Cheers ran from 1982 to 1993, and was one of the biggest critical and ratings success
stories of its era.
Emmy voters nominated it for Outstanding Comedy Series in all 11 of its seasons, and Cheers
ultimately won 28 Emmys against 179 total nominations.
More than 40 million households watched the show's finale.
Still, the show's most impressive accomplishment might be the way its stars defied typecasting
and have continued to find work in Hollywood.
But while you've certainly seen them over the years, you might not recognize the Cheers
cast today…
Ted Danson - Sam Malone
After Sam Malone turned out the lights on Cheers, Ted Danson made guest appearances
as Malone on Frasier and The Simpsons, but went on to compete with Woody Harrelson for
the most diverse career among former cast members.
He played himself in 13 episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, starred in the sitcom Becker for
six seasons, got another Emmy nod for his ruthless CEO character on Damages, and appeared
on CSI: Cyber as D.B.
Russell, a character he originated on CSI.
Through all that, he's also popped up in numerous other film and television roles, and has been
married to Mary Steenburgen since 1995.
While he doesn't exactly look like bar owner Sam Malone anymore, you can catch Danson on
NBC's The Good Place and season two of FX's Fargo.
Shelley Long - Diane Chambers
For five years, Diane Chambers, a Bennington College graduate, wanted everyone to know
she was smarter than her cocktail waitress job would indicate.
But before season six, Shelly Long left Cheers to pursue other work and spend more time with
her family.
"If I go, I am never, ever coming back."
She went on to appear in several movies and TV shows, including The Money Pit, The Brady
Bunch Movie, Troop Beverly Hills, and later even revived Diane for an episode of Frasier.
She's also been seen occasionally on Modern Family playing DeDe Pritchett.
Kirstie Alley - Rebecca Howe
After replacing Shelley Long on Cheers as the new object of Sam Malone's affection,
Kirstie Alley went on to star in Veronica's Closet for three seasons and in the Look Who's
Talking movies with John Travolta.
Her pseudo-reality series Fat Actress outlined her public struggles with her weight.
More recently she starred in one season of her TV Land sitcom Kirstie, guest-starred
on the Netflix series Flaked, and been a fan favorite on season 15 of Dancing With the
Stars.
John Ratzenberger - Cliff Clavin
According to his website, John Ratzenberger originally read for the role of Norm, but
sensed he wouldn't get it and suggested that Cheers should have a know-it-all character
at the bar.
The producers agreed, so they created Cliff Clavin to drop some knowledge on us.
"By my calculations, the next president has to be named Yelnik McWawa"
While he still works consistently as a character actor, Ratzenberger's face isn't on camera
as much as his former castmates.
You've certainly heard him, though: he's Hamm the Piggy Bank from the Toy Story movies,
and he's the only voice actor to appear in every Pixar film.
"I'll have you know that tampering with the mail is a crime punishable by banishment!"
George Wendt - Norm Peterson
Wendt's acting resume since leaving Norm on the barstool at Cheers is longer than a master
mixologist's drink menu.
In addition to his ill-fated sitcom The George Wendt Show, he's appeared in everything from
Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video to Saturday Night Live's recurring "Da Bears"
sketch to comedy nerd favorites like Children's Hospital and Portlandia .
Rhea Perlman - Carla Tortelli
After winning four Emmy awards for playing Cheers' brash cocktail waitress, Rhea Perlman
has worked consistently since the show ended.
She's regularly guest starred on television shows, including The Mindy Project, and has
appeared in several movies, including There Goes the Neighborhood, Sunset Park, and Matilda—
—the last of which co-starred her husband, Danny DeVito.
Woody Harrelson - Woody Boyd
The part of Woody, a small-town hayseed trying to make it in Boston, earned Woody Harrelson
five Emmy nominations, one win, and made him a star.
He rode his Cheers fame into diverse roles in blockbuster movies like White Men Can't
Jump, Indecent Proposal, Natural Born Killers, Zombieland, The People vs. Larry Flynt, and
The Messenger, the latter two of which earned him Oscar nominations.
Since then, he's starred in HBO's first season of True Detective and The Hunger Games films.
Kelsey Grammer - Dr. Frasier Crane
Producers originally hired Kelsey Grammer to appear in six-episode arc, but fans loved
Frasier so much that Grammer went on to portray the stuffy doctor for two decades.
Frasier became one of the most popular TV spinoffs of all time, running for 11 seasons
and winning 37 Emmy Awards against 108 nominations.
Grammer has appeared often on Broadway since Frasier ended, has made multiple guest appearances
on TV shows like 30 Rock, starred in four more TV series that haven't been as successful
including Boss and Hank, and became another TV mainstay as Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons.
And if that wasn’t enough, there was also the time this happened.
"It was a small world, pretending I was a UN interpreter…
oh god!"
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