Paying tribute. Steve Guttenberg is remembering his late It Takes Two costar Kirstie Alley after her death at age 71.
“Kirstie met me at her house with a tuna sandwich on my favorite bread,” the Three Men and a Baby star, 64, recalled via Instagram on Monday, December 5, reminiscing about filming the fan-favorite ‘90s movie with the Cheers alum. He accompanied the caption with a sweet photo of himself and the actress, who, in the movie, portrayed a millionaire and a social worker, respectively. The pair are set up by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s sneaky lookalike characters after they decide to swap places a la The Parent Trap.
“‘Steve, I know all about you and your love of rye bread … eat some tuna,’” he remembered Alley saying to him. “We were rehearsing ‘It Takes Two’, and every day she amazed me with her generosity of the tangible and with her soulfulness. The world is a bit empty without Kirstie.”
Guttenberg’s tribute to Alley came just hours after her children announced her death via her Instagram account on Monday.
“We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” her family wrote alongside a photo of the late star on a swing. “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.”
Her kids — the Look Who’s Talking star shared son William, 30, and daughter Lillian, 28, with ex-husband Parker Stevenson — added: “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.”
Alley’s rep later confirmed that the Fat Actress alum had been diagnosed with colon cancer.
The actress’ death left Hollywood stunned. Guttenberg’s remembrance of the Drop Dead Gorgeous star is just one of many Hollywood tributes to Alley from her costars.
“Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had,” John Travolta — who starred in the Look Who’s Talking franchise with the actress — wrote via Instagram on Monday night alongside photos of Alley. “I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”
The Accidental Love star, who portrayed Rebecca Howe on Cheers from 1987 to 1993, was also mourned by her colleagues from the NBC hit.
“I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of Cheers,” Ted Danson, who portrayed bartender Sam Malone on the series’ 11 seasons, told Deadline on Monday. “It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny. She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh.”
Rhea Perlman, known for her role as the wise-cracking Carla Tortelli on the sitcom, remembered her as a costar — and a pal. “Kirstie was a unique and wonderful person and friend. Her joy of being was boundless,” she shared on Monday. “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers. She loved kids and my kids loved her too. We had sleepovers at her house, with treasure hunts that she created. She had massive Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire crew of the show and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included.”
