What Happened To Beloved Sitcom Star Shelley Long After Cheers?

It's hard to name any '80s sitcom that was as popular or influential as "Cheers." In addition to being a cultural touchstone in its own right during the beloved show's 11 years on the air, "Cheers" was among the hit '80s sitcoms that were so popular they inspired spin-off series like "Wings" and "Frasier" (sure, "The Tortellis" is a forgotten sitcom from the '80s that almost no one talks about anymore, but nobody bats a thousand). That being said, one of its most iconic characters was only around for less than half of the hit show's run. 

Diane Chambers, who was played by actor Shelley Long, famously left "Cheers" at the end of Season 5 in 1987. But what exactly happened to the beloved sitcom star after she had her last call up in Boston? Well, for starters, the Season 5 finale wasn't the last "Cheers" fans saw of Long. Years after her initial departure, she returned as Diane for the show's 1993 series finale. Long also reprised the role for a couple of guest appearances on "Frasier," between 1994 and 2001. Long's acting career kept right on rolling along nicely too. 

For years, she primarily made one-off appearances in TV shows like "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Instant Mom," occasionally landing more substantial parts, such as her lead role on the short-lived sitcom "Kelly Kelly" and her recurring character, DeDe, on "Modern Family." Further, Long also graced the big screen from time to time, perhaps most notably taking over the role of Carol Brady in 1995's "The Brady Bunch Movie" and its sequels.

Though she has not formally announced her retirement, as of 2026, "Cheers" alum Shelley Long appears to be effectively done with Hollywood. The comedic actor, who nabbed several prestigious awards for her portrayal of Diane Chambers back in the '80s, has not graced the screen in several years now. At the time of writing, her most recent television credit was voicing a character in two episodes of the Disney Channel animated series "Milo Murphy's Law," which came out in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Meanwhile, Long's final movie role to date was in 2021's "The Cleaner."

To that end, the "Modern Family" star seems to want a clean break in order to embrace a quieter, more private life away from the spotlight. This was made abundantly clear in January 2024, when a "Cheers" reunion took place at the 75th Emmy Awards. Though many of the main cast members from "Cheers" took part, including Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman, Kelsey Grammer, John Ratzenberger, and George Wendt, Long was notably absent. "I was sorry Shelley didn't make it," Grammer, who played the iconic Frasier Crane, admitted in an interview with the New York Post. "But the other guys, it was great to see them." 

Also in January 2024, Grammer shared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" that he was hoping to get Long to reprise her role as Diane on his "Frasier" revival series. Ultimately, however, the reboot ended after just two seasons later that year. Long never made an appearance, meaning that Grammer's wish to put a bow on the Frasier-Diane story sadly went unfulfilled.