Whatever Happened to ‘Cheers’ Star Shelley Long?
For many fans, Shelley Long will always be Diane Chambers, the intelligent waitress who walked into Cheers during the show’s first episode. Her constant disagreements and complicated romance with Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson, soon became one of the show’s biggest storylines.
Long played Diane for the first five seasons of Cheers, winning an Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for the role. However, she surprised viewers when she decided to leave the hit series in 1987. The show continued for another six seasons, with Kirstie Alley joining the cast as Rebecca Howe.
Although Long’s decision was often portrayed as a terrible career move, the actress has repeatedly said she does not regret it. She continued acting for decades, appearing in popular movies, television films, and several other hit shows. Let’s find out what she has been up to in honor of her 77th birthday on August 23, 2026.
How did Shelley Long get her start?
Warner Brothers / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Long studied drama at Northwestern University before beginning her career in Chicago. She performed with the famous Second City comedy troupe and later wrote, produced, and co-hosted the local television program Sorting It Out. The show won three Regional Emmy Awards during its run.
Long began appearing in television shows and films in the late 1970s. One of her first memorable movie roles came in Ron Howard‘s 1982 comedy Night Shift, which also starred Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton. That same year, she made her debut as Diane Chambers on Cheers.
Why did Shelley Long leave Cheers?
NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
Long’s original contract covered five seasons, and she decided not to renew it when it ended. At the time, she explained that she wanted to give more attention to her family and her newly established film production company. Long and her then-husband, Bruce Tyson, had welcomed their daughter, Juliana, in 1985. The actress later said that she was also concerned about Diane and Sam repeating the same relationship storyline, and she did not want the show or relationship to seem stale to viewers.
Rumors of tension between Long and her co-stars circulated for years. Danson has acknowledged that their different working styles could make things difficult at times, according to People. However, he has also praised Long as a brilliant character actress and credited her with helping put Cheers on the map.
Later on, series creators Glen and Les Charles admitted that they panicked when Long announced her departure. They believed her performance as Diane was an important reason that Cheers survived its poorly rated first season. Despite all of the attention surrounding her departure, Long has said many times over the years that she’s never regretted her decision.
What did Shelley Long do after leaving Cheers?
Adam Taylor/ABC/Everett Collection
Long also built a successful film career while starring on Cheers. She appeared in Irreconcilable Differences, The Money Pit with Tom Hanks, and Outrageous Fortune with Bette Midler. After leaving the series, she starred in Hello Again and played Beverly Hills housewife turned Wilderness Girls troop leader Phyllis Nefler in Troop Beverly Hills. Long returned as Diane for the 1993 series finale of Cheers, earning another Emmy nomination. She also reprised the role in three episodes of the spinoff Frasier. Her 1996 appearance brought her another nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
In 1995, Long introduced herself to another generation of viewers as Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie. She returned for A Very Brady Sequel in 1996 and the television movie The Brady Bunch in the White House in 2002. Long continued appearing in shows including Sabrina the Teenage Witch, 8 Simple Rules, Yes, Dear, Strong Medicine and Boston Legal. From 2009 to 2018, she had a recurring role on Modern Family as DeDe Pritchett, the ex-wife of Jay Pritchett and mother of Claire and Mitchell.
What is Shelley Long doing today?
Long gradually began taking fewer roles in recent years. In 2017, she produced and starred in the independent film Different Flowers. Her most recent film role was in the 2021 mystery drama The Cleaner, which also featured Luke Wilson and Lynda Carter. In 2024, she did not reunite with many of her former Cheers cast members at the Emmy Awards and has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years. While she hasn’t formally announced her retirement, it seems that she is enjoying a quieter life away from Hollywood now.
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’80s Where Are They Now
March 2023
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