# RIP Kirstie Alley **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [December 6, 2022, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073 "2022-12-06T01:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/1 "2022-12-06T01:45:48Z")
> **[Kirstie Alley, ‘Cheers’ and ‘Look Who’s Talking’ Star, Dies at 71](https://variety.com/2022/tv/obituaries-people-news/kirstie-alley-dead-cheers-look-whos-talking-1235451006/)** > > Kirstie Alley, an actress known for her role as Rebecca Howe on "Cheers" and for starring in "Look Who's Talking," has died from cancer. She was 71. > [Kirstie Alley](https://variety.com/t/kirstie-alley/), a two-time Emmy-winning actor who rose to fame with her role as Rebecca Howe in the NBC comedy series “[Cheers](https://variety.com/t/cheers/),” has died after a battle with cancer. She was 71. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/2 "2022-12-06T01:53:41Z")
Godspeed, Saavik. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/3 "2022-12-06T01:54:39Z")
It’s too bad she ended her career as a MAGAt. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/4 "2022-12-06T01:55:22Z")
Can we merge the threads? I did one in mpsims. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/5 "2022-12-06T02:00:15Z")
The byline says Dec 6 but my phone says it’s currently still Dec 5. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/6 "2022-12-06T02:06:03Z")
Damn… ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/7 "2022-12-06T02:08:46Z")
I loved her in _Cheers_. IMHO, she was a much better actress than Shelley Long, and her character, Rebecca Howe, was more interesting and engaging than Diane Chambers. I also liked her in a number of her other roles. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/8 "2022-12-06T02:08:53Z")
RIP Saavik! ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/9 "2022-12-06T02:13:04Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I loved her in _Cheers_. IMHO, she was a much better actress than Shelley Long, and her character, Rebecca Howe, was more interesting and engaging than Diane Chambers. I also liked her in a number of her other roles. I thought I was the only one who thought this. RIP Rebecca. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/10 "2022-12-06T02:21:44Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > IMHO, she was a much better actress than Shelley Long, and her character, Rebecca Howe, was more interesting and engaging than Diane Chambers. I’d fight you over this, but this isn’t the thread for it. RIP Kirstie Alley. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/11 "2022-12-06T02:28:06Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > I thought I was the only one who thought this. RIP Rebecca. I prefer the Rebecca era of Cheers as well. I kind of hated the “will they won’t they” or “Sam and Diane” era of the show. The show handled Rebecca better. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/12 "2022-12-06T02:29:33Z")
Damn! Damn, damn, damn, damn! 😡 First it was Mary Ann. Now this…! 😭 Kirstie was a contestant on the old _ **Match Game** _ back in the '70s. You can catch her episode occasionally on the Game Channel. RIP ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/13 "2022-12-06T02:46:18Z")
She was on the HBO series “The Hitchhiker”. She was much thinner then. I always thought young Kirstie looked a lot like Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/14 "2022-12-06T03:05:18Z")
She was also wonderful in a made-for-TV movie called “Profoundly Normal”, about a mixed-race, mentally disabled married couple who were profiled on “60 Minutes” back in the 1980s (and are still together). ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/15 "2022-12-06T03:10:57Z")
She brought a lot to the table as Saavik. Saavik [seething with barely constrained fury in the aftermath of the _Kobayashi Maru_ simulation]: “Permission to speak candidly, sir?” Kirk [loosely]: “Granted.” Saavik: “I do not believe this was a fair test of my command ability.” Kirk: “And why not?” Saavik: “Because… there was no way to win.” Kirk: “A no-win scenario is a situation every commander may face. Has that never occurred to you?” Saavik: “No, sir. It had not.” Kirk: “And how we deal with death is at _least_ as important as how we deal with _life,_ wouldn’t you say?” Saavik [chastened]: “As I indicated, admiral, that thought had not occurred to me.” Kirk: “Well, now you have something new to think about. Carry on.” And the sight of Saavik near tears at Spock’s funeral was powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/16 "2022-12-06T03:24:43Z")
The next few years are going to be a Niagara Falls of dead celebrities from my era. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/17 "2022-12-06T03:28:04Z")
I started [two polls](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/2477) in the polls only thread over in MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/18 "2022-12-06T04:07:13Z")
That’s cool and everything, but popular opinion has never been on my side. I just gotta be me, you know? (I came to terms with this in the '80s during Metal Teens Divided: Randy Rhoads vs. Eddie Van Halen! I’m still on the wrong side of the polls on that one, but I’m still right!) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/19 "2022-12-06T04:11:58Z")
Aside from _Cheers_, I liked Kirstie in _Veronica’s Closet_ and the movie _For Richer Or Poorer_. Also, for a while she was exceedingly hot. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2022, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073/20 "2022-12-06T05:11:50Z")
Did she ever escape or denounce Scientology? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-kirstie-alley/976073.md?page=2)