The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Cheers
It's been 41 years since "Cheers" premiered, and 30 years since it's ended. Although other popular sitcoms like "The Bill Cosby Show" and "Newhart" gave it a run for its money, it's clear by now that "Cheers" has most effectively withstood the test of the time. When the average person thinks of '90s sitcoms, they think of "Friends" or "Seinfeld," but when you ask them to name a sitcom from the '80s, "Cheers" is almost always the first to come to mind.
It helps that so much of the "Cheers" cast has continued to have a major presence in pop culture long after the finale, even if they haven't all returned to the sheer height of popularity they had back in the '80s and early '90s. Even many of the actors who have passed away in the years since, like Kirstie Alley who died of stage four colon cancer in December of 2022, still got to enjoy an impressive career in her post-"Cheers" years. After playing Rebecca, Allie starred in movies like "Drop Dead Gorgeous" and shows like "Veronica's Closet." After playing Harry the Hat, Harry Anderson starred in the hit sitcoms like "Night Court" and "Dave's World." He died in 2018 at age 65 from a stroke.
Plenty of the cast members are still alive, however, and a lot of them are still doing great. Let's check in on how they're doing, and maybe discover some fun shows to check out in the process.
Woody Harrelson (Woody Boyd)
Harrelson has arguably had the biggest career of all his "Cheers" castmates. In the '90s he starred in films like "The Cowboy Way," "Kingpin," "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and "Palmetto." He took a brief break from film in the late '90s into the early 2000s as he returned to theater. He directed and starred in several plays before returning to the big screen with 2003's "Anger Management." Since then he's gone on to more than prove he's capable of serious, intense performances, impressing critics and audiences with his roles in critically-acclaimed films and shows like "No Country For Old Men" and "True Detective."
Of everyone in the cast, Harrelson's probably got the biggest appeal to younger audiences, with Gen Z viewers remembering him fondly for his role as Haymitch in all four of "The Hunger Games" films, and as Merritt McKinney in those memed-to-death "Now You See Me" movies. Millennial viewers tend to love him for his role in "Zombieland," the 2009 comedy-apocalypse movie where he starred alongside Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg.
He's also a frequent guest of "Saturday Night Live," having hosted it for a fifth time this year. That latest hosting gig was his most controversial, as he threw in an anti-vax conspiracy joke in the middle of his monologue. "The anarchist part of me, I don't feel that we should have forced testing, forced masking and forced vaccination," he told Variety when asked about the backlash to the monologue. "That's not a free country."
Ted Danson (Sam Malone)
Although Ted Danson has had a decent film career, starring in "Saving Private Ryan" after "Cheers" ended, it's clear that TV is where his talents truly shine. In 1998 he starred in the CBS sitcom "Becker" which ran until 2004, and he's also spent the last 23 years playing a fictionalized version of himself on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Over the show's eleven seasons so far, he's routinely battled it out with the curmudgeonly Larry David over various petty disputes; in the recent seasons Danson has stolen Larry's wife as well.
Of course, younger viewers are most likely to know him from his hit role in "The Good Place," where he's introduced as a clueless angel who doesn't fully understand why humans act the way they do. He's also had a starring role in two separate CSI shows throughout the mid-2010s, and has recently starred in the Tina Fey-co-created sitcom "Mr. Mayor," which was unfortunately cancelled after two seasons.
Outside of acting, Danson's maintained an interest in environmentalism. In 2011 he co-wrote his first book, "Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do To Save Them," and in 2019 he was arrested during a climate change protest outside the U.S. Capitol. At the time, he referred to himself as Jane Fonda's "new trainee" and explained how his interactions with Fonda and the arrest changed his outlook: "I think that arrest made me want to double down on climate change. It meant a lot to meet her. It changed my life."
Rhea Perlman (Carla Tortelli)
After "Cheers," Perlman starred in movies like "Canadian Bacon," "Carpool," "Sunset Park" and "Matilda." Although her career seemed relatively quiet throughout the 2000s and 2010s, she most recently had a major role as Ruth Handler in "Barbie," easily one of the biggest movies of this year so far. She's also had a recurring role in "The Mindy Project" throughout the late 2010s, and most recently made a short-but-memorable appearance on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," as the neighbor Dee thinks put a curse on her.
The "Always Sunny" cameo was particularly notable because she was the last of the main cast's spouses to make appearances on the show. That's right, Perlman is married to Danny DeVito, and has been since 1982. Although the two separated in 2017 on friendly terms, Perlman's explained on the Andy Cohen show that she has no intention of divorcing him any time soon.
John Ratzenberger (Cliff Clavin)
Since "Cheers" ended, Ratzenberger's main claim to fame has been his various roles in Pixar films. From 1995 to 2019, he starred in every single Pixar film, usually just in a minor role like Hamm in "Toy Story" or the Moonfish in "Finding Nemo." Younger viewers may not think they know who this man is, but they've been hearing him throughout their whole childhood. For unknown reasons, Ratzenberger did not have any voice cameo in "Soul," nor has he had one in any Pixar movies since. It's a bummer, but hey, a 22-movie run isn't bad. He's also made guest appearances in shows like "The Simpsons," "That '70s Show," "The Goldbergs," and most recently on the Peacock detective show "Poker Face."
Off-screen, Ratzenberger's been vocal about his political views, campaigning on behalf of John McCain in 2008, endorsing Romney in 2012, and showing up on Fox News to support Donald Trump in 2016. In 2021 he showed up on News Nation to encourage young people to consider avoiding college and pursue the trades instead. He also briefly considered running for a U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut in 2012, but decided against it.
George Wendt (Norm Peterson)
In the '90s, Wendt went on to star in the first season of the NBC sitcom "The Naked Truth," as well as movies like "The Man in the House" and "Outside Providence." Much like Harrelson, he also delved into theater a bit, starring in multiple productions of "Hairspray" as the character of Edna Turnblad. In 2006 he also starred in a Washington, D.C. production of "Twelve Angry Men." Most recently, Wendt has appeared as a contestant on "The Masked Singer," his identity originally hidden under a moose mask. You can see his performance here, and he does a pretty good job.
Wendt didn't have the huge career that Danson and Harrelson had, however; most of his memorable appearances on TV shows over the years have been him being himself or reprising his "Cheers" role. He played Norm again in cameos on "Family Guy" and "The Simpsons," and has played himself in a brief appearance on "Seinfeld." He's also made a few appearances on "The Colbert Report," going on to support Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics.
Kelsey Grammer (Frasier Crane)
Grammer's gone to star in perhaps the most successful spin-off ever made, "Frasier," in which he reprised his "Cheers" character for another eleven seasons. Although the show was never quite the pop culture phenomenon that "Cheers" still is, it was still an undeniable success, to the point where it's gotten a revival that just premiered this very month. (The reviews so far are mixed.)
Besides "Frasier," Grammer has also gone on to play the long-running recurring role of the murderous Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons." He's also starred in 1996's "Down Periscope," has voiced Vladimir Vasilovich in 1997's "Anastasia," and played The Beast in "X-Men: The Last Stand." He's made countless guest appearances in movies and TV shows over the decades, and most recently he's starred alongside Nicolas Cage in 2019's crime thriller "Grand Isle."
Much like Ratzenberger, Grammer has been vocal about his right-wing politics over the years. He issued a pro-Trump and pro-Brexit statement in 2019, which wasn't a huge surprise to fans already familiar with his off-screen personality. He's expressed some interest in running for office over the years, but in an August 2021 interview with Frank Morano, he explained that he'd lost interest.
Shelley Long (Diane Chambers)
Shelley Long left "Cheers" fairly early in its run, during its fifth season out of eleven. Since then she's gone on to star in movies like "Hello Again," "Troop Beverly Hill," "The Brady Bunch Movie," "A Very Brady Sequel," and "Dr. T & The Women." Perhaps her most memorable roles, however, have still been on TV. She had a long recurring role as DeDe Pritchett on "Modern Family," and appeared in other shows like "Boston Legal" and "Switched at Birth."
Of all the major "Cheers" characters, Long's probably had the quietest post-show career overall. Not only has she not in been in many major roles, but she also tends to stay out of the spotlight and not voice any particularly strong opinions. Her latest role was as Sharon Enderly in the straight-to-digital "The Cleaner" in 2021, acting alongside Lynda Carter and Luke Wilson.
Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith Sternin)
Neuwirth has gone on to guest star in "Frasier" and "Wings" as the same character of Lilith Sternin. One memorable role she's had since has been Nadine Tolliver in the political drama "Madam Secretory," a major role she held from 2014 to 2017. She also starred in the "Jumanji" films, playing Nora Shepherd both in the 1995 movie and the 2019 sequel. Like Wendt, a lot of her TV appearances have been playing herself, like when she appeared in "Will & Grace," and "Celebrity Jeopardy!"
Neuwirth's also had a passion for theater over the years, starring as Velma Kelly in the 1996 Broadway revival of "Chicago." She returned to the same play as Roxie Hart in the 2006 revival, then again as Mama Morton in 2014. She also dabbled in audiobook narration in 2020, playing the role of a talking Siamese Cat in Neil Gaiman's "The Sandman" comic series. Her latest big role is Avis DeVoto, a character on the HBO Max series "Julia," which is scheduled to return for a second season in November 2023. As one of the younger members of the "Cheers" main cast, it's likely we'll be seeing plenty more of Neuwirth in the years to come, especially as she's been confirmed to return for the "Frasier" revival.