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Kirstie Alley

Actress. Born 1951. Died 2022.

Whether playing the part of a Vulcan starship officer, John Travolta's cinematic love interest, the manager of America's most famous bar (Cheers), or an overweight career woman, Kirstie Alley brought entertainment when she took the stage.  Alley graduated from Wichita Southeast High School and attended Kansas State and Kansas Universities.  She returned to Wichita in 1977 and began a battle against drug addiction.  After she successfully completed treatment in California she looked for acting jobs and her talent began to come to the fore.  Her part in Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan was a breakthrough.  She began to land big roles in the movies.

She was brought into the hugely successful show Cheers and won an Emmy for her work in 1991.  Besides her acting career, she was also active in helping Jane Goodall raise money for a chimpanzee refuge in Africa.

Alley died on December 5, 2022, from colon cancer. She was 71.

Entry: Alley, Kirstie

Author: G. Joseph Pierron

Author information: Judge Pierron serves on the Kansas Court of Appeals and has an interest in Kansas history.

Date Created: May 2012

Date Modified: December 2022

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.