Shelley Long faced many challenges after leaving Cheers.
The actress, who is known for her role as Diane Chambers on the hit sitcom, has been living a quiet life away from Hollywood’s spotlight for many years.
However, recently, pictures of the rarely seen actress were shared.
Shelley Long’s departure from Cheers left a noticeable gap in the popular sitcom. She was famous for playing the witty and sophisticated Diane Chambers. Over her time on the show, she received five Emmy nominations and won one in 1983 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She also won two Golden Globe Awards, making her a standout star in television history.
Shelley Long was born on August 23, 1949, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Growing up in a Presbyterian family, she was driven and determined. In high school, Shelley excelled in speech competitions. She even won the National Championship in Original Oratory in 1967, showing her early talent for performing.
After high school, Shelley attended Northwestern University but didn’t stay long enough to graduate. While on campus, she worked as a meal plan checker, a humble start to her career before she decided to leave college and pursue acting and modeling.
Shelley started by acting in TV commercials and producing films. She soon moved on to bigger opportunities.
In the late 1970s, Shelley hosted a news magazine show in Chicago, earning three local Emmy Awards. But she still felt something was missing.
She said it wasn’t until she felt a real urge to act that she decided to take a comedy class at Second City. This led her to join the famous comedy troupe, which included talented alumni like John Belushi. Shelley soon realized that comedy had chosen her.
After honing her skills in comedy, Shelley moved to films, landing roles in Caveman (with Ringo Starr), Losin’ It (with Tom Cruise), and Night Shift (with Michael Keaton). She even made a guest appearance on MASH*.
Interestingly, Shelley turned down the role of Mary in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial because she had already committed to Night Shift.
In 1982, Shelley took on the role of Diane Chambers in Cheers. Diane quickly became a fan favorite, and while the show had a slow start, it eventually became one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time.
Shelley’s portrayal earned her critical acclaim, including an Emmy and two Golden Globe Awards. There were also interesting facts about her time on the show. For instance, Shelley wore a wig to protect her hair from the hot studio lights and filmed the third season while eight months pregnant with her daughter, Juliana Long Tyson.
After five seasons, Shelley decided to leave Cheers in 1987. Rumors circulated about her relationship with her co-stars, especially with Ted Danson, who played Sam Malone. Ted later explained that while there was tension between them, it was never personal.
Shelley reflected on her decision to leave, saying it was influenced by her desire to spend more time with her young daughter. She also shared that she didn’t want to continue doing the same kind of episodes. In a 2003 interview, she said leaving Cheers was one of the best decisions of her life.
Shelley spoke fondly of her time on Cheers, particularly her relationship with co-star Nicholas Colasanto, who played Coach. She called him one of her closest friends on set.
Despite the challenges on Cheers, the show became an important part of her career and life. Her influence on the show remains strong, and she is remembered for her incredible performance.
After leaving Cheers, Shelley’s first major project was Hello Again, a comedy where she played a housewife who returns from the dead. She followed this with Troop Beverly Hills, a film about a Beverly Hills housewife leading a Girl Scout troop. Unfortunately, both films didn’t do well at the box office.
In the 1990s, Shelley kept busy, taking on roles in TV dramas, miniseries, and romantic comedies. One highlight was A Message from Holly in 1992, where she starred alongside Lindsay Wagner. Shelley also made a return to Cheers in 1993 for the show’s finale, and her performance earned her another Emmy nomination. She also appeared in the spinoff Frasier.
As her career slowed down, Shelley took a recurring role as DeDe Pritchett on Modern Family and appeared in TV films like Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door.
Shelley Long faced some personal challenges, too. After her 22-year marriage to Bruce Tyson ended in 2004, she reportedly struggled with depression. At one point, she was rushed to UCLA Medical Center after taking an overdose of painkillers.
Shelley married Bruce Tyson, a securities broker, in 1981. They had one daughter, Juliana, before separating in 2003.
In 2015, Juliana married her childhood friend, Ryan, and they have children of their own. Shelley Long is now a proud grandmother.
Today, Shelley Long stays out of the spotlight. She lives in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, where she rarely leaves her home. In December 2024, new pictures of her were taken, showing her on a walk with a male companion.
Shelley Long has a net worth of $5 million. While this is lower than some of her former Cheers co-stars, it’s clear she had a solid financial foundation. Ted Danson, for example, earned $450,000 per episode in the final seasons of Cheers.
