From Cheers and Look Who’s Talking to Drop Dead Diva and Scream Queens, Kirstie Alley’s net worth accounts for what she made in her four decades in Hollywood before her death.
Alley, whose full name was Kirstie Louise Alley, was born on January 12, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas. Her on-screen debut came in 1982 when she starred as Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Alley joined the cast of Cheers in season six in 1987, and starred on the show for six seasons until the series 11th and final season in 1993. She was nominated for five Emmys in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Cheers and won once in 1991. While on Cheers, Alley also starred in 1989’s Look Who’s Talking with John Travolta. The movie grossed more than $295 million across the world and led to two sequels, Look Who’s Talking Too and Look Who’s Talking Now.
In an interview with StarTrek.com in 2016, Alley reflected on her career and revealed the roles she was the most proud of. “I would say I would start [my grandchildren] off [by watching my show] Cheers. I was very proud of David’s Mother, which was a drama, just because I hadn’t ever done something like that,” she said. “I guess any time — I’m one of those actors that likes to do things that I haven’t done before. So when someone asks me, ‘What about this?’ If my first feeling is, ‘Oh, why’d you choose me for this?’ Then I kind of go — because then you have to be a little bit braver, I guess — ‘All right, I’ll give it a whirl.’”
After more than 45 years in Hollywood, Alley died of colon cancer on December 5, 2022. She was 71 years old. “To all our friends, far and wide around the world…We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” her children, William and Lillie, said in a statement on Alley’s Instagram at the time. “She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
With roles Rebecca Howe in Cheers and Mollie Ubriacco in Look Who’s Talking, Alley will always be remembered as one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. Read on for what we know about Kirstie Alley’s net worth before her death and what she made throughout her career.
What was Kirstie Alley’s net worth?
Image: Getty Images/Everett Collection.
What was Kirstie Alley’s net worth before her death? Kirstie Alley’s net worth was $40 million at the time of her death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Kirstie Alley’s net worth includes what she made from shows like Cheers, in which she starred on as Rebecca Howe for six seasons from 1997 to the final season in 1993. Kirstie Alley’s net worth also includes movies like Look Who’s Talking, which grossed more than $295 million worldwide and led to two sequels, Look Who’s Talking Too in 1990 and Look Who’s Talking Now in 1993. Kirstie Alley’s net worth also includes other projects like 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1995’s It Takes Two, 1999’s Drop Dead Gorgeous, ABC’s Masquerade, NBC’s Veronica’s Closet and FOX’s Scream Queens.
Kirstie Alle’s net worth also accounts for what she made from her reality television career, which her 2010 A&E show, Kirstie Alley’s Big Life, which she also executive produced; Celebrity Big Brother, which she was the runner-up for in season 22; Dancing With the Stars, which she was the runner-up for with professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy in season 12; and The Masked Singer, which she was a contestant on for season seven. In a tweet in 2016, Alley responded to claims she was ungrateful for her role in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan after she didn’t return for its sequels, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, after she was offered less money than her first movie. “That’s not true..Star Trek was my first job and one of the most stunning moments of my life…forever grateful,” she tweeted at the time.
Kirstie Alley’s net worth also includes what she made from partnerships with brands like Jenny Craig, which she was a spokesperson for from 2004 to 2007. She returned as a spokesperson for the brand in 2015 after Jenny Craig’s parent company also acquired Alley’s own weight-loss company, Organic Liaison, and integrated its products into its own line.
In an interview with Women’s Health in 2014, Alley explained why she came back to Jenny Craig after leaving the brand. “They have a program that’s tried and true. Every person gets a personal consultant, and I think that’s huge. You get your food every week. Then you meet with a consultant, get weighed, talk about your week, and they will also help you make a plan—like if the holidays were coming up. Consultants help you stay accountable [for your actions],” she said. “And Jenny Craig’s food is simple, clean, and convenient. I travel all the time, so that’s really valuable to me. They not only have food that’s convenient, but it’s seriously yummy.”
She continued, “Something that helped me when I was doing Jenny Craig before was keeping a journal. Every day, write down everything that you eat and the calories. There’s a statistic that says you’ll have a 70 percent higher success rate if you always write down what you eat.”
How did Kirstie Alley die?
Image: Getty Images.
How did Kirstie Alley die? Alley’s children, son William True and daughter Lillie Price, announced on December 5, 2022, that she had died from a recently diagnosed form of cancer. She was 71 years old. “To all our friends, far and wide around the world…We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” William and Lillie said in a statement on Alley’s Instagram. “She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
The statement continued, “We are grateful to the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care. Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did. We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time. With love always, True and Lillie Parker.”
Alley’s representative confirmed Alley’s cause of death was colon cancer to People. According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is 1 in 23 (4.3 percent) for men and 1 in 25 (4 percent) for women. The organization estimates 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer in 2022. The American Cancer Society also reports that colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women in the United States and the second most common cause of cancer deaths for men and women combined. The organization also estimates that colorectal cancer is expected to cause about 52,580 deaths in 2022. Other celebrities who have died of colon cancer include Audrey Hepburn, Chadwick Boseman and Eartha Kitt.
After the news of her death, Alley’s friend and Look Who’s Talking co-star, John Travolta, paid tribute to her in an Instagram post. “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again,” he wrote. Ted Danson, Alley’s Cheers co-star, also paid tribute to her in a statement to E! News. “I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of Cheers,” he said. “It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny.” He continued, “She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.”
Image: Atria Books.
For more about Kirstie Alley, read her 2012 memoir, The Art of Men (I Prefer Mine Al Dente). The book—which is a follow-up to Alley’s 2005 memoir, How To Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life: Reluctant Confessions of a Big-Butted Star—is a collection of candid and audacious essays that provides readers with never-before-told details on Alley’s most famous Hollywood relationships: John Travolta, Parker Stevenson, Ted Danson, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Swayze, Woody Allen, Woody Harrelson. “Kirstie chronicles all the good, the bad, and the ugly men who have influenced and guided her. She demonstrates how men can be the air that women breathe or the source of all of their frustrations. But for better or worse, Kirstie shows that a life well-lived is a life lived in the company of men,” the publisher’s description reads. “Especially if they remember to put the lid down.”
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