Yahoo Finance Who are the richest Cheers stars in 2024? Ranked
Cheers to fame and fortune!
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Running on NBC between 1982 and 1993, Cheers followed the stories of the staff and customers of the fictional Cheers bar in Boston, Massachusetts.
With 28 Emmy Awards and a record 117 nominations across 11 seasons and 275 episodes under its belt, Cheers is one of the best-loved sitcoms of all time, and not just in America. Cheers also provided a springboard for Hollywood stars including Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Kelsey Grammer, and Woody Harrelson. Perhaps in a nod to their beginnings, Danson and Harrelson have recently reunited to host a Cheers podcast.
Read on to take a look at the Cheers stars then and now and discover which cast members are the wealthiest today.
All dollar amounts in US dollars
Shelley Long: $5 million (£4m)
CBS
Shelley Long starred as lovable cocktail waitress Diane Chambers. Her character's on-off relationship with womanising bartender Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson, was a key storyline throughout Cheers.
Although Long had already appeared in feature films like 1981’s Caveman and 1982’s Night Shift, Cheers catapulted her to whole new heights of fame and acclaim.
She received five Emmy nominations for her role in Cheers, and won the 1983 award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Her performance as Diane also banked her two Golden Globe Awards.
Shelley Long: $5 million (£4m)
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To the shock of fans, Long left Cheers in 1987 after five seasons on the show. However, she reprised the role of Diane in the last-ever episode and also made a guest appearance in the Cheers spin-off Frasier.
After Cheers, Long found silver screen success, most notably in her role as Carol Brady in 1995's The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel. Most recently, she starred in the 2021 thriller flick The Cleaner.
Today Long reportedly boasts a net worth of $5 million (£4m).
Bebe Neuwirth: $10 million (£7.9m)
CBS
Bebe Neuwirth joined Cheers in season four as Dr. Lilith Sternin, the love interest and eventual ex-wife of fan favourite Frasier Crane.
A Tony-winning Broadway star, Neuwirth had no real desire to work in television, and her Cheers character was only supposed to appear in one episode.
However, the writers loved Lilith and persuaded Neuwirth to stay on, eventually making her the main star in the final two seasons of the show. Neuwirth went on to win two Emmys for her role as the uptight psychiatrist.
Bebe Neuwirth: $10 million (£7.9m)
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After Cheers, Neuwirth reprised her iconic character for 12 episodes of Frasier. The multi-talented singer and dancer also returned to her Broadway roots, starring as Velma Kelly, Roxie Hart, and Matron Morton in various LA and Broadway productions of Chicago.She won a Tony Award for her stint as leading lady Velma.
More recently, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Netflix movie Tick, Tick... Boom! in 2021, and scored roles in the TV shows The Sandman and Julia. She also made an appearance in the 2023 return of Frasier.
The booked and busy star has an estimated total fortune of $10 million (£7.9m).
George Wendt: $25 million (£19.7m)
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A beloved bar regular, George Wendt's Norm Peterson appeared in every episode of Cheers.
A favourite with critics and fans alike, Wendt earned six Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his popular role as Norm.
Wendt's comedy career began with the Chicago-based improv troupe The Second City. He went on to score minor roles on shows such as Hart to Hart, Taxi, and M*A*S*H before landing his big break on Cheers.
George Wendt: $25 million (£19.7m)
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Following the end of Cheers, fans yearned for more Norm. To their delight, Wendt briefly reprised the character in Frasier, as well as in episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Returning to his comedic origins, he enjoyed hosting stints on Saturday Night Live and even had his own sitcom on CBS, The George Wendt Show, which aired between March and April of 1995. You might also recognise Wendt as the father from the 1991 music video for Michael Jackson's chart-topping single Black or White.
In recent years, the actor has starred in several Broadway shows. His stage roles have included Santa in Elf the Musical in 2010 and Edna Turnblad in various productions of Hairspray. He also features in the 2024 flick, Love's Second Act.
Wendt has reaped the benefits of a diverse career, and sources have estimated his net worth to be in the region of $25 million (£19.7m).
John Ratzenberger: $50 million (£39.5m)
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John Ratzenberger played Cliff Clavin, a postal worker and bar regular. Despite appearing in every episode of Cheers, Cliff's role didn't originally exist.
Ratzenberger had auditioned for Norm Peterson and, on learning that he hadn't gotten the part, pitched the concept of a know-it-all character. Producers loved the idea, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Like his co-stars, Ratzenberger received critical acclaim for his stint as Cliff, earning two Primetime Emmy nominations. However, most of Ratzenberg’s sizeable net worth comes from a lucrative partnership with a major Hollywood production company...
John Ratzenberger: $50 million (£39.5m)
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While you might not have seen Ratzenberger's face on screen much over the years, you will undoubtedly have heard his voice. Ratzenberger has voiced a character in almost every Pixar movie.
Ratzenberger's vocal performances as the porcine Hamm in the Toy Story series and Mack in the Cars series are two of his most beloved non-Cheers roles. He's also appeared in other sitcoms, including That ‘70s Show and Melissa & Joey, and presented the Travel Channel's Made in America docuseries between 2004 and 2008. In 2024, he voices the character of Fritz in Inside Out 2.
Today, his reported net worth is $50 million (£39.5m), although some sources suggest his fortune could be closer to $80 million (£63.1m).
Rhea Perlman: $60 million (£47.3m)
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Rhea Perlman played the role of head waitress Carla Tortelli throughout all 11 seasons of Cheers.
Her career started out on Broadway, and she had various small roles in movies and TV shows. This included a recurring slot in the sitcom Taxi, in which she played the girlfriend of her real-life husband, Danny DeVito.
Cheers, however, became a defining role for Perlman. She was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards for her performance in the sitcom and won four. She also received a record seven nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series at the Golden Globe Awards.
Rhea Perlman: $60 million (£47.3m)
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Following in the footsteps of her co-stars, Perlman reprised the character of Carla for one episode of Frasier. She's worked on a wide range of TV and movie projects since hanging up her Cheers apron, including the lead role in the CBS series Pearl between 1996 and 1997. She also starred alongside DeVito in the iconic 1996 adaptation of the beloved Roald Dahl novel Matilda.
In recent years, Perlman has scored a recurring role in The Mindy Project and recently appeared in the star-studded Barbie movie.
Today, Perlman boasts a reported net worth of $60 million (£47.3m).
Woody Harrelson: $70 million (£55.2m)
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A 21-year-old Woody Harrelson joined the Cheers cast in 1985. He played Woody Boyd, the dim but likeable bartender, and would go on to star in 200 episodes of the sitcom.
While Harrelson is now a bona fide Hollywood star with a glittering career and a slew of awards to his name, it was Cheers that first put him on the map. In fact, he scored his first major accolade, the Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, in 1989, for his role as Woody.
Woody Harrelson: $70 million (£55.2m)
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While Harrelson got to flex his comedic chops in Cheers, he's since shown he can also sink his teeth into more dramatic roles. He's received Oscar nods for his roles in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The Messenger (2009), and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). He also received another Emmy nomination for his work in the 2014 crime series True Detective.
Harrelson continues to shine as a comedic actor, and one of his most popular roles was the Twinkie-loving Tallahassee in the 2009 horror-comedy flick Zombieland and its 2019 sequel.
As well as critical acclaim, Harrelson's diverse acting range has earned him a reported net worth of $70 million (£55.2m).
Ted Danson: $80 million (£63.1m)
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Ted Danson scored both fame and fortune in his breakout role as Sam Malone, the lady-loving owner of the Cheers bar. He starred in the show for all 11 seasons.
Danson won two Emmys and two Golden Globes for his performance and was nominated for a plethora of other accolades.
Ted Danson: $80 million (£63.1m)
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Outside of Cheers, Danson has enjoyed a varied and successful career. His major movie roles include 1987's Three Men and a Baby, as well as its 1990 sequel Three Men and a Little Lady, and the critically-acclaimed war epic Saving Private Ryan.
However, he has had most of his success on the small screen, starring in a slew of popular series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fargo, and The Good Place. With 18 Primetime Emmy nominations and 11 Golden Globe nods, Danson is considered one of today's greatest TV stars.
It's hardly surprising that the star boasts an envy-inducing $80 million (£63.1m) net worth.
Kelsey Grammer: $80 million (£63.1m)
CBS
Kelsey Grammer joined the Cheers cast in season three as Dr. Frasier Crane. The role of the quirky psychiatrist won Grammer four Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes, as well as an army of fans.
In fact, audiences loved Frasier so much that when Cheers wrapped up in 1993, the character was given his own self-titled spin-off show. The beloved Frasier ran from 1993 until 2004.
Kelsey Grammer: $80 million (£63.1m)
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And Frasier isn’t the only iconic character Grammer has played. He voiced the diabolical Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons, as well as the equally evil Stinky Pete in Toy Story 2, and has also shown his acting range by appearing in action flicks such as 2014's The Expendables 3 and Transformers: Age of Extinction.
The ever-versatile actor has also worked extensively on Broadway, starring in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and My Fair Lady. In 2016, Grammer won a Tony Award for co-producing a Broadway adaptation of Alice Walker's 1982 novel The Color Purple.
With his extensive list of accolades, it's hardly surprising that Grammer's illustrious entertainment resume has netted him a reported $80 million (£63.1m).
Now let's take a look at the cast members who are sadly no longer with us...
Nicholas Colasanto: $1 million (£789k) at time of death
CBS
Nicholas Colasanto played "Coach" Ernie Pantusso, a retired baseball coach and bartender at Cheers. He starred in the show from its 1982 premiere until 1985 when he unexpectedly died of a heart attack at the age of 61.
Before turning to acting, Colasanto served in the United States Navy during World War II. Prior to his role in Cheers, the soldier-turned-actor appeared in films such as Alfred Hitchcock's 1976 thriller Family Plot, and 1980's Raging Bull.
He was best known, however, for his work behind the camera, and directed episodes of many popular TV shows, including Hawaii Five-O and Starsky & Hutch.
Nicholas Colasanto: $1 million (£789k) at time of death
CBS
Before landing his role in Cheers, Colasanto had actually planned to retire from acting. It's fortunate that he didn't, as it was his brief stint as Coach that established him as a globally recognised star.
Colasanto received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series three times, including a posthumous nod in 1985.
According to reports, the Cheers star died with a net worth ranging from $1 million (£789k) to $5 million (£4m).
Kirstie Alley: $40 million (£31.6m) at time of death
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Following the shock departure of Shelley Long, Kirstie Alley joined the cast of Cheers in 1987. She played Rebecca Howe, the new bar manager and love interest of Ted Danson's character Sam Malone.
Despite having already gained recognition for her role as Saavik in 1982’s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, it was Cheers that made Alley a household name.
She received critical acclaim for her role as Rebecca, as well as an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991.
Kirstie Alley: $40 million (£31.6m) at time of death
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Alley was the only Cheers alum who didn't reprise her role in the hit spin-off Frasier. She did, however, go on to one of the most diverse careers of the cast. She starred in multiple mega-buck movies, such as 1989’s Look Who’s Talking alongside John Travolta. She also returned to the small screen, most notably in 2005’s Fat Actress, in which she played a fictionalised version of herself.
Alley dabbled in the world of reality television, appearing on the 12th and 15th seasons of Dancing with the Stars, as well as being voted runner-up in the UK edition of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.
Alley sadly died from cancer in December 2022, aged 71. The veteran actress's varied career is said to have netted her an enviable fortune of $40 million (£31.6m) at the time of her death.
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