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Original poster

To think it must have been so humiliating and depressing for Shelley Long

244 replies

Suetully · 19/09/2021 12:47

I caught Cheers reruns flicking through tv last night. Having not seen or thought of it in well over 25 years, I forgot how good Shelley Long was in it as Diane and her brilliant chemistry with Ted Danson.

I did some research after and she'd after 5 years left for a movie career but her career tanked and within 3 years of leaving, she was another jobbing tv actress whilst the show went strong for another 6 years and that was the show she'd deserted as the main star.

Like I can't imagine her anguish and humiliation that Danson went on to become the biggest tv star of that time, the show went to number 1 and her co-stars who were support to her reign like Kelsey Grammar and Woody Harrison became much bigger stars than she did.
She even returned to be a guest star on Frasier and he became the highest tv star in the world whilst at a time he was only brought into Cheers as her love interest.

That and her replacement Kirstie Alley became even bigger than Long was both in her carer and in general fame. It seems her name now is synonymous with a bad career move if you google her. AIBU to think that would be a pretty hard pill to swallow?

OP posts:
Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:09

Some of them seem to regret their decisions but try to make the best of them (I suspect Topher Grace and Mischa Barton fall into this camp

Barton wasn't leaving a hit show too, yes the OC was big initially but it was a fad and after the successful season 1, it started to go downhill quite rapidly in seasons 2 and 3 with viewing figures and critical views so she was right to go. There is a difference between leaving a show and leaving a hit show.

Having said that I think many people were surprised Barton never got much big work after the OC as at a time she was 1 of the biggest things on tv.

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Ashitaka · 19/09/2021 16:12

@Suetully

*Same for a lot of actors - they make it big but can’t sustain the success.

It’s just how it is - her story isn’t unique*

it's more that she left a popular series though, the lead star and that it did fine without her and her supporting colleagues trumped her. That's more my point in how it stung.

It's different when a career fizzles out, it's more how she fizzled out by her bad decision and was left with egg on her face.

SL was not the main star though, it was more Ted Danson
Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:12

This is what happened with the woman who played carol in Friends episode 1, then she was never really heard of again

she left cos she wanted full-time work and friends were never going to give her that, only a handful of guest spots so it's not like she left a major career-defining role.

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BorderlineHappy · 19/09/2021 16:14

I'm probably going to get shot for saying this.
But she just wasn't sexy enough to be a leading lady.
That's not a slight against her.
She's popped up in a lot of programmes.
She's a good actress and her comedy timing is fantastic.

Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:15

SL was not the main star though, it was more Ted Danson

eh no Danson only became the top billing star after she left. They were both equally billed in the first 5 years.

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Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:19

I'm probably going to get shot for saying this.
But she just wasn't sexy enough to be a leading lady.
That's not a slight against her

I see what you are saying but then other actresses of that time like Bette Milder was no looker and sold alot of big successful films, same with Diane Keaton and Signourary Weaver. All leading ladies and none of them had amazing looks or sexual allure.

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EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 16:21

It’s self evident watching the show cheers is about Sam Malone, that he’s the more charismatic actor and it’s abetter story line and character

LukeEvansWife · 19/09/2021 16:21

And some leave for personal reasons, both good (Lisa Bonet having a baby) and bad (Kevin Spacey, enough said).

Tbf Kevin Spacey didn’t find fame in House of Cards though, he had a spectacularly successful career for years before that

BorderlineHappy · 19/09/2021 16:22

@Suetully I get what you're saying about the others .
But Bette was ballsy,Sigourney was an action hero
Diane Keaton was quirky.
They all had something else going on.
Shelly just didn't have that little bit extra.

MotherOfGodHoulYerWhisht · 19/09/2021 16:24

@SchadenfreudePersonified

Anyone remember Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth) from Coronation Street?

No. Me neither.

He thought he was bigger than the programme.

He wasn't.

And the late Lynne Perry (Ivy Tilsley/Brennan if you’re old enough to remember!!) and her screen son Brian (Chris something?!). Both ridiculously egocentric and fell on their arses after huge uk stardom on Corrie
LukeEvansWife · 19/09/2021 16:25

Oh don’t mention Lynne Perry - I keep getting flashbacks to The Word 🤮🤮🤮

LoveFall · 19/09/2021 16:25

@gumball37

But.... She was in The Money Pit. One of the best movies of all time! One of my favorites!
I loved the Money Pit! We were renovating an old house at the time and I have never again laughed so hard.
Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:26

I get what you're saying about the others .
But Bette was ballsy,Sigourney was an action hero
Diane Keaton was quirky.
They all had something else going on.
Shelly just didn't have that little bit extra

Long was quirky too though and Weaver had many other big roles outside her action roles in romcoms and dramas etc. I think part of Long's problem was that she tried to headline and sell films all by herself rather than share billing. Her 1st 2 post-cheers films flopped but she was the only known actor in them at the time.

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Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:27

And the late Lynne Perry (Ivy Tilsley/Brennan if you’re old enough to remember!!) and her screen son Brian (Chris something?!). Both ridiculously egocentric and fell on their arses after huge uk stardom on Corrie

Perrie never left Corrie though, she was fired for her behaviour and booze problems.

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PuppyMonkey · 19/09/2021 16:29

I agree with those saying SL was a bit hammy in Cheers, I found her quite tedious and preferred it when it was an episode not particularly about Sam and Diane. Woody and Frasier stole that show right under their noses ha.

LukeEvansWife · 19/09/2021 16:30

I can name two things she was in - Cheers and an episode of MAS*H. She was never actually A list.

Sigourney Weaver is an incredibly versatile actor who can turn her hand to any type of role. SL not so much

WeAreTheHeroes · 19/09/2021 16:31

Bette Midler is more than a "ballsy" actress. Crikey - Barry Manilow used to be her pianist many moons okay. Do your research - Mel C is still recording and has done other things. Shelley Long has had a good, long career. Looks to me as though she's been able to choose what to do.

SturminsterNewton · 19/09/2021 16:31

[quote Starseeking]**@SturminsterNewton* and @LukeEvansWife* I only ever knew of her as an actress, so was really confused by the references to directors and producers, apologies![/quote]
No probs, Starseeking Smile

Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:33

Sigourney Weaver is an incredibly versatile actor who can turn her hand to any type of role. SL not so much

I'm not disputing Weaver's talent. I alluded to her because another poster said that Long lacked the sex siren status one needs to be a leading lady and I was stating that leading ladies didn't necessarily have to look like Michelle Pfeiffer or Demi Moore and still be leading ladies.

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Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:35

Do your research - Mel C is still recording and has done other things

I did, her last big hits were in the early 00s.

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gabsdot45 · 19/09/2021 16:39

She was great as Jay's ex wife in Modern family.

Ashitaka · 19/09/2021 16:39

@LukeEvansWife

And some leave for personal reasons, both good (Lisa Bonet having a baby) and bad (Kevin Spacey, enough said).

Tbf Kevin Spacey didn’t find fame in House of Cards though, he had a spectacularly successful career for years before that

Kevin Spacey has dropped off the radar for other reasons though
Ashitaka · 19/09/2021 16:40

@Suetully

SL was not the main star though, it was more Ted Danson

eh no Danson only became the top billing star after she left. They were both equally billed in the first 5 years.

I don't agree, they may have been equally billed ( I dont remember to be honest) but the story was about Sam
EspressoDoubleShot · 19/09/2021 16:41

Yup Sams bar, his mates,his exploits

Original poster
Suetully · 19/09/2021 16:42

I don't agree, they may have been equally billed ( I dont remember to be honest) but the story was about Sam

no sam and diane. I don't see how he was any bigger in the first 5 years.

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