Azim premji full biography of kirstie alley

American actress (–)

Kirstie Louise Alley^[1] (January 12, – December 5, ) was an American actress. Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (–), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in From to , Alley starred as the lead in the sitcom Veronica's Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. On film, she played Mollie Jensen in Look Who's Talking () and its two sequels, Look Who's Talking Too () and Look Who's Talking Now ().

Throughout the s and s, Alley appeared in various films, including Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (), Summer School (), Shoot to Kill (), Madhouse (), Sibling Rivalry (), Village of the Damned (), It Takes Two (), Deconstructing Harry (), For Richer or Poorer (), and Drop Dead Gorgeous ().

Alley won her second Emmy Award in for the television film David's Mother. In , Alley received another Emmy nomination for her work in the crime drama series The Last Don. In , Alley played a fictionalized version of herself on Showtime's Fat Actress, something she would also do on episodes of King of Queens and Hot in Cleveland, as well as in Syrup (). In , Alley returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom Kirstie. In , she appeared on the Fox comedy horror series Scream Queens.

Alley also appeared in reality television including Kirstie Alley's Big Life () and served as a contestant on the 12th season of Dancing with the Stars (–), where she finished in second place, behind Hines Ward, and the 22nd series of the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother (), in which Alley finished as runner-up. In early , she appeared on The Masked Singer.

Early life and education

Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, on January 12, ,^[1] to Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company,^[2] and Lillian Alley.^[3] She had two siblings, Colette and Craig.

Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, where she graduated in She attended college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, where she dropped out after completing her sophomore year.^[2]

Career

After leaving Kansas State, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue Scientology and work as an interior designer. In , she appeared as a contestant on the game show Match Game,^[4] where she won both her games and went on to win $ in her first Super Match and $5, in her second.^[5] In , Alley appeared on the game show Password Plus. On both game shows, she described her profession as interior designer. In , an automobile crash involving a drunk driver^[3] killed Alley's mother and left her father seriously injured.^[2]

In , Alley made her film debut in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in the role of the VulcanStarfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik.^[6] The Saavik character became very popular with Star Trek fans, but Alley chose not to reprise the role in the next two film sequels so the role was recast.^[7]

From to , she was a regular on the ABC television series Masquerade.^[8] In the years following, Alley starred in a number of smaller films, including One More Chance, Blind Date and Runaway.

In , she starred in the ABC miniseries North and South,^[9] and also portrayed feminist icon Gloria Steinem in the television movie A Bunny's Tale.^[8] In , Alley starred alongside Mark Harmon in the comedy film Summer School. The film was a box office success, grossing over $35 million in the United States.^[10] She followed up with roles in films such as Shoot to Kill (), Madhouse (), and Sibling Rivalry ().

In , Alley joined the cast of the NBC sitcom Cheers, where she played Rebecca Howe. She replaced Shelley Long. Alley remained with the show for six years until its eleventh and final season,^[11] and earned an Emmy Award and Golden Globe.

In , she starred with John Travolta in Look Who's Talking. The film grossed over $ million worldwide. They then went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too () and Look Who's Talking Now ().^[12] After two Emmy Award nominations for her work on Cheers, in and , Alley won the Emmy on her third nomination, in ^[13] In her acceptance speech, Alley memorably thanked "my husband Parker, the man who has given me the big one for the last eight years."^[14]

Alley earned her second Emmy for the television film David's Mother.^[13] For her contributions to the film industry, Alley received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard in ^[15] Her later films included Village of the Damned (), It Takes Two (), Deconstructing Harry (), For Richer or Poorer (), and Drop Dead Gorgeous ().

From to , Alley played the title character and was executive producer in the NBC sitcom Veronica's Closet, where she earned another Emmy and Golden Globe nomination. From to , she served as a commercial spokesperson for Pier 1 Imports, and for Jenny Craig from to ^[16] In , Alley played a fictionalized version of herself on the show Fat Actress. In , she was in the reality show Kirstie Alley's Big Life. From to , Alley appeared as a contestant on seasons 12 and 15 of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.^[17][18]

Beginning in December , TV Land aired a sitcom that centered on Alley as Broadway star Madison "Maddie" Banks, who reconnects with her adult son who she gave up for adoption shortly after he was born. The series was titled Kirstie, and reunited her with former Cheers co-star Rhea Perlman and Seinfeld star Michael Richards.^[19] The series ran for five months.^[20]

In , Alley appeared on season 22 of the British series Celebrity Big Brother; she finished in second place.^[17]

In , Alley returned to the game show Match Game, where she was a contestant in , this time as a celebrity panel. Host Alec Baldwin surprised Alley with a clip from the original series. This made her only the second former contestant to return as a panelist. (The first was actress Brianne Leary, who was a contestant in and a panelist in )

In , Alley competed in season seven of The Masked Singer as "Baby Mammoth" of Team Cuddly.^[21]

Personal life

Alley was married from to to her high school sweetheart Robert (Bob) Alley, who coincidentally had the same name as her father.^[22][23] Alley married actor Parker Stevenson on December 22, After a miscarriage, the couple adopted their first child, a son, in October , and in , they adopted their second child, a girl.^[24] The marriage ended in ^[23] In , Alley became a grandmother through her son.^[25]

In and respectively, Alley purchased estates in Jacksonville, Oregon, and Clearwater, Florida, retaining ownership of both properties until her death in ^[26][27] From to , Alley also resided on Islesboro Island, Maine. She once owned the Mitchell Cottage, formerly the Islesboro Inn, with her then husband Stevenson.^[28]

Body image

On The Dr. Oz Show on September 17, , Alley said she started gaining weight in late , and that she had been a compulsive eater all her life without gaining weight, only noticing the change after she reached early menopause in ^[29]

While working as a Jenny Craig spokesperson from to , Alley lost 75 pounds (34&#;kg), bringing her weight down to &#;lb (66&#;kg).^[30]

In May , Alley told People magazine that, after parting ways with Jenny Craig, she gained 83&#;lb (38&#;kg) and weighed as much as &#;lb (&#;kg).^[31]

In March , after gossip blogger Roger Friedman alleged a link between her Organic Liaison weight-loss system and the Church of Scientology, Alley denied it on the Today show.^[32] In September , Alley announced that she had lost &#;lb (45&#;kg) using weight loss products from Organic Liaison.^[33] In , Alley faced a class-action lawsuit alleging false advertising; the suit claimed that her weight loss was the result of exercise, including training for the TV show Dancing with the Stars, not Organic Liaison products. Alley settled the suit in , agreeing to remove the term "Proven Products" from packaging, issue a disclaimer on the brand's website that it is a "calorie-based weight-loss product", and pay a $, settlement.^[34][35]

In April , Alley resumed a role as a spokesperson with Jenny Craig; the Organic Liaison product line was acquired by Jenny Craig's parent company, and subsequently integrated into Jenny Craig's product line.^[34] In January , Alley said that, since starting the Jenny Craig weight-loss program again, she had lost 50&#;lb (23&#;kg).^[36]

Scientology

Alley was raised as a Methodist;^[37] she became a member of the Church of Scientology in Alley said that until she became a Scientologist she was addicted to cocaine but then went through Narconon, a Scientology-affiliated drug treatment program^[38] to end her addiction.^[39] By , Alley attained the level of OT VII (Operating Thetan Level&#;7),^[40] and by , she was New OT VIII.^[41][42] In January , Alley said, "Scientology made me a lot stronger and tougherIt's made me more honest and more willing to take responsibility for other people."^[17] Alley gave $5 million to the church in ^[43]

Due to her commitment to the Church of Scientology, Alley decided not to reprise her role as Rebecca Howe on any episode of the Cheers spinoff Frasier, because the series was centered on the field of medical psychiatry, with different ideas from those of the Church; Alley was the only former Cheers regular not to do so.^[44]

Politics

Alley said she supported both Democratic and Republican presidential nominees and independent Ross Perot in , but decided not to vote in and ^[45][46] In August , Alley tweeted that she would not support Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, during the presidential election, and on April 8, , Alley tweeted her support for Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani.^[47][48] On October 8, , Alley retracted her endorsement of Trump, tweeting, "I hate this election and I'm officially no longer endorsing either candidate."^[49]

In October , Alley said that she voted for Trump in and intended to vote for him again in because "he's NOT a politician."^[50] Alley endorsed Republican John James in the U.S. Senate election in Michigan.^[51]

Death

In May , Alley was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, following a doctor’s visit for a sore back, and subsequently underwent chemotherapy treatments at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

On December 5, , Alley died at her home in Clearwater, Florida, at the age of ^{[52][53][54][55]}

Alley's ex-husband Parker Stevenson, her two children, her Look Who's Talking co-star John Travolta,^[56] and other celebrities posted their condolences on social media.^[57] Her Cheers co-stars Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, and Rhea Perlman released statements memorializing her.^[58]

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Alley's work was honored by multiple associations throughout her career. For her role in the sitcom Cheers, she earned four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning once for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in ;^[73] and five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning one for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in She won an additional Emmy for her role in the television film, David's Mother ().^[13]

On November 10, , Alley was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to motion pictures.^[74]

See also

References