Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer and Rhea Perlman paid tribute to their Cheers co-star Kirstie Alley, who died at the age of 71, after a brief battle with cancer.
Danson, 74, played womanizing bar owner Sam Malone on the classic NBC sitcom, with the character endlessly trying to seduce Alley’s character Rebecca Howe.
In a statement shared with entertainment news site Deadline, he said: “I’m so sad and so thankful for all the times he made me laugh. I send my love to his children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss it.”
Grammer, 67, who played psychiatrist Frasier Crane, said in a statement given to the PA news agency, “I’ve always believed that grief for a public figure is a private matter, but I’ll say I loved it.”
Read more: Cheers star Kirstie Alley dies after short illness
Kirstie Alley poses with other Cheers cast members
In a similar statement, Perlman, who played head waitress Carla Tortelli on the show described Alley as a “unique and wonderful person and friend”.
“Her joy at being was boundless. We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers. She loved kids and my kids loved her too,” the 74-year-old continued.
“We had sleepovers at her house, with scavenger hunts that she created. She threw huge Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire show crew and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included. She loved deeply His sons.
“I have never met anyone remotely like her. I feel so grateful to have known her. I will miss her dearly.”
Kirstie Alley and Ted Danson in 1989
Although Alley was best known for her role in Cheers, she also starred in various films in the 80s and 90s, including the romantic comedy trilogy Look Who’s Talking, opposite John Travolta.
In a tribute posted to his Instagram account, Travolta described his relationship with the star as “one of the most special” he’s ever had.
Before adding, “I love you Kirstie. I know we’ll see you again.”
In more recent years, Alley worked with Jamie Lee Curtis on the horror-comedy series Scream Queens. Sharing a photo of the two from the Hulu show, the actor said they were “great comedy flicks and a beautiful mama bear.”
She went on to say that they had a “mutual respect and connection” when working together, despite having to agree to disagree on some topics.
Alley was described as a “delightful actress” by horror director John Carpenter, after starring in the 1995 US sci-fi horror film Village Of The Damned.
Founder and guitarist of American rock band Living Color, Vernon Reid, tweeted: “Many of us are disappointed right now. I feel it. Kirstie Alley called ‘relatable’. Beautiful and fun is not easy to achieve.
“Kirstie Alley was one of a small pantheon of the brave and the shameless. She was always speaking her truth on screen. In our TV rooms. We miss her. In real time.”
