US actress: Kirstie Alley died | tagesschau.de

US actress Kirstie Alley has died after a short battle with cancer. She was 71 years old. Alley became known, among other things, through the series “Cheers” and the comedy “Look Who’s Talking”.

US actress Kirstie Alley has died at the age of 71. This was announced by their children True and Lillie Parker on Twitter. Alley’s manager confirmed her death when asked by the AP news agency.

Alley played the character Rebecca Howe on the 1987 series Cheers. The series was at the peak of its popularity at the time, and leading actress Shelley Long left at the time. Four years later, Alley won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Cheers.

Special connection with John Travolta

In 1989, she co-starred with John Travolta in the comedy Look Who’s Talking. In the film, Alley played the mother of a baby whose inner voice can be heard again and again. Alley and Travolta also worked in the same cast in the two sequels in 1990 and 1993.

in one Instagram post Acknowledging Travolta Alley: “With Kirstie, I’ve had one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we’ll meet again.”

In 1993, Alley received her second Emmy for Best Actress for the TV movie David’s Mother. From 1997 to 2000, Alley had her own sitcom titled Veronica’s Closet.

Merciless gossip press

In the 2005 mini-series Fat Actress, Alley played herself working with agents to try and find roles – but is repeatedly told she has to lose weight to do so.

The tabloids also took notice of her weight. Alley recorded this experience on the 2010 reality show Kirstie Alley’s Big Life. Wanting to stand up to tabloids, she said: “Everything bad that can be said about me, they say. I’ve never collapsed, never passed out, never passed out. I’ve never done practically anything they say. That’s true it’s just that I’ve gotten fat.”

In recent years, the actress has become a controversial personality in Hollywood through various statements: she criticized the #metoo movement or blamed psychiatry for mass shootings. A view likely shaped by her membership in the Scientology sect.

Married twice

Alley was born in 1951 in Wichita, Kansas. She dropped out of college to move to Los Angeles. There she also joined the Scientology sect, to which she – like Travolta – remained connected.

From 1970 to 1977 she was married to her high school sweetheart, Bob. She was married to her second husband, actor Parker Stevenson, from 1983 to 1997. The two adopted two children.

According to her children, Alley had only recently been diagnosed with cancer.

With information from Katharina Wilhelm, ARD Studio Los Angeles