July 17, 2020

Hello Fans,

When I was growing up, one of my favorite TV shows was Cheers. The setting, the characters, the comedy, made for a show that became an all-time classic! And today's featured celebrity was a huge part of that sitcom's success.

We're catching up with Shelley Long, best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the hit NBC series. And not only was she great on Cheers, but she made so many memorable appearances in movies like The Brady Bunch Movie, The Money Pit, Night Shift, and cult hit Troop Beverly Hills.

Now, let's see what's keeping Long going strong these days!

And don't forget to vote early and often! I added NEW celebs to our celebrity suggestions list very recently so be sure to go to Celebrity Suggestions check out who's in the running and VOTE or send in your suggestions. Vote UP or DOWN on all of the listed celebrities. And vote as many times as you want!

Take care,
Steve

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Shelley Long

Learn More About Shelley Long, see Then & Now pictures, and find out What She's Been Up To on Celebrity Nooz

BIRTH DATE: August 23, 1949 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA

BIRTH NAME: Shelley Lee Long

CLAIM TO FAME: Shelley Long is an American actress and comedian best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the hit NBC sitcom Cheers, for which she received five Emmy nominations, winning in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She won two Golden Globe Awards for the role.

FAMILY LIFE: Long's first marriage to Ken Solomon ended in divorce after a few years in the 1970s. In 1979, Long met Bruce Tyson. They married in 1981 and had a daughter in 1985. Long and Tyson separated in 2003 and divorced in 2004.

INFO: Long is the daughter of Ivadine, a school teacher, and Leland Long, who worked in the rubber industry before becoming a teacher.

She was active on her high school speech team, competing in the Indiana High School Forensic Association.

In 1967, she won the National Forensic League's National Championship in Original Oratory.

Graduating from South Side High School in Fort Wayne.

She studied drama at Northwestern University, but left before graduating to pursue a career in acting and modeling.

In Chicago, she joined The Second City comedy troupe.

She was awarded the 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical for "Wellsapoppin", at the Second City Theatre.

Her first break as an actress occurred when she began doing commercials and print advertisements for V05 Shampoo, Homemakers Furniture, and Camay Soap.

TRIVIA: In 1975, she began writing, producing, and co-hosting the television program Sorting It Out on WMAQ-TV, and went on to win three Regional Emmys for her work on the show.

Shortly before starting work on Cheers (1982), she made an unsold sitcom pilot called: "Ghost of a Chance", in which she was a newlywed haunted by the ghost of her first husband.

She was offered the role of Mary, the mother in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), but she declined because she had already signed on to appear in Night Shift (1982).

Shelley's part in Irreconcilable Differences (1984) was loosely inspired by Polly Platt, the Academy-Award nominated production designer. The movie dealt with a director (played by Ryan O'Neal) leaving his wife (played by Shelley) for a starlet (played by Sharon Stone). In real life, director Peter Bogdanovich divorced his wife Platt to be with starlet Cybill Shepherd.

Long became famous for her role in the long-running television sitcom Cheers as the character Diane Chambers, who had an on-and-off relationship with bartender Sam Malone. The show was slow to capture an audience but eventually became one of the most popular on the air. Amid some controversy, Long left Cheers after season five in 1987.

Wore a wig on the set of Cheers (1982) because she didn't want the hot set lights to damage her hair.

Was eight months pregnant with her daughter Juliana Long Tyson when she completed filming the third season of Cheers (1982); Daughter, Juliana Long Tyson was born March 27th 1985.

Long said she left for a variety of reasons, the most important of which was her desire to spend more time with her toddler daughter. She left the show because she "didn't want to keep doing the same episode over and over again and the same story. I didn't want it to become old and stale." She also said that "working at Cheers was a dream come true...it was one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. So, yes, I missed it, but I never regretted that decision."

In 1993, Long returned to Cheers for its series finale, and picked up another Emmy nomination for her return as Diane.

She later resurfaced as Diane in several episodes of the Kelsey Grammer spinoff series Frasier, for which she was nominated for another Emmy Award.

In a Cheers biography documentary, co-star Ted Danson admitted there was tension between them but "never at a personal level and always at a work level" due to their different modes of working.

She was also offered lead roles in Working Girl, Jumpin' Jack Flash, and My Stepmother Is an Alien, but did not accept those roles.

She had a recurring role on the popular ABC sitcom Modern Family as DeDe Pritchett, the ex-wife of Jay Pritchett.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Long is still making TV appearance on the regular. Her latest project, The Cleaner, a comedic crime drama, is currently in post-production.

CREDITS:

2017-2018 Milo Murphy's Law (TV Series short)...Grandma Murphy
- Dog Walker, Runner, Screamer/Now I Am a Murphy (2018) ... Grandma Murphy
- A Christmas Peril (2017) ... Grandma Murphy (voice)

2009-2018 Modern Family (TV Series)...DeDe Pritchett
- Good Grief (2018) ... DeDe Pritchett (voice)
- Mother! (2018) ... DeDe Pritchett
- Ten Years Later (2017) ... DeDe Pritchett
- Sarge & Pea (2017) ... DeDe Pritchett
- Crazy Train (2016) ... DeDe Pritchett
- Arrested (2012) ... DeDe Pritchett
- Princess Party (2011) ... DeDe Pritchett
- The Incident (2009) ... DeDe Pritchett

2018 The Christmas Trap...Judy Wilkins

2017 Different Flowers...Grandma Mildred

2015 Instant Mom (TV Series)
- Bawamo Shazam (2015)

2014/I Love Again...Nona

2013 Holiday Road Trip (TV Movie)...Cynthia

2013 The Wedding Chapel...Jeanie Robertson

2012 Merry In-Laws (TV Movie)...Mrs. Claus

2012 The Dog Who Saved the Holidays (TV Movie)...Aunt Barbara / Airport Cat

2012 Best Man Down...Gail

2012 Strawberry Summer (TV Movie)...Eileen Landon

2012 Zombie Hamlet...Shine Reynolds

2012 Switched at Birth (TV Series)...Rya Bellows
- Game On (2012) ... Rya Bellows

2011 Pizza Man...Mrs. Burns

2011 Holiday Engagement (TV Movie)...Meredith Burns

2011 A.N.T. Farm (TV Series)...Mrs. Busby
- PhilANThropy (2011) ... Mrs. Busby

2011 Retired at 35 (TV Series)...Ginny
- Hit It and Quit It (2011) ... Ginny

2010 Family Guy (TV Series)...Carol Brady
- Excellence in Broadcasting (2010) ... Carol Brady (voice)

2009 Ice Dreams (TV Movie)...Harriet Clayton

2008 Mr. Vinegar and the Curse (Short)...Ms. Persnickety

2007 A Couple of White Chicks at the Hairdresser (Short)...Barbara

2007 Trust Me...Mitzi Robinson

2006 Honeymoon with Mom...Marla (Mom)

2006 Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door (TV Movie)...Betsy Lucas

2004-2005 Complete Savages (TV Series)...Judy
- Bad Reception (2005) ... Judy
- Thanksgiving with the Savages (2004) ... Judy

2005 Yes, Dear (TV Series)...Margaret
- The New Neighbors (2005) ... Margaret

2005 Boston Legal (TV Series)...Miriam Watson
- Death Be Not Proud (2005) ... Miriam Watson

2004 Joan of Arcadia (TV Series)...Miss Candy
- Vanity, Thy Name Is Human (2004) ... Miss Candy

2003 Strong Medicine (TV Series)...Lauren Chase
- Jeaneology (2003) ... Lauren Chase

2003 8 Simple Rules (TV Series)...Mary Ellen Doyle
- The Doyle Wedding (2003) ... Mary Ellen Doyle

2002 The Santa Trap (TV Movie)...Molly Emerson

2002 The Brady Bunch in the White House (TV Movie)...Carol Brady

1994-2001 Frasier (TV Series)...Diane Chambers
- Don Juan in Hell: Part 2 (2001) ... Diane Chambers
- Don Juan in Hell: Part 1 (2001) ... Diane Chambers (credit only)
- The Show Where Diane Comes Back (1996) ... Diane Chambers
- Adventures in Paradise: Part 2 (1994) ... Diane Chambers

2000 Dr. T & the Women...Carolyn

2000 Beggars and Choosers (TV Series)...Pamela Marston
- Fasten Your Seatbelts (2000) ... Pamela Marston

1999 Jingle Bells (TV Movie)...Mom (voice)

1999 Chicken Soup for the Soul (TV Series)...Teacher
- The Green Boots (1999) ... Teacher

1999 Vanished Without a Trace (TV Movie)...Elizabeth Porterson

1998 The Adventures of Ragtime...Sam

1998 Diagnosis Murder (TV Series)...Kay Ludlow
- Write, She Murdered (1998) ... Kay Ludlow

1998 Kelly Kelly (TV Series)...Kelly Novack
- Jealousy (1998) ... Kelly Novack
- Doodler (1998) ... Kelly Novack
- Junior Firefighters (1998) ... Kelly Novack
- Bye Bye Baby (1998) ... Kelly Novack
- The Wedding Show (1998) ... Kelly Novack
- The Kilt Show (1998) ... Kelly Novack
- Pilot (1998) ... Kelly Novack

1998 Sabrina the Teenage Witch (TV Series)...The Wicked Witch
- Sabrina and the Beanstalk (1998) ... The Wicked Witch

1996 Home (Video)

1996 Susie Q (TV Movie)...Penny Sands

1996 A Different Kind of Christmas (TV Movie)...Elizabeth Gates

1996 Boston Common (TV Series)...Louise Holmes
- Trustee and Sympathy (1996) ... Louise Holmes

1995-1996 Murphy Brown (TV Series)...Dottie Wilcox
- Son of Dottie (1996) ... Dottie Wilcox
- Dick and Dottie (1995) ... Dottie Wilcox

1996 A Very Brady Sequel...Carol Brady

1996 Life with Louie (TV Series)...Sally Tubbs
- A Fair to Remember (1996) ... Sally Tubbs (voice)

1995 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (TV Series)...Lucille Newtrich
- Ultra Woman (1995) ... Lucille Newtrich

1995 Freaky Friday (TV Movie)...Ellen Andrews

1995 The Brady Bunch Movie...Carol Brady

1995 Welcome to Paradise (TV Movie)...Anne

1994 Count on Me (TV Movie)

1993-1994 Good Advice (TV Series)...Susan DeRuzza
All 19 episodes

1993 Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's (TV Movie)...Fay Sommerfield

1982-1993 Cheers (TV Series)...Diane Chambers
123 episodes

1992 A Message from Holly (TV Movie)...Kate

1992 Fatal Memories (TV Movie)...Eileen Franklin Lipsker

1992 Frozen Assets...Dr. Grace Murdock

1990 The Boyfriend School...Lizzie Potts

1990 Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase (TV Movie)...Truddi Chase

1989 Troop Beverly Hills...Phyllis Nefler

1987 Hello Again...Lucy Chadman

1987 Outrageous Fortune...Lauren

1986 The Money Pit...Anna Crowley

1984 Irreconcilable Differences...Lucy Van Patten Brodsky

1983 Losin' It...Kathy

1982 Night Shift...Belinda Keaton

1981 The Princess and the Cabbie (TV Movie)...Carol

1981 Caveman...Tala

1980 The Promise of Love (TV Movie)...Lorraine

1980 Ghost of a Chance (TV Short)...Jenny Clifford

1980 A Small Circle of Friends...Alice

1980 M*A*S*H (TV Series)...Lt. Mendenhall
- Bottle Fatigue (1980) ... Lt. Mendenhall

1979 The Dooley Brothers (TV Movie)...Lucy Bennett

1979 Trapper John, M.D. (TV Series)...Lauren
- The Shattered Image (1979) ... Lauren

1979 Young Guy Christian (TV Movie)...Mia Mishugi

1979 The Cracker Factory (TV Movie)...Cara

1979 Family (TV Series)...Joan Phillips
- Sleeping Over (1979) ... Joan Phillips

1978 The Love Boat (TV Series)...Heather McKenzie
- Memories of You/Computerman/Parlez Vous? (1978) ... Heather McKenzie

1978 That Thing on ABC (TV Movie)...Performer

1977 The Key...Narrator (voice)

To see Then & Now pictures of Shelley Long, visit: Celebrity Nooz