For many fans, Shelley Long will always be Diane Chambers, the intelligent waitress who walked into Cheers during the show’s first episode. Her constant disagreements and complicated romance with Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson, soon became one of the show’s biggest storylines.
Long played Diane for the first five seasons of Cheers, winning an Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for the role. However, she surprised viewers when she decided to leave the hit series in 1987. The show continued for another six seasons, with Kirstie Alley joining the cast as Rebecca Howe.