| Shelley Long | |
|---|---|
| Born | Shelley Lee Long August 23, 1949 Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse | Bruce Tyson (1981-2004; 1 child) |
Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers,[1] for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress[2] and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress.[3] She has also starred in several motion pictures throughout her career like Night Shift (1982), her Golden Globe nominated role in Irreconcilable Differences (1984), The Money Pit (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), Hello Again (1987), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), and Dr. T & the Women (2000).
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Shelley Long was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana at 7:15 AM on Tuesday, August 23, 1949. She is the daughter of Ivadine, a school teacher, and Leland Long, who worked in the rubber industry before becoming a teacher.[4] She was active on her high school speech team, competing in the Indiana High School Forensic Association, and in 1967 she won the National Forensic League National Championship in Original Oratory. She delivered a speech on the need for sex education in high school entitled, "Sex Perversion Weed."[5] After graduating from South Side High School in Fort Wayne, she studied drama at Northwestern University,[1] but left before graduating to pursue a career in acting and modelling. Her first break as an actress occurred when she began doing commercials in the Chicago area for a furniture company called Homemakers.
In Chicago, she joined The Second City comedy troupe, and in 1975, she began writing, producing, and co-hosting the television program Sorting It Out. The local NBC broadcast went on to win three Emmy Awards for Best Entertainment Show. Long also appeared in the 1970s in V05 Shampoo print advertisements. Her first notable role came in the 1979 television movie The Cracker Factory, in which she portrayed a psychiatric inmate, opposite Natalie Wood. The following year she appeared in A Small Circle of Friends with Brad Davis and Karen Allen.[6] The film about social unrest at Harvard University during the 1960s was a critical success. In 1981, she played the role of Tala in the Ringo Starr film Caveman, starring opposite Dennis Quaid. She played Nurse Mendenhall in an episode of M*A*S*H ("Bottle Fatigue," 1980).
In 1982, she starred as Belinda in Ron Howard's comedy Night Shift (co-starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton), about life working on the night shift at a city morgue, and starred with Tom Cruise in the 1983 comedy film Losin' It.
Although she had already been in feature films, Long became famous as the character Diane Chambers in the long-running television sitcom Cheers.[6] The show was slow to capture an audience but eventually became one of the most popular on the air. Throughout her Cheers career, She continued starring in several motion pictures. In 1984, she was nominated for a Best Leading Actress Golden Globe for her performance in Irreconcilable Differences. She then starred in a series of comedies, such as The Money Pit with Tom Hanks (1986), Outrageous Fortune with Bette Midler and Peter Coyote (1987) and Hello Again with Corbin Bernsen (1987). She was even offered to play the lead characters in Working Girl, Jumpin' Jack Flash, and My Stepmother is an Alien.
Amid much controversy, Long left Cheers after season five in 1987.[7] In the Cheers biography documentary, costar Ted Danson admitted there was tension between them but "never at a personal level and always at a work level" due to their different modes of working. He also stated that Long was much more like her character than she would like to admit, but also said that her performances often "carried the show."[8][9] Long said in later interviews that in her decision to leave, it did not occur to her that she was going to 'sabotage a show' and she felt confident that the rest of the cast could continue without her.[10] In later documentaries about the show, some cast and crew (including Jean Kasem and the show's makeup artist) talked of Long having been difficult on set and claimed she was constantly in conflict with everyone while filming the program. A costar in the documentary said 'it wasn't Shelley versus Ted, it wasn't Shelley versus the cast, it wasn't Shelley versus the crew, it was Shelley versus everyone.'
In a 2003 interview on The Graham Norton Show, Long said she left for a variety of reasons, the most important of which was her desire to spend more time with her newborn daughter. In a 2007 interview on Australian television, Long claimed Danson was "a delight to work with" and talked of her love for costar Nicholas Colasanto who was "one of my closest friends on set." She said she left the show because she, "didn't want to keep doing the same episode over and over again and the same story ... I didn't want it to become old and stale." She went on to say that "working at Cheers was a dream come true ... it was one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. So, yes, I missed it, but I never regretted that decision."[11]
Her first post-Cheers project was Troop Beverly Hills, a comedy in which she plays a housewife who takes leadership of a "Wilderness Girl" troop for bonding with her daughter and to distract herself from divorce proceedings.
In 1990, Long returned to television for the fact-based ABC miniseries Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase. She received critical praise for the role,[12] which required her to portray nearly 20 different personalities.
Major feature film roles followed such as the romantic comedy Don't Tell Her It's Me with Jami Gertz and Steve Guttenberg and Frozen Assets, a comedy about a sperm bank, which reunited her with Hello Again co-star Corbin Bernsen.
In 1992, she appeared in Fatal Memories: The Eileen Franklin Story, a fact-based television drama about a woman who remembers the childhood trauma of being raped by her father and his cronies, and witnessing him murder her childhood friend to prevent the child from "telling on him."[13] The still controversial "recovered memories" basis for the prosecution resulted in the conviction and sentence of life imprisonment of George Franklin, Sr.,[14] a conviction that was later overturned.[15]
In 1993, the actress returned to Cheers for its series finale, and picked up another Emmy nomination for her return as Diane.[16] She also starred in the sitcom Good Advice with Treat Williams and Teri Garr, but the show lasted just two seasons.[17] She later resurfaced as Diane for several episodes of the Kelsey Grammer spinoff series Frasier, for which she was nominated for yet another Emmy Award.
Long appeared as Carol Brady in the 1995 hit film The Brady Bunch Movie, a campy take on the popular television show. In 1996, she reprised her role in A Very Brady Sequel, which had more modest success.
A series of ventures followed such as the made for TV remake of Freaky Friday, and the family sitcom Kelly Kelly, which only lasted for a few episodes. She played the Wicked Witch of the Beanstalk in a 1997 episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
In 2000, Long appeared as one of the Women in the Richard Gere film, Dr. T and the Women, directed by Robert Altman. She later returned for a third go-around as Carol Brady in the TV Film The Brady Bunch in the White House.
In recent years, She has guest starred in several TV shows such as 8 Simple Rules, Yes, Dear, Strong Medicine, and Boston Legal. She has a recurring role on the popular ABC Sitcom Modern Family. Long starred in several TV Films such as "Honeymoon with Mom", Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door, and the newly premiered Hallmark Holiday Movie A Holiday Engagement which premiered on November 27, 2011. Also, she starred in several Independent films such as the 2007 film Trust Me, "A Couple of White Chicks at the Hairdresser" and "Zombie Hamlet". She continues to be active in several guest appearances on sitcoms, TV Movies, and Films.
Long's first marriage ended in divorce.[18] In 1979, Long met her second husband, securities broker Bruce Tyson. They married in 1981 and had a daughter, Juliana, on March 27, 1985. Another attempt at pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage in 1989. Shelley also has a stepson.[19] Long and Tyson separated in 2003 and divorced in 2004. In November 2004, Long was rushed to the hospital after an overdose of painkillers.[20]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Key | voice | |
| 1979 | The Dooley Brothers | Lucy Bennett | (TV Film) |
| The Cracker Factory | Clara | (TV Film) | |
| 1980 | A Small Circle of Friends | Alice | |
| The Promise of Love | Lorraine Simpson | (TV Film) | |
| 1981 | Caveman | Tala | |
| The Princess and the Cabbie | Carol | (TV Film) | |
| 1982 | Night Shift | Belinda Keaton | |
| 1983 | Losin' It | Kathy | |
| 1984 | Irreconcilable Differences | Lucy Van Patten Brodsky | Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1986 | The Money Pit | Anna Crowley Beissart Fielding | |
| 1987 | Outrageous Fortune | Lauren Ames | |
| Hello Again | Lucy Chadman | ||
| 1989 | Troop Beverly Hills | Phyllis Nefler | |
| 1990 | Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase | Truddi Chase | (TV Film) |
| Don't Tell Her It's Me | Lizzie Potts | ||
| 1992 | Frozen Assets | Dr. Grace Murdock | |
| Fatal Memories | Eileen Franklin Lipsker | (TV Film) | |
| A Message from Holly | Kate | (TV Film) | |
| 1995 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Carol Brady | |
| The Women of Spring Break | Anne | (TV Film) | |
| Freaky Friday | Ellen Andrews | (TV Film) | |
| 1996 | Susie Q | Penny Sands | (TV Film) |
| A Very Brady Sequel | Carol Brady | ||
| A Different Kind of Christmas | Elizabeth Gates | (TV Film) | |
| 1998 | The Adventures of Ragtime | Sam | |
| 1999 | Vanished Without a Trace | Elizabeth Porterson | (TV Film) |
| 2000 | Dr. T & the Women | Carolyn | |
| 2002 | The Brady Bunch in the White House | Carol Brady | (TV Film) |
| The Santa Trap | Molly Emerson | (TV Film) | |
| 2006 | Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door | Betsy Lucas | (TV Film) |
| Honeymoon with Mom | Marla | (TV Film) | |
| 2007 | A Couple of White Chicks at the Hairdresser | Barbara | |
| Trust Me | Mitzi Robinson | ||
| 2008 | Mr. Vinegar and the Curse | Ms. Persnickety | |
| 2009 | Ice Dreams | Harriet Clayton | (TV Film) |
| 2011 | A Holiday Engagement | Meredith | (TV Film) |
| Pizza Man | Mrs. Burns | ||
| Zombie Hamlet | Shine Reynolds | Also co-producer | |
| 2012 | Lumpy | Gail |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-1977 | SCTV | Various | (Cast Member 1976-1977) |
| 1978 | That Thing on ABC | Performer | (TV Variety Special) |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Heather McKenzie | 1 Episode |
| 1979 | Family | Joan Phillips | 1 Episode |
| 1979 | Trapper John M.D | Lauren | 1 Episode |
| 1980 | M*A*S*H | Lt. Mendenhall | 1 Episode |
| 1981 | The Incredible Hulk | Model | 1 Episode (Uncredited) |
| 1982-1987 1993 | Cheers | Diane Chambers | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1983) Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1983) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1985) Viewers for Quality Television Award (1985,1986) TV Land Awards (2006, 2007) Nominated- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1984, 1985, 1986) Nominated-Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (1993) Nominated-Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy (1984) |
| 1993-1994 | Good Advice | Susan DeRuzza | (TV Series, Lasted 19 Episodes) |
| 1995 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Lucille Newtrich | 1 Episode |
| 1995-1996 | Murphy Brown | Dottie Wilcox | 2 Episodes |
| 1996-2001 | Frasier | Diane Chambers | 4 Episodes
Nominated- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (1996) |
| 1996 | Life with Louie | Sally Tubbs | 1 Episode |
| 1996 | Boston Common | Louise Holmes | 1 Episode |
| 1998 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | The Wicked Witch | 1 Episode |
| 1998 | Kelly Kelly | Kelly Novack | (TV Series, Lasted 7 episodes) Also co-executive producer |
| 1998 | Diagnosis Murder | Kay Ludlow | 1 Episode |
| 1999 | Chicken Soup for the Soul | Teacher | 1 Episode |
| 2000 | Beggars and Choosers | Pamela Marston | 1 Episode |
| 2003 | 8 Simple Rules | Mary Ellen Doyle | 1 Episode |
| 2003 | Strong Medicine | Lauren Chase | 1 Episode |
| 2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Miss Candy | 1 Episode |
| 2005 | Boston Legal | Miriam Watson | 1 Episode |
| 2005 | Yes, Dear | Margaret | 1 Episode |
| 2005 | Complete Savages | Judy | 2 Episodes |
| 2009-2011 | Modern Family | DeDe Pritchett | 2 Episodes |
| 2011 | Retired at 35 | Ginny | 1 Episode |
| 2011 | A.N.T. Farm | Mrs. Busby | 1 Episode |