It’s hard to look at the history of film and television without thinking of the contributions of Kirstie Alley, the effervescent and talented actress who gave us characters like Dr. Katherine Lewis and Rebecca Howe. When the news of Alley’s passing on Dec. 5 was made public, fans began mourning her loss and sharing their favorite movie and television moments from her lengthy career.
Alley wasn’t just an incredible talent; she was relatable, funny, and vulnerable — traits she carried over to her roles, making every project she worked on much sweeter. From the hilarious to the sentimental, Alley brought audiences to laughter and tears, sometimes in the same project, and gave us movies and shows to enjoy for a lifetime.
In Nov. 1995, the actress was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her impact on the entertainment realm, an honor Alley treasured and deserved. Her untimely passing has sent waves of sadness through those who loved and admired her, but her legacy will live on in the work and the love she leaves behind.
Some of her most iconic roles have stood the test of time, still as fantastic today as they were when they first premiered. For over five decades, Alley wowed audiences worldwide, and we’ll never forget her. Here are some of Alley’s finest films and television series in no particular order. May those who looked up to her find solace in them.
Toothless
Toothless saw Alley as Dr. Katherine Lewis, a dentist who was killed after being hit by a bicycle messenger. When she awoke, she was stuck in a place like purgatory, somewhere between Heaven and Hell. To advance to Heaven, Lowe was tasked with becoming the Tooth Fairy and doing good deeds as a mythological creature to right her wrongs.
During her first night, Lewis meets a boy struggling through a tough time, and he can see her as he still has baby teeth. Throughout the story, her connection with Bobby Jameson gets her into some hot water with those helping her through limbo, but they’re chances she’s willing to take.
She realizes that being the Tooth Fairy is about more than just collecting the teeth of hopeful children and replacing them with money and more about giving them something to believe in. Would the lesson she learned be enough to get her to heaven? You’ll have to watch and find out, and it’s certainly a movie you won’t want to miss if you’ve not seen it already. Alley is charming, wholesome, and hilarious as the Tooth Fairy and Dr. Katherine Lewis.
For Richer or Poorer
For Richer or Poorer saw Alley star as Caroline Sexton, and then Emma Yoder, the soon-to-be ex-wife of Brad Sexton, played by Tim Allen. The couple should have been celebrating a romantic 10th anniversary at the beginning of the film, but it was discovered that things were anything but lovey-dovey between the pair. They were headed for divorce quickly until it was discovered that their accountant had been falsifying essential documents.
To escape, the two run off to Intercourse, Pennsylvania, and take on the persona of Emma and Jacob Yoder. While they initially took on these roles to escape, they soon realized that the slowdown in the Amish Community was precisely what they needed to regroup and understand what brought them together in the first place. Gone were the days when they only saw frustration when they looked at one another; they saw love once again instead.
The end of this movie is everything fans could have hoped for, but nothing we expected, and it indeed shows audiences that sometimes you need to step back and remember the good in your situations and relationships with loved ones.
Summer School
Alley stars in Summer School as Robin Bishop, a history teacher for a group of underachievers sent to summer school. One of the teachers in the program develops feelings for Bishop, who is already involved with the school’s vice principal. Much to his dismay, they spend more time together over the summer as they are tasked with teaching the students, and he finds more about her that he likes.
Freddy Shoop, a physical education teacher, is threatened with losing his job unless the group of students passes his summer class and the game changes entirely. He works with the students to get them ready to pass an exam and learn what he’s trying to teach them. Of course, things can’t be all that simple, and as he grows closer with the students, he also attempts to help some of them through sticky situations.
This leads to him getting into trouble and calling on Bishop for help; the bond between them continues to grow as she sees what a great heart he has, and through a lot of heartaches, the pair are finally brought together when she accepts a date towards the end of the film.
David’s Mother
David’s Mother is a made-for-television film starring Alley as Sally Goodson, the mother of an autistic teenager named David. Alley’s role in the movie led to her winning an Emmy for her emotional dedication to playing the role of David’s mother. Goodson blames herself throughout the film for David’s circumstances, and that very feeling has changed every relationship in her life. She dedicates herself to being the mom David needs, often forgetting those around her.
Goodson’s husband had an affair before divorcing Sally and leaving to marry the other woman. Even their daughter, Susan, goes to live with her father. Goodson thinks she’s doing right by David, but it’s evident that they both need more help. When a social worker tells Goodson it’s time for David to enter a care home, she refuses, saying she can take care of him best.
Those around Sally think that it’s what’s best for both David and Sally for David to live in a home where he can receive around-the-clock care, but it’s an idea she struggles with throughout the film. After all, she is his mother and wants to provide for him herself. It’s an emotional tale that will pull on your heartstrings as you watch it.
Scream Queens
Fans were delighted to see Alley join the cast of Scream Queens in season two as Ingrid Hoeffel, a nurse and administrator at the C.U.R.E Institute. She was a character with ulterior motives as she sought revenge on a group of girls who killed her sister years ago. Hoeffel was brilliant, hilarious, and cunning as she wore the white jacket of a higher-up at the hospital and also the mantle of the Green Meanie.
Hell-bent on destroying the Chanels, Hoeffel must act with restraint to ensure that her master plan works, and as fans are aware, that master plan was to bring pain and death to anyone who wronged her sister, Agatha, a pain she’s tried to live with but can’t truly make sense of. As the episodes go on, we see a more devious side of Hoeffel, and she ends up being one of the best villains in Murphy’s realm.
If you want a series where Alley plays a downright meanie; this is the one. Scream Queens is a hit, and Alley brings an incredible character to its surface.
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Drop Dead Gorgeous sees Alley starring as Gladys Leeman, and it’s all mockumentaries and beauty pageants for this one. Alongside Brittany Murphy, Kirsten Dunst, and Denise Richards, Alley’s Leeman is a former beauty pageant queen and the head of the pageant now.
Anyone who knows anything about the pageant realm knows it is a true competition, and Leeman isn’t exactly playing fair. In fact, no one is, as the film sees fewer crowns and smiles and more death and devastation. Viewers soon learn that there’s something more to Leeman than meets the eye, and by the end of the film, we’ve got a different perspective of her entirely.
So what happens to Leeman throughout the film? Is she truly just a pageant head, or is she something more terrifying? The truth is, it’s somewhere in between, and Alley plays the character with believability and conviction.
Look Who’s Talking (trilogy)
Look Who’s Talking sees Alley star alongside John Travolta as Mollie, an easy-to-love character that stole our hearts from the beginning. Early in the film, she learns that she’s pregnant after an illicit affair, and viewers soon hear that Mollie’s baby can talk — hence the name of the movie.
What happens next is a tale of ups and downs, rights and wrongs, and love and heartache. Alley plays Mollie in a way that makes you truly feel for her, and she brings a sense of relatability to the role. She’s genuine, kind, and hilarious; the film was such a hit that it grew into a trilogy.
That’s right, there are three incredible films where fans can see Alley bring Mollie to life, and they’re an iconic part of the film industry.
Dancing with the Stars
While it wasn’t a scripted series, we had to include Alley’s time on Dancing With The Stars. She left the season as the runner-up and learned a lot about herself along the way. Fans also learned a lot about Alley as she worked through emotions in learning to dance and working hard with a professional partner.
She was graceful as she danced across the ballroom floor each week, dancing everything from the Samba to the Foxtrot. If you’ve yet to watch her season, you’ve got to cancel your plans and watch her journey through the series; it truly is something to treasure.
It Takes Two
It Takes Two saw Alley star alongside Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and Steve Guttenberg. Alley breathes life into Diane Barrows, a social worker who dreams of becoming a mother, and whom a young girl, Amanda Lemmon, hopes to be her mother.
Borrows is a single woman who doesn’t make much money, and adoption isn’t something the agency wants to allow her to do, instead desiring Lemmon to go to a wealthy family. Amanda soon goes to summer camp and meets Alyssa, who looks just like her. Upon getting to know one another, they realize that they both want what the other has.
The girls switch places and learn that Barrows and Alyssa’s father, Roger, would be the perfect match. A series of ups and downs ensue from here, including Barrows going up against the agency she works for and Roger’s would-be marriage to a rich woman who wants nothing to do with Alyssa.
Of course, things work out in the end, and Alley’s Barrows gets the family of her dreams and the man who makes her heart skip a beat.
Cheers
Rebecca Howe was the character that Alley played on the sitcom Cheers, where many fans first fell in love with her. Howe was a character who changed the series, and it wasn’t one you might initially expect. She entered Cheers as a confident and secure woman, but as we learned more about her, we realized that she wasn’t picture-perfect after all.
Instead of that being a downfall, it was actually Howe’s strength. She was emotionally charged; she reacted instead of handling situations with care and concern and often spoke her mind, even in conversations when she “should” have stayed quiet.
Howe grew on audiences and those who worked at the bar; she became a fan favorite quickly and it’s hard to imagine the series without her. Across several films and television shows, it’s clear that Alley had a knack for bringing characters to life that would never fit inside a box, which was her true talent. A dedicated actress, an honest woman, and a talent all her own — Alley left a lasting legacy on us, and we’re better off for it.
Here’s to Kirstie Alley.