See the Cast of 'Cheers' Then and Now

'Cheers'

The beloved sitcom Cheers ran from 1982 to 1993 and covered a whopping 275 episodes throughout its 11 seasons. Created by James Burrows, Glen Charles and Les Charles, the show was, simply put, special. "It was something bigger than a sitcom. It was a sweeping narrative," writer Sam Simon once told GQ. "[Nowadays], producers sit down with the network at the beginning of the year and talk about the arc of the show. That's because of Glen and Les and Jimmy."

Of course, the cast of Cheers also made it worth tuning into each week. Read on for a look at where the show's iconic actors, many of whom recently reunited for the 75th Annual Emmy Awards, are up to now.

'Cheers' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ted Danson (Sam Malone)

When Danson decided to leave Cheers after 11 seasons, it meant the end of the series as a whole. In 2023, he told the crowd at the ATX TV Festival in Austin, Texas, "Okay, sorry. It was me. My life was a hot mess at the time, and if I had not stopped and gotten it together, I would never have met my wife."

While Danson won two Golden Globes and two Emmys for his role as Sam Malone, when it was finally time to move on he didn't hesitate. Since the end of Cheers, Danson has had roles on the Cheers spin-off Frasier as well as on Curb Your Enthusiasm,  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and, oh yeah, The Good Place, for which he scored several more Emmy nominations.

Shelley Long (Diane Chambers)

The will-they, won't-they romance between Long's Diane and Danson's Sam was the veritable backbone of Cheers for five seasons until the actress abruptly decided to leave the show.

As she told The Montreal Gazette, the decision wasn't an easy one for the actress to make. "It was a very difficult choice to make. We have done some really terrific work at Cheers, but I've decided to give priority to my family and my newly established film production company," she said.

Long moved into movies following her departure from the show, including The Money Pit, Troop Beverly Hills and The Brady Bunch. More recently, she had roles in Modern Family and the movie The Cleaner, which also starred Luke Wilson.

Related: 'Family Ties' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Rhea Perlman (Carla Tortelli)

Perlman has acknowledged the enormous impact that Cheers had on her career. "It was huge," she told People in 2022. "And I wouldn't have had any of the career that I—well, who knows what I would've had? Nobody knows what doesn't happen, but it was the best job in the world."

Perlman's career since Cheers has included television and film roles, like Matilda, The Goldbergs, and most recently, Barbie.

John Ratzenberger (Cliff Calvin)

Ratzenberger starred as bar regular Cliff Calvin throughout the show's run. After Cheers ended, he had roles on That '70s Show and 8 Simple Rules, among others.

Ratzenberger is also known throughout the Pixar universe as the voice of Hamm in the first Toy Story movie—and he has had a voice role in every single Pixar movie that has come out since then, with the exception of 2020's Soul.

Related: See the Cast of M*A*S*H Then and Now

George Wendt (Norm Peterson)

Norm Peterson famously sat at the same barstool in every episode of Cheers for all 11 of its years.

Wendt worked with Cheers costars Ted Danson and Kirstie Alley on Becker and Kirstie, respectively, and also had roles on Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

Kelsey Grammar (Dr. Fraiser Crane)

Grammar joined the show at the end of Season 3 and remained throughout the rest of its run. Frasier battled alcoholism after Diane left him for Sam in his first season, and was able to get a handle on his demons and remain a bar regular.

Grammar starred in his own Cheers spinoff, Frasier, for 11 more seasons after Cheers ended and recently reprised his role as the title character for a revival. He's also enjoyed roles on TV shows like Modern Family, 30 Rock and Carol's Second Act.

Kirstie Alley (Rebecca Howe)

Alley joined Cheers in Season 6 after the departure of Shelley Long. She kept acting for decades after the show ended—on TV and in movies—with credits in Look Who's Talking and its two sequels, Drop Dead Gorgeous and For Richer or Poorer.

Alley died in December 2022 after a battle with cancer.

Woody Harrelson (Woody Boyd)

Harrelson joined the show in its fourth season as bartender Woody Boyd. He struggled to get another job for more than five years after Cheers ended, but then began earning acclaimed roles in movies like White Men Can't Jump and Natural Born Killers.

Harrelson's career has only grown since the end of the show. He's had starring roles in the Hunger Games franchise, the Venom movies, Solo: A Star Wars Story, No Country for Old Men, and The People vs. Larry Flynt. On TV, you may have seen him in True Detective and most recently, White House Plumbers.

Next, See the Cast of 'Frasier' Then and Now