After joining the cast of Cheers in 1987, it didn't take long for the career of Kirstie Alley to take off. The two-time Emmy winner died Monday, Dec. 5, 2022 according to People. 

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Alley passed away after a "recently discovered" battle with cancer. 

Her career took off during the sixth season of Cheers, playing the role she is arguably best known for, bar manager Rebecca Howe. Alley stepped in after Shelly Long, who played Diane Chambers, left the show. 

Alley's rise to fame was rather quick after joining the bar-based sitcom. She was nominated twice for Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series in 1988 and 1990, before securing her first Emmy in 1991 for the same category. She earned two more nominations in 1992 and 1993 respectively.

Though Cheers ended in 1993, success continued for Alley, who won another Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special in the TV movie David's Mother. Alley portrays a single mother who is devoted and determined to take care of her child with autism on her own.

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In 1997, she starred as Veronica Chase, the head of a New York City lingerie company, on NBC's Veronica's Closet for three seasons, up until the year 2000. 

Though her career took off after joining Ted Danson and the rest of Cheers cast, Alley had several appearances before her big break. 

In one of her first films, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Alley played Vulcan Starfleet officer Lt. Saavik. She appeared in an episode of The Love Boat in 1983 before playing Jackie Rogers in the 1984 film Runaway. 

She was a regular on the short-lived espionage series Masquerade as Casey Collins. Alley follwed that up with work on the TV miniseries North & South, Books 1 and 2 in 1985 according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

In 1989, she became accountant Mollie Jensen in the first of three Look Who's Talking films, the first opposite John Travolta. She returned for a pair of sequels in 1990 (Look Who's Talking Too) and in 1993 (Look Who's Talking Now). 

Alley's children, True and Lillie Parker took to Instagram on Monday to announce the passing of their mother. 

The post says in part, "As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother."

Alley was 71.