Shelley Long

As the prim and prudish barmaid Diane Chambers on "Cheers" (NBC, 1982-1993), actress Shelley Long was instrumental to the success of the show, which narrowly avoided the network chopping block to become one of television's most beloved sitcoms of all time. That success was due in large part to Long's Diane, whose on-again, off-again mismatched romance with Sam Malone (Ted Danson) fueled audience interest in the show for years. During her five seasons on "Cheers," Long adventured outside the show to stake her claim in features with hits like "Irreconcilable Differences" (1984), "The Money Pit" (1986) and "Outrageous Fortune" (1987). Buoyed by the critical and commercial success garnered from those films, Long surprised both castmates and fans when she announced her departure from "Cheers," a move that was rumored to have caused consternation among her co-stars. Unfortunately, her decision to leave the show at the height of its power led her to making ill-advised films like "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989), "Don't Tell Her It's Me" (1990) and "Frozen Assets" (1992). With her popularity hitting all-time lows, Long managed to resuscitate her career as the matriarch in "The Brady Bunch Movie" (1995) and "A Very Brady Sequel" (1996). But a set of personal setbacks - divorce and an alleged suicide attempt - derailed her comeback while generating unwanted headlines. Whatever her condition, fans wished Long well during her recovery as she remained a popular figure in the history of television sitcoms.