Kirstie AlleyIconic film and television actress has died at the age of 71. To your health the star has passed away from cancer, according to a post on Ellie’s Instagram account, which included a statement from the actress’s two children.
Ellie was perhaps best known for her role as Rebecca Howe in To your health, a role that earned her five consecutive Emmy Award nominations. Ellie replaced a longtime lead role on the series, Shelley Long, as a romantic interest opposite of Sam, played by Ted Danson. She took on the role with ease, demonstrating the sharp comedic instincts that go strong against such a close-knit and beloved cast.
However, Ellie’s work didn’t end at that basement bar in Boston. Ellie has also had a successful film career. Some of her most notable roles include her work in Favorite Look who’s talking film franchise that featured her opposite John Travolta. The two maintained a longtime friendship in real life. Ellie also starred as the killer mom in the 1999 cult classic. Fabulous and as the tooth fairy in the 1997 film Toothless.
Ellie also featured her life in a short-lived, unscripted series. The Big Life of Kirstie Alleywhich aired in 2010. The later part of her career was marked by many celebrity appearances on reality television and several scripted autobiographical series, including Kirsty as well as fat actress.
Ellie had two children with her ex-husband Parker Stevenson. Together they had a son, William True Stevenson, and a daughter, Lilly Price Stevenson. The couple divorced in 1997. Her children were the ones who broke the news on Ellie’s Instagram account. They assured her fans that Ellie was “…surrounded by her closest family and fought with the greatest strength, leaving us with confidence in her endless joy in life and whatever adventure lies ahead.”
They continued by noting her amazing performance not only as an actress, but also as a beloved family member, saying, “[a]As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother.” They concluded their statement with a request for confidentiality.
Despite the recent controversy on social media, she will always be known as one of the most iconic actresses of her generation. With a sharp tongue and sharp sense of humor, Ellie has never been afraid to be the punch line of a joke while maintaining control over her storytelling. Her work will endure for years to come.
Our thoughts are with Ellie’s friends, family and loved ones. You can read her statement to the children in full below.
To all our friends around the world…
We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after battling a recently discovered cancer.
She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with confidence in her never-ending joy of life and whatever adventure lies ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.
We are grateful to the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Moffitt Cancer Center for their care.
Our mother’s cheerfulness and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creativity, was unsurpassed and inspired us to live life to the fullest, just like her.
We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time.
With love always
True and Lilly Parker
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley)
Source: Collider
