Actress Kirstie Alley dead at 71 after short cancer battle

Kirstie Alley has died aged 71. Alley’s children True and Lillie Parker confirmed her death on social media. Photo / Instagram

Actress Kirstie Alley, a star in both television and film, has died after a short battle with cancer at age 71.

Alley shot to fame in the TV comedy Cheers, set in a Boston bar, going on to have starring film roles in Look Who’s Talking and Star Trek II.

Alley’s death was confirmed by her two children, True Stevenson, 30, and Lillie Parker Stevenson, 28, who posted the sad news on her Instagram page today.

“We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered.

Kirstie Alley won an Emmy in Cheers, starring alongside Ted Danson.

“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”

The pair thanked the medical staff at Moffitt Cancer Centre for caring for their mother and chose to remember her “zest and passion” for life.

“Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did.”

They went on to thank fans for their love and prayers and asked that they respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.

Alley shares her two children with Parker Stevenson whom she was married to from 1983 to 1997.

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Following the news of her death, her former co-star John Travolta – who she starred with in Look Who’s Talking - paid tribute with a post on his social media acknowledging their relationship as “one of the most special” he has ever had.

Alley rose to fame in 1987 after starring as Rebecca Howe in the NBC show Cheers and went on to win an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in 1991 and a Golden Globe for best actress.

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By 1994 she received her second Emmy after portraying Sally Goodson in the film David’s Mother.

Over the course of her career, Alley - who would have turned 72 next month - earned 76 acting credits.

The star, while mainly an icon in the 90s, continued to make an impact in pop culture in recent years after she competed on America’s Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer.