voiced their own opposition to spanking children.
== Honors ==
November 10, 1995 Alley received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to Motion Picture.[35]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1982	Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan	Saavik 	
1983	One More Chance 	Sheila 	
1984	Champions 	Barbara 	
1984	Blind Date 	Claire Simpson 	
1984	Runaway 	Jackie Rogers 	
1987	Summer School 	Ms. Robin Elizabeth Bishop	
1988	She's Having a Baby 	Kirstie Alley 	Uncredited
1988	Shoot to Kill 	Sarah Rennell 	
1989	Loverboy 	Dr. Joyce Palmer 	
1989	Look Who's Talking 	Mollie 	
1990	Madhouse 	Jessie Bannister 	
1990	Sibling Rivalry 	Marjorie Turner 	
1990	Look Who's Talking Too 	Mollie 	
1993	Look Who's Talking Now 	Mollie 	
1995	Village of the Damned 	Dr. Susan Verner 	
1995	It Takes Two 	Diane Barrows 	
1996	Sticks & Stones 	Joeys Mom 	
1997	Nevada 	McGill 	Also co-producer
1997	Deconstructing Harry 	Joan 	
1997	For Richer or Poorer 	Caroline Sexton 	
1999	The Mao Game 	Diane Highland 	
1999	Drop Dead Gorgeous 	Gladys Leeman 	
2004	Back by Midnight 	Gloria Beaumont 	
2013	Syrup 	Kirstie Alley 	
2015	Accidental Love 	Aunt Rita 	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1978 	Quark 	Handmaiden (uncredited) 	Episode: "The Old and the Beautiful"
1983 	Highway Honeys 	Draggin' Lady 	Television film
1983 	The Love Boat 	Marion Stevens 	Episode: "The World's Greatest Kisser/Don't Take My Wife, Please/The Reluctant Father"
1983–1984	Masquerade 	Casey Collins 	Main cast
1984 	Sins of the Past 	Patrice Cantwell 	Television film
1985 	A Bunny's Tale 	Gloria Steinem 	Television film
1985–1986	North and South 	Virgilia Hazard 	Miniseries; main cast
1985–1987	The Hitchhiker 	Jane L. Angelica 	2 episodes
1986 	Prince of Bel Air 	Jamie Harrison 	Television film
1986 	Stark: Mirror Image 	Maggie Carter 	Television film
1987–1993	Cheers 	Rebecca Howe 	Series regular
1987 	Infidelity 	Ellie Denato 	Television film
1988 	Mickey's 60th Birthday 	Rebecca Howe 	Television film
1990 	Masquerade 	Casey Collins 	Television film
1991–1993	Saturday Night Live 	Herself / host 	2 episodes
1991 	Flesh 'n' Blood 	Starr Baxter 	Episode: "Arlo and Starr"
1993 	Wings 	Rebecca Howe 	Episode: "I Love Brian"
1994 	David's Mother 	Sally Goodson 	Television film
1995 	Peter and the Wolf 	Annie/Bird/Duck (voice) 	Television film
1996 	Radiant City 	Gloria Goodman 	Television film
1996 	Suddenly 	Marty Doyle 	Television film; also writer
1997–2000	Veronica's Closet 	Veronica Chase 	Series regular; also producer
1997 	Ink 	Dahlia 	Episode: "Breaking the Rules"
1997 	Toothless 	Dr. Katherine Lewis 	Television film
1997 	The Last Don 	Rose Marie Clericuzio 	Miniseries; main cast
1998 	The Last Don II 	Rose Marie Clericuzio 	Miniseries; main cast
2001 	Blonde 	Elsie 	Miniseries; main cast
2001 	Dharma & Greg 	Dr. Tish (uncredited) 	Episode: "The End of the Innocence: Part 1"
2002 	Glory Days 	Mike's Agent 	Unaired pilot
2002 	Salem Witch Trials 	Ann Putnam 	Television film
2003 	Profoundly Normal 	Donna Lee Shelby Thornton	Television film; also executive producer
2004 	Without a Trace 	Noreen Raab 	Episode: "Risen"
2004 	Family Sins 	Brenda Geck 	Television film
2004 	While I Was Gone 	Jo Beckett 	Television film
2005 	Fat Actress 	Kirstie Alley 	Series regular; also writer / executive producer
2006 	The King of Queens 	Kirstie Alley 	Episode: "Apartment Complex"
2007 	Write & Wrong 	Byrdie Langdon 	Television film; also executive producer
2007 	The Minister of Divine 	Sydney Hudson 	Television film
2008 	The Hills 	Herself 	Episode: "Girls Night Out"
2010 	Kirstie Alley's Big Life	Herself 	Series regular; also executive producer
2011–2012	Dancing with the Stars 	Herself / contestant 	34 episodes
2012 	The Manzanis 	Angela 	Television film
2013 	Baby Sellers 	Carla Huxley 	Television film
2013–2014	Kirstie 	Maddie Banks 	Series regular; also executive producer
2013–2014	Hot in Cleveland 	Maddie Banks 	2 episodes
2015 	The Middle 	Pam Staggs 	Episode: "Pam Freakin' Staggs"
2016 	Flaked 	Jackie 	Episode: "Palms"
2016 	Scream Queens 	Ingrid Hoffel 	Main cast (season 2)
2018 	Celebrity Big Brother 	Herself / contestant 	Season 22
== Dancing with the Stars ==
=== Season 12 performances ===
Week # 	Dance / Song 	Judge's scores 	Judge's scores 	Judge's scores 	Result
Week # 	Dance / Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
1 	Cha-Cha-Cha / "Forget You" 	8 	7 	8 	No Elimination
2 	Quickstep / "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"	7 	6 	7 	Safe
3 	Rumba / "Over the Rainbow" 	7 	7 	7 	Safe
4 	Waltz / "The Flower Duet" 	7 	7 	7 	Safe
5 	Foxtrot / "American Woman" 	8 	7 	8 	Safe
6 	Samba / "Baby One More Time" 	8 	9 	9 	Safe
7 	Team Cha-Cha-Cha / "We R Who We R"
Jive / "La Bamba"	71 / 7
9 / 7 	8
6 	8
8 	Safe
8 	Argentine Tango / "Cite Tango"
Salsa / "Cobrastyle"	9
8 	9
9 	10
8 	Safe
9
Semi-finals 	Viennese Waltz / "One and Only"
Paso Doble / "White Room"
Winner Take All Cha-Cha-Cha / "Walkin' on the Sun"	9
9
Lost 	9
9
This 	9
9
Event 	Last to Be Called Safe
10
Finals 	Samba / "Magalenha"
Freestyle / "Perfect"
Cha-Cha-Cha / "Forget You"	9
9
10 	9
9
10 	9
9
10 	Runner-Up
1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns.	1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns. 	1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns.	1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns.	1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns.	1Score by guest judge Donnie Burns.
=== Season 15 performances ===
Week#	Dance / Song 	Judge's scores	Judge's scores	Judge's scores	Result
Week#	Dance / Song 	Inaba 	Goodman 	Tonioli 	Result
1 	Foxtrot / "Set Fire to the Rain" 	6.5 	6 	6.5 	Safe
2 	Jive / "Non Non Rien N'a Change" 	7 	7 	7 	Safe
3 	Cha-Cha-Cha / "Moves like Jagger" 	8 	8 	8 	Safe
4 	Charleston / "Forty-Second Street"	7.5 	7.5 	7.5 	Bottom two
5 	Night 1 Quickstep / "Mrs. Robinson"
Night 2 Freestyle / "Gangnam Style"	8.5
9 	8.5
9 	8.5
9 	No Elimination
6 	Rumba / "Home"
Group Country-Western Freestyle/ "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" & "I Play Chicken with a Train"	9.5
No 	8.5
Scores 	9.5
Given 	Safe
7 	Fusion Quickstep & Samba / "Sir Duke"
Swing Marathon / "Do Your Thing"	8
4 	8
4 	8
4 	No Elimination
8 	Viennese Waltz / "Hallelujah"
Paso Doble / "Bring Me to Life" (trio dance with Tristan MacManus)	9
8 	9
8 	9
8 	Eliminated
Dancing with the Stars references [36][37]
== Awards and nominations ==
Alley's work has been 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.[38]
Association 	Year	Category 	Title 	Result
American Comedy Awards 	1989	Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
American Comedy Awards 	1990	Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
American Comedy Awards 	1990	Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture 	Look Who's Talking 	Nominated
American Comedy Awards 	1991	Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
American Comedy Awards 	1998	Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series 	Veronica's Closet 	Nominated
American Television Awards 	1993	Best Actress in a Situation Comedy 	Cheers 	Nominated
Bravo Otto Awards 	1990	Best Actress 	Look Who's Talking 	Nominated
Bravo Otto Awards 	1991	Best Actress 	Look Who's Talking Too 	Nominated
CableACE Awards 	1987	Actress in a Dramatic Series 	The Hitchhiker 	Nominated
CableACE Awards 	1988	Actress in a Dramatic Series 	The Hitchhiker 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	1990	Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical 	Cheers 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	1991	Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical 	Cheers 	Won
Golden Globe Awards 	1992	Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical 	Cheers 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	1993	Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical 	Cheers 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	1995	Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television	David's Mother 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	1998	Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical 	Veronica's Closet 	Nominated
Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards 	1996	Favorite Movie Actress 	It Takes Two 	Nominated
Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards 	1998	Favorite Television Actress 	Veronica's Closet 	Nominated
People's Choice Awards 	1988	Favorite Female Television Performer 	Cheers 	Nominated
People's Choice Awards 	1990	Favorite Female Television Performer 	Cheers 	Nominated
People's Choice Awards 	1991	Favorite Female Television Performer 	Cheers 	Won
People's Choice Awards 	1992	Favorite Female Television Performer 	Cheers 	Nominated
People's Choice Awards 	1993	Favorite Female Television Performer 	Cheers 	Nominated
People's Choice Awards 	1998	Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series 	Veronica's Closet 	Won
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1988	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1990	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1991	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Won
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1992	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1993	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1994	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special 	David's Mother 	Won
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1997	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special 	The Last Don 	Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 	1998	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 	Veronica's Closet 	Nominated
Satellite Awards 	1997	Best Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television	Suddenly 	Nominated
Saturn Awards 	1983	Best Supporting Actress 	Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan	Nominated
Saturn Awards 	1985	Best Supporting Actress 	Runaway 	Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 	1998	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series 	Veronica's Closet 	Nominated
The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards 	1997	Worst On-Screen Couple (shared with Tim Allen) 	For Richer or Poorer 	Nominated
The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards 	1999	Worst Supporting Actress 	Drop Dead Gorgeous 	Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Awards	1990	Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Awards	1991	Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated
Viewers for Quality Television Awards	1992	Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series 	Cheers 	Nominated