Kirstie Alley

Former “fat actress” Kirstie Alley was born on January 12, 1951, in Wichita, Kansas . Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, where she was a cheerleader. She also attended Kansas State University and the University of Kansas until her sophomore year, when she dropped out to pursue a career in acting. 

Alley was first seen on the small-screen as a contestant on the game shows Match Game in 1979 and Password Plus in 1980. She made her movie debut in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982 playing Vulcan officer, Lieutenant Saavik. She also co-starred in the short-lived television series, Masquerade, and in acclaimed miniseries North and South; however, it wasn’t until she landed a role on beloved television series Cheers that everyone knew her name.  

From 1987 to 1993, Alley played high-powered executive Rebecca Howe, stepping in to replace Shelley Long. Alley received three Emmy nominations for her work on the series, taking home the third in 1991.  Her co-stars on Cheers included Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, Woody Harrelson, George Wendt, and John Ratzenberger. 

Alley’s popularity rose in the late 80s with the film Look Who's Talking in 1989, co-starring John Travolta. The pair’s outstanding onscreen chemistry, coupled with an adorable wise-cracking baby narrated by Bruce Willis made the film a hit, raking in $100 million at the box office. It was followed up with Look Who's Talking Too in 1990 with Roseanne Barr as the voice of baby #2 and Look Who's Talking Now in 1993. 

During the late 70s, Alley battled a cocaine addiction. Raised a Methodist, Alley also converted to Scientology around this time, and has served as national spokesperson for Narconon, Scientology’s controversial drug treatment program. 

Unlike the cordial reception Cheers received, Alley’s next NBC sitcom, Veronica's Closet, was critically panned, running for only three seasons during the late 90s. However, the show was lucrative for the veteran actress, who reportedly received $2 million up-front for the series and $150,000 per episode.

In 1997, Alley took a departure from comedy for some onscreen seriousness when she appeared in Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry, playing a psychiatrist married to Allen's character. 

By 2005, Alley had been out of the spotlight for some time. Now weighing over 200 pounds, the actress headlined a sitcom for Showtime titled Fat Actress, which comically chronicled the life of an overweight actress trying to find work in Hollywood. Since then, Alley has become a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, appearing in television commercials for the weight-loss program. 

In November of 2006, Alley fulfilled a promise she had made to Oprah Winfrey over a year prior by sporting a svelter figure on the show, wearing only a bikini. 

In 1974, Alley married Bob Alley, whom she met while attending Kansas State University; however, the marriage dissolved by the end of the decade. In 1983, Alley married actor Parker Stevenson (Richard Stevenson Parker, Jr.), although the couple divorced in 1997. The pair adopted two children together: William True, born October 5th, 1992; and Lillie Price, born June 15, 1994.