In a series of statements shared with People, Kirstie Alley’s “Cheers” costars reacted to the news of her death with loving memories. Recalling that he had just rewatched “Cheers” when he heard the tragic news, Ted Danson gushed about Alley’s comedic talent. “Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny,” Danson mused, adding, “She made me laugh 30 years ago … and she made me laugh today just as hard [rewatching it].”
Another “Cheers” costar, Rhea Perlman, shared the recollection of her children having sleepover treasure hunts at Alley’s house. “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast,” Perlman recalled. “Her joy of being was boundless.” As for Kelsey Grammer, whose “Cheers” character, Dr. Frasier Crane, spawned the NBC long-running spin-off “Frasier,” he issued a brief but thoughtful statement to People. “I always believed grief for a public figure is a private matter, but I will say I loved her,” the veteran actor shared.
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Alley’s memories of her time on “Cheers” were just as fond. In a 1993 interview, she even told David Letterman of her Hail Mary plan to save the show after its cancellation. Calling a meeting of the show’s actors and directors, Alley tried to rally them for another season and “go out with style and class.” Sadly for all, her impassioned plea didn’t take.
