The Wild Gift Kirstie Alley's Co-Stars Gave Her When She Joined Cheers
Entering the fold of an iconic television show like "Cheers" five seasons into the game would be daunting for an actor of any caliber, let alone a fairly unknown name like Kirstie Alley. But such was the case for the rising actor who joined the beloved ensemble cast in its sixth season in 1987. And while her on-screen reception might not have started with a bang, her first pre-show dinner with the rest of the "Cheers" crew certainly did.
While at a "Cheers" reunion at the 2023 ATX TV Festival, Alley's co-stars, George Wendt (Norm) and John Ratzenberger (Cliff), revealed the surprising gift the "Cheers" cast gave Alley ahead of her first show taping (via People). Realizing that they hadn't gotten anything for their new colleague to commemorate the occasion, the actors started brainstorming who could go out and grab a small present for the newcomer.
Ted Danson was busy and Rhea Perlman said no, so the task was left to Wendt and Ratzenberger. Their bullseye idea? A shotgun from a sporting goods store.
That was the last time the two actors were asked to buy a present
George Wendt, who played Norm on the fan-favorite series "Cheers," recalled the fateful day at the ATX TV Festival, saying: "We were having dinner right before the show, and we said, 'Oh jeez, we should have got her something, right?' And 'Yeah, like some flowers or something.'" Wendt said that after his coworkers turned down the task, he and John Ratzenberger headed to the expensive Melrose Avenue shopping center in Hollywood.
Wendt recounted driving past a Big 5 Sporting Goods store and Ratzenberger saying, "You wanna buy her a shotgun?" The actor said he and Ratzenberger shared a long laugh about the idea before ultimately going inside the sporting goods store and buying their new colleague a gun. Wendt riffed, "John and I were never tasked with gifts again."
Ever the comedian, Ratzenberger added at the conference that Wendt put a metaphorical "bow" on the unusual gift with a card that read, "You're gonna have to shoot your way out." While a shotgun is undoubtedly a unique gift to receive on the first day of an acting job, it certainly didn't scare Alley away. The actor remained on the show until its final season in 1993.
Kirstie Alley's gift was far more explosive than her initial reception
Kirstie Alley joined the cast of "Cheers" at a difficult point in the show's history. Shelley Long, who played leading lady Diane, had just left the show to focus on her family. Many feared the series wouldn't survive without the chemistry between Diane and Ted Danson's Sam. And if the "Cheers" cast and crew were to base their odds of survival on Alley's first read-through, they might have been correct. Luckily, a few tweaks to the writing did the trick.
"Cheers" co-creator and director James Burrows wrote about Alley's lukewarm initial reception in his book "Directed By James Burrows." Burrows described the reception as "abysmal" but blamed himself. "We had written Rebecca [Howe] as a martinet. She wouldn't give Sam Malone the time of day. She was mean. It wasn't working. It dawned on us that we had to make her a modern-day woman who thinks she's empowered but sometimes can't emotionally get through the day. The moment we found her frailty and vulnerability, we had it" (via Today).
Indeed, it was this complex blend of headstrong independence and relatable sensitivity that caused "Cheers" fans to eventually accept Alley's Rebecca Howe with open arms. The actor won Emmy, Golden Globe, and People's Choice Awards for her work on "Cheers." Nearly 30 years after the final episode of "Cheers" aired, Alley died of cancer at 71 in December 2022.