Kirstie Alley


Kirstie Louise Alley is an American actress and spokesmodel. She first achieved recognition in 1982, playing Saavik in the science fiction film . Alley played Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom Cheers, receiving an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991 for the role. 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 Fame in 1995.
Alley has appeared in several films including Summer School, Shoot to Kill, Look Who's Talking and its two sequels, Madhouse, Sibling Rivalry, Village of the Damned, It Takes Two, Deconstructing Harry, For Richer or Poorer, and Drop Dead Gorgeous. 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, and was a contestant on the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars, 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 on season 22 of the British reality series Celebrity Big Brother.

Early life

Kirstie Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of Lillian Mickie, a homemaker, and Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company. 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 popular 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. In 1981, a car accident caused by a drunk driver killed her mother and left her father seriously injured. Her father eventually recovered.

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 in 1979 and Password Plus in 1980. She made her film debut in 1982 in , playing the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik, but chose not to reprise that role in the next two sequels, later claiming 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. 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 around the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now!
Alley has won two Emmy Awards 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". 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.
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.

Personal life

Alley dated Bob Alley in high school. They married in 1970. Her husband had the same name as her father. They divorced seven years later as their career paths diverged. 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. In 2016, Alley became a grandmother after her son William had a son of his own.
She has a house in Islesboro, Maine.

Body Image issues

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 had been a compulsive eater her entire life without gaining weight, and only noticed a change in her body after she went through early menopause in 1992.
While working as a Jenny Craig spokesperson from 2004 to 2007, Alley lost, bringing her weight down to.
In May 2009, she told People magazine that, after parting ways with Jenny Craig, she gained and weighed as much as.
In September 2011, Alley announced that she had lost 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.

Scientology

Alley was raised as a Methodist, but became a member of the Church of Scientology in 1979. 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, to end her dependency. She has continued her Scientology training and, as of 2007, has attained the level of OT VII.
In May 2000, she purchased a 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."
She has publicly voiced her opposition to spanking and other forms of corporal punishment on many occasions, most notably on the Howard Stern Show in 2013, when Stern and his co-host Robin Quivers also voiced their own opposition to spanking children.

Honors

On November 10, 1995, Alley received her 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 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.
YearAssociationCategoryTitleResult
1989American Comedy AwardsFunniest Female Performer in a Television SeriesCheers
1990American Comedy AwardsFunniest Female Performer in a Television SeriesCheers
1990American Comedy AwardsFunniest Actress in a Motion PictureLook Who's Talking
1991American Comedy AwardsFunniest Female Performer in a Television SeriesCheers
1998American Comedy AwardsFunniest Female Performer in a Television SeriesVeronica's Closet
1993American Television AwardsBest Actress in a Situation ComedyCheers
1990Bravo Otto AwardsBest ActressLook Who's Talking
1991Bravo Otto AwardsBest ActressLook Who's Talking Too
1987CableACE AwardsActress in a Dramatic SeriesThe Hitchhiker
1988CableACE AwardsActress in a Dramatic SeriesThe Hitchhiker
1990Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or MusicalCheers
1991Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or MusicalCheers
1992Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or MusicalCheers
1993Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or MusicalCheers
1995Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for TelevisionDavid's Mother
1998Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or MusicalVeronica's Closet
1996Nickelodeon Kid's Choice AwardsFavorite Movie ActressIt Takes Two
1998Nickelodeon Kid's Choice AwardsFavorite Television ActressVeronica's Closet
1988People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female Television PerformerCheers
1990People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female Television PerformerCheers
1991People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female Television PerformerCheers
1992People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female Television PerformerCheers
1993People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female Television PerformerCheers
1998People's Choice AwardsFavorite Female Performer in a New Television SeriesVeronica's Closet
1988Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesCheers
1990Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesCheers
1991Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesCheers
1992Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesCheers
1993Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesCheers
1994Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a SpecialDavid's Mother
1997Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a SpecialThe Last Don
1998Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesVeronica's Closet
1997Satellite AwardsBest Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for TelevisionSuddenly
1983Saturn AwardsBest Supporting Actress
1985Saturn AwardsBest Supporting ActressRunaway
1998Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy SeriesVeronica's Closet
1997The Stinkers Bad Movie AwardsWorst On-Screen Couple For Richer or Poorer
1999The Stinkers Bad Movie AwardsWorst Supporting ActressDrop Dead Gorgeous
1990Viewers for Quality Television AwardsBest Actress in a Quality Comedy SeriesCheers
1991Viewers for Quality Television AwardsBest Actress in a Quality Comedy SeriesCheers
1992Viewers for Quality Television AwardsBest Actress in a Quality Comedy SeriesCheers