On this day May 7, 1987, Shelley Long made her final appearance as a regular cast member on the NBC sitcom Cheers. For five seasons, she played Diane Chambers, the intelligent and often overly philosophical waitress whose on again off again romance with Sam Malone was central to the show’s early success.
Long chose to leave the series at the height of its popularity to focus on family and pursue a movie career. Her departure marked the end of an era for Cheers and set the stage for the introduction of a new dynamic with the arrival of Kirstie Alley in the following season.
Fun fact: Shelley Long won an Emmy Award for her role as Diane and helped Cheers become one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of the 1980s.
Long chose to leave the series at the height of its popularity to focus on family and pursue a movie career. Her departure marked the end of an era for Cheers and set the stage for the introduction of a new dynamic with the arrival of Kirstie Alley in the following season.
Fun fact: Shelley Long won an Emmy Award for her role as Diane and helped Cheers become one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of the 1980s.
