John Travolta, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kristin Chenoweth are among the friends, former co-stars and fellow Hollywood industry members remembering actress Kirstie Alley, who died at the age of 71.
In a statement posted to Alley’s Twitter on Monday night, her family shared that the actress, known for her performances in Look Who’s Talking, Veronica‘s Closet and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, had died of cancer.
“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,” the statement said. “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
Among Alley’s earlier and most memorable roles was her portrayal of the lovable and unlucky bar manager Rebecca Howe in more than 100 episodes of Cheers. But the actress, who starred on both the small and big screen, also appeared alongside John Travolta in 1989’s Amy Heckerling-directed rom-com Look Who’s Talking, which was followed with two sequels.
In a statement posted to his Instagram, Travolta said his co-star “was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had” before adding that the two would “see each other again.”
The Kansas-born actress, who embodied everything from comedic to dramatic roles, most recently appeared on the small screen, including roles in Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and the Betty White, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Valerie Bertinelli-led TV Land comedy Hot in Cleveland.
Curtis, in her own post Monday night, called Alley’s death “sad news,” writing that “we agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection.”
“She was a great comic foil in @tvscreamqueens and a beautiful mama bear in her very real life,” Curtis added.
Tim Allen, Alley’s co-star in For Richer or Poorer, called her “a sweet soul” in a tribute on Twitter.
Actor Josh Gad wrote that his “heart breaks for Kirstie and her family,” remembering the Cheers star for her brilliance and adding that throughout her career, “her smile was always infectious, her laugh was always contagious and her charisma was always iconic.”
Secret Life of Pets screenwriter Brian Lynch also celebrated her work on Cheers and Look Who’s Talking, noting that she “had incredible comic timing.”
Broadway star Chenoweth, who guest appeared on Alley’s self-titled one-season TV Land show, shared Travolta’s sentiments, tweeting, “I love you, Kirstie. I will see you again someday. I can’t believe you’re gone.”
Handmaid’s Tale and Marvel’s Runaway actress Ever Carradine, who starred with Alley in Veronica’s Closet, acknowledged that while they have not spoken in a while, she is thankful to the late actress “for launching my career.”
“She told me I was funny every single day on Veronica’s Closet, and I believed her,” she continued. “She threw the best parties and gave the parakeets as our wrap gift. Godspeed.”
Read more tributes below.
