Popular American actress Kirsty Alley, winner of two Emmys and a Golden Globe, passed away on Monday at the age of 71.
Alley died of cancer that was recently diagnosed, her children Tru and Lily Parker announced in a Twitter post. Her manager, Donovan Doherty, confirmed her death in an email to The Associated Press. «As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother,» her children's statement read, among other things.
Kirsty Louise Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas on January 12, 1951. Her big career break came in 1982 with the role of Lieutenant Saavik, the Starfleet officer from the planet Vulcan, in the science fiction film Star Trek: The Wrath of Kaan.
She is best known for her role as Rebecca in the NBC sitcom Cheers, which she starred in from 1987 to 1993, winning the Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 1991.
Her career was launched by the romantic comedy «Look Who's Talking» co-starring John Travolta. The film... broke the box office with a worldwide gross of $295 million, resulting in two more films being made.
She also starred in several films, including Summer School (1987), The Deadly Chase (1988), Tangled for Two, Woody Allen's Harry's Breakup (1997), and Drop-Dead Gorgeous (1999). She received her second Emmy Award for the drama television movie David's Mother.
In 1985, she made a name for herself with her performance in the ABC television series «North and South» alongside Patrick Swayze.
From 1997 to 2000 she starred in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet, for which she received other Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations. In the 2000s, she appeared in reality shows revolving around her life.
In 2013, she returned to acting in the TV sitcom under her own name (Kirsty) and in 2016 she joined the second season of the horror comedy Scream Queens, playing the role of Ingrid Hoffel.
In 1995 he was awarded a star on the Avenue of Glory in Hollywood. She retired from film in the 2000s and chose to make limited appearances in television series. In 2011, she took part as a contestant on the television show Dancing With The Stars, but was criticized for being overweight. She had come to weigh 103 pounds. By the end of the show, she had lost 45 pounds.
Alley was married twice. The first in 1970 to her distant cousin Bob Alley, whom she divorced in 1977, and then married actor Parker Stevenson. They adopted two children William and Lily before divorcing in 1997.
John Travolta said goodbye to his friend and co-star via an Instagram post, «Kirsty was one of the most important relationships I've ever had. I love you Kirsty. I know we will meet again.».
