Kirstie Alley, the actor who was a part of the show Cheers, and movies like Drop Dead Gorgeous and the Look Who’s Talking franchise, has died at the age of 71.

True and Lille Parker, the children of the late actress, released a statement to People magazine, in which they said, “We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered”.

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The statement further added, “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”. Regarding her offscreen persona, the veteran actor’s children said,  “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”

True and Lille also thanked their mother’s fans for their love, “We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time.”

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Alley played the character Rebecca Howe in Cheers, for which she won an Emmy as well as the Golden Globe Award. She was again nominated for the two awards for her performance in the series Veronica’s Closet.

Besides her acting performances, Alley made a name for herself in the world of reality TV. A show based on her life, Kirstie Alley’s Big Life, premiered in 2010. Alley competed in Dancing with the Stars’ 12th season and finished as the runner up in Celebrity Big Brother’s 22nd season.

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Some of Alley’s notable feature film performances include her roles in Woody Allen’s Deconstructing Harry, John Carpenter’s science fiction horror film Village of the Damned, and Carl Reiner’s black comedy, Sibling Rivalry.