---
name: "Kirstie Alley"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/kirstie-alley"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "12 January 1951"
died: "5 December 2022"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T21:17:24.222964+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Kirstie Alley

Actor. Born 12 January 1951 in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Died 5 December 2022.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 12 January 1951, Wichita, Kansas, USA
- **Died:** 5 December 2022
- **Also known as:** Kirstie Louise Alley, Kristie Alley, کرستی آلی

## Fi1m on Kirstie Alley

> Kirstie Alley was at her funniest when an ambitious woman could no longer keep up appearances. We rate her highest in *Cheers*, where Rebecca Howe's collapsing composure gave the ensemble something unruly to work with.

Rebecca Howe tries to look as though she has everything under control, and Kirstie Alley makes the effort visible. In *Cheers* (1982), the executive's composure can give way to tears and physical comedy without making her ambition disappear. We laughed at those breakdowns because Rebecca still wants to be taken seriously. Alley makes that wish painfully apparent even as she becomes ridiculous. She allows the crying to become slapstick without making Rebecca's disappointment seem trivial.

Her film debut came as Lt. Saavik in *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982). Joining *Cheers* in 1987, replacing Shelley Long, gave her the part that remains our strongest reason to recommend her work. Alongside Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman, she could make another bruised ego worth attending to in a programme already well supplied with them. Her timing lets Rebecca seem capable before the composure slips, and her physical comedy makes the change clear without needing another line of dialogue.

She played Mollie opposite John Travolta in *Look Who's Talking* (1989), then led the television drama *David's Mother* (1994) as Sally Goodson. These parts took her beyond the sitcom ensemble without displacing Rebecca as our starting point. *Veronica's Closet* (1997–2000) put her at the centre of another sitcom as Veronica Chase, but received mixed reviews. That reception is a useful caution against assuming that a reliable comic lead can make a programme work on her own.

There is a risk in the Rebecca routine, too: repeated disappointment can make even a well-played collapse predictable. Our reservation about *Cheers* is that its recurring quarrels sometimes give the actors too little that is new to play. Yet Alley keeps the woman's ambition visible through the slapstick, which gives us a reason to care when she loses her composure. Start with *Cheers*, especially for the moments when Rebecca is trying hardest to seem in charge.

## Biography

Kirstie Alley was an American actress. She played Rebecca Howe on the NBC sitcom *Cheers* from 1987 to 1993, succeeding Shelley Long in the role.

Her film credits include Lt. Saavik in *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), and the *Look Who's Talking* trilogy (1989–1993). She starred in the sitcom *Veronica's Closet* (1997–2000) and appeared in films such as *Deconstructing Harry* (1997) and *Village of the Damned* (1995).

Alley received Emmy Awards for her work on *Cheers* and the television film *David's Mother* (1994). She died on 5 December 2022.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Cheers* (1982), Fi1m 88, as Rebecca Howe — [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md)

## Also known for

- *Look Who's Talking* (1989), Mollie
- *Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan* (1982), Lt. Saavik
- *Scream Queens* (2015), Ingrid Marie Hoffel
- *Look Who's Talking Too* (1990), Mollie
- *Look Who's Talking Now!* (1993), Mollie Ubriacco
- *Deconstructing Harry* (1997), Joan
- *It Takes Two* (1995), Diane Barrows
- *Village of the Damned* (1995), Susan Verner

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/kirstie-alley