The Bar Finally Closed
When Cheers served its final round on May 20, 1993, it ended one of television’s most celebrated sitcom runs. The show had lasted 11 seasons and turned its ensemble into some of the most recognizable performers on television. For several cast members, leaving the bar was only the beginning.
Aaron Rapoport/Corbis, Getty Images
Millions Watched The Farewell
More than 80 million viewers reportedly watched the extended series finale, which brought Diane Chambers back to Boston. Sam Malone briefly considered leaving with her before realizing that Cheers was his true home. The cast members then faced the challenge of building careers beyond characters audiences already knew intimately.
Screenshot from Cheers, Paramount Television (1982–1993)
Ted Danson Quickly Returned To Comedy
Ted Danson left Sam behind without abandoning television comedy. He appeared in films such as Made in America and reunited with his future wife, Mary Steenburgen, in Pontiac Moon. His biggest early post-Cheers television vehicle arrived with Becker in 1998.
Screenshot from Becker, Paramount Television (1998–2004)
Becker Became Another Long-Running Hit
Danson played the irritable Dr. John Becker for six seasons, proving that he could anchor another successful sitcom. He later embraced darker material with Damages and played a fictionalized version of himself on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Those sharply different parts helped separate him from Sam Malone.
Screenshot from Curb Your Enthusiasm, HBO Entertainment (2000–2024)
Ted Danson Found Another Beloved Role
Danson won a new generation of fans as Michael on The Good Place, earning multiple Emmy nominations for the philosophical comedy. He later starred in Mr. Mayor and reunited with Good Place creator Michael Schur for Netflix’s A Man on the Inside. In 2025, the Golden Globes honored Danson with the Carol Burnett Award for his contributions to television.
Screenshot from A Man on the Inside, Netflix (2024–Present)
Shelley Long Had Already Left Cheers
Shelley Long departed as a regular after the fifth season, years before the series itself ended. She pursued film roles in projects including Outrageous Fortune, Hello Again, Troop Beverly Hills, and The Brady Bunch Movie. Long nevertheless returned as Diane for the Cheers finale, giving Sam and Diane one last complicated goodbye.
Screenshot from Outrageous Fortune, Touchstone Pictures (1987)
Diane Chambers Never Completely Disappeared
Long subsequently reprised Diane in episodes of Frasier, preserving the connection between the two sitcoms. She also appeared in television movies and had a recurring role as DeDe Pritchett on Modern Family. Although Long became less visible in later years, Diane remained the performance most closely associated with her.
Screenshot from Frasier, Paramount Television (1993–2004)
Kirstie Alley Built Her Own Sitcom
Kirstie Alley had successfully replaced Long as the show’s female lead, playing ambitious bar manager Rebecca Howe. After Cheers, she starred as department-store executive Veronica Chase on Veronica’s Closet from 1997 to 2000. The role brought Alley additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.
Kirstie Alley Balanced Movies And Television
Alley’s post-Cheers credits also included It Takes Two, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and the television film David’s Mother, which earned her another Emmy. She later appeared in reality programs and briefly led the 2013 sitcom Kirstie alongside Rhea Perlman. Alley died from colon cancer in December 2022 at age 71.
Screenshot from It Takes Two, Warner Bros. (1995)
Rhea Perlman Stayed Busy On Screen
Rhea Perlman had earned four Emmys for playing the formidable Carla Tortelli. After Cheers, she appeared in Canadian Bacon, Sunset Park, Carpool, and Matilda, which was directed by her husband, Danny DeVito. Her smaller stature and enormous comic presence continued to make her an instantly recognizable performer.
Screenshot from Sunset Park, TriStar Pictures (1996)
Carla Found A New Generation
Perlman later held recurring roles on Hung and The Mindy Project. In 2023, she played Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler in the blockbuster film Barbie. She subsequently appeared in the second season of Poker Face, demonstrating that her dry delivery remained as effective as ever.
Screenshot from Barbie, Warner Bros. Pictures (2023)
George Wendt Tried Leading His Own Show
George Wendt followed Norm Peterson with The George Wendt Show, a sitcom loosely based on NPR’s Car Talk. CBS canceled the series after a short run in 1995, but Wendt continued working steadily. His guest appearances included The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Hot in Cleveland.
Screenshot from Seinfeld, Sony Pictures Television (1989–1998)
George Wendt Made The Stage Another Home
Wendt also developed an extensive theater career, appearing in Broadway productions of Art, Hairspray, and Elf. He returned to Norm for guest appearances on Frasier and other television programs. Wendt died peacefully at home in May 2025 at age 76, leaving behind one of sitcom history’s most warmly remembered characters.
Screenshot from Frasier, Paramount Television (1993–2004)
John Ratzenberger Entered The Pixar Universe
John Ratzenberger transformed his distinctive voice into an extraordinary second career after playing Cliff Clavin. He voiced Hamm in Toy Story, beginning a long association with Pixar. Further roles included P.T. Flea in A Bug’s Life, the Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc., and Mack in the Cars films.
Screenshot from Toy Story, Pixar Animation Studios (1995)
Cliff Clavin Became An Animation Fixture
Ratzenberger voiced at least one character in every Pixar feature film from Toy Story in 1995 through Onward in 2020 , sometimes performing more than one character. He also returned as Hamm for Toy Story 5 and continued taking live-action television roles. For younger viewers, his animated characters may now be as familiar as the opinionated mail carrier who made him famous.
Screenshot from Onward, Walt Disney Pictures (2020)
Woody Harrelson Became A Film Star
Woody Harrelson wasted little time escaping the innocent image of bartender Woody Boyd. Natural Born Killers displayed a far more dangerous side of his screen persona in 1994. Two years later, his performance in The People vs. Larry Flynt earned him his first Academy Award nomination.
Screenshot from Natural Born Killers, Warner Bros. Pictures (1994)
Major Roles Kept Arriving
Harrelson received further Oscar nominations for The Messenger and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He also joined major franchises through The Hunger Games, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and the Now You See Me films. His work in True Detective confirmed that he could move comfortably between film and prestige television.
Screenshot from True Detective, HBO (2014–2024)
Woody Reconnected With Ted
In 2024, Harrelson and Danson launched the interview podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name. The series gave the longtime friends an opportunity to discuss their careers, welcome celebrity guests, and revisit memories from Cheers. Their easy rapport suggested that the friendship forged behind the bar had survived for decades.
Screenshot from Cheers, Paramount Television (1982–1993)
Kelsey Grammer Never Really Left Frasier
Kelsey Grammer moved directly from Cheers into Frasier, which premiered only months after the original show ended. The spin-off relocated Dr. Frasier Crane to Seattle and built a new ensemble around his family and radio career. It ran for another 11 seasons, matching the length of Cheers.
Screenshot from Frasier, Paramount Television (1993–2004)
Frasier Became A Television Giant
Grammer won four lead-actor Emmys for the original Frasier, adding to an awards record that began with his supporting work on Cheers. He also became the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons and appeared in films including X-Men: The Last Stand. Stage roles and television dramas further broadened a career once dominated by one fastidious psychiatrist.
Screenshot from X-Men: The Last Stand, 20th Century Fox (2006)
Kelsey Grammer Returned To Boston
Grammer revived Frasier Crane in a new Paramount+ series that premiered in 2023. The story brought Frasier back to Boston, where he attempted to rebuild his relationship with his adult son. Paramount+ ended the revival after two seasons, but Grammer’s return showed the character’s extraordinary longevity.
Screenshot from Frasier, Grammnet Productions / CBS Studios / Paramount+ (2023–2024)
Bebe Neuwirth Conquered Broadway
Bebe Neuwirth followed her Emmy-winning performance as Lilith Sternin with major success on the stage. She won a Tony Award for playing Velma Kelly in the 1996 Broadway revival of Chicago, having already won one for Sweet Charity. Neuwirth later returned to Chicago in the roles of Roxie Hart and Matron “Mama” Morton.
Screenshot from Chicago, Barry & Fran Weissler (1996–Present)
Lilith Kept Returning
Neuwirth reprised Lilith several times during the original run of Frasier and again in the 2023 revival. Her wider television career included prominent roles on Madam Secretary and the Frasier revival’s first season. Even after decades apart, the tense chemistry between Lilith and Frasier remained immediately recognizable.
Screenshot from Madam Secretary, CBS Television Studios / CBS (2014–2019)
Coach Had Already Been Lost
Nicholas Colasanto, who played the sweet and frequently confused Coach, died from a heart attack in February 1985. Because his death occurred during the show’s third season, he never witnessed the finale or the cast’s later success. Cheers addressed Coach’s absence onscreen before introducing Harrelson’s Woody Boyd as a new bartender.
Screenshot from Cheers, Paramount Television (1982–1993)
Roger Rees Remained A Stage Favorite
Roger Rees played wealthy businessman Robin Colcord, whose romance with Rebecca repeatedly disrupted the bar. After Cheers, he appeared in television series including M.A.N.T.I.S., The West Wing, Grey’s Anatomy, and Elementary. The Tony-winning actor also remained deeply involved in theater until his death in 2015.
Screenshot from M.A.N.T.I.S., Universal Television (1994–1995)
Jay Thomas Continued Working In Comedy
Jay Thomas appeared repeatedly as Carla’s hockey-playing husband, Eddie LeBec. After the character’s controversial exit, Thomas built a varied career that included Murphy Brown, Love & War, radio hosting, and annual appearances on Late Show with David Letterman. He died from cancer in August 2017 at age 69.
Screenshot from Cheers, Paramount Television (1982–1993)
The Cast Kept Finding Each Other
Several performers carried their Cheers characters into Frasier, while others reunited at public events and television celebrations. Danson, Perlman, Wendt, Ratzenberger, and Grammer appeared together during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in January 2024. Grammer later said that the former castmates were still part of one another’s lives.
Christopher Polk, Getty Images
Everybody Still Knows Their Names
The careers that followed Cheers ranged from Broadway triumphs and Oscar nominations to animated classics and successful spin-offs. The ensemble also lost several beloved members, including Colasanto, Alley, Thomas, Rees, and Wendt. More than three decades after the finale, the cast’s continuing visibility proves that the show created far more than one generation of familiar faces.
Screenshot from Cheers, Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions / Paramount Television / NBC (1982–1993)
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