She helped make one of television’s most beloved bars a place where everybody knew her name.
Shelley Long, the Emmy– and Golden Globe-winning actress best known for playing Diane Chambers on Cheers, turns 77 today, Aug. 23.
Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1949, Long initially found her way into entertainment through comedy, modeling and television work. She joined Chicago’s famed Second City comedy troupe and also wrote, produced and co-hosted the local TV program Sorting It Out, which earned three local Emmy Awards.
Her breakthrough came in the early 1980s, when she began landing film roles in movies including Caveman and Night Shift. Then came the role that would make her a household name.
Shelley Long Became a TV Favorite on ‘Cheers’
When Cheers premiered in 1982, Long played Diane Chambers, an educated, somewhat eccentric woman who works behind the bar after her fiancé abandons her.
Diane’s complicated romance with bartender Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson, quickly became a central storyline. Long’s performance helped establish the series during its early seasons, and she earned five Emmy nominations for her work as Diane, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1983.
She also won two Golden Globes for the role.
The show’s creators later said Long was crucial to Cheers‘ early success. They recalled feeling “sheer panic” when she decided to leave the series after its fifth season.
Long’s departure in 1987 opened the door for Kirstie Alley to join the cast as Rebecca Howe, while Diane remained an important part of the show’s history.
Long eventually returned to Cheers for the series finale and later reprised Diane on Frasier.
Shelley Long Also Became a Movie Favorite
While starring on Cheers, Long continued building a film career.
She appeared in movies including Irreconcilable Differences, The Money Pit, Outrageous Fortune, Hello Again and Troop Beverly Hills. She later took on one of her most recognizable movie roles as Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie in 1995 and A Very Brady Sequel in 1996.
Long eventually returned to television in a recurring role on Modern Family, where she played DeDe Pritchett from 2009 to 2018.
More than four decades after Cheers premiered, Long remains closely associated with Diane Chambers, the sophisticated barmaid who helped make the Boston pub one of TV’s most memorable hangouts.
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