History Creator / ShelleyLong

Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American television and movie actress. She is most famous and well-known for her five-year (1982-1987) portrayal of the academic-turned-waitress Diane Chambers of ''Series/{{Cheers}}''. She also starred in various films--typically romantic comedies--both before (''Film/NightShift'', ''Losin' It'') and during (''Film/IrreconcilableDifferences'', ''Film/TheMoneyPit'', ''Hello Again'') her time on the show, before she ultimately left the cast in 1987 to focus both on a film career and raising her daughter. Her most well-known work post-''Cheers'' includes ''Film/OutrageousFortune'' (in which she co-starred with Creator/BetteMidler), ''Film/TroopBeverlyHills'', and ''Film/TheBradyBunchMovie''.

** Shelley was actually offered the role of Elliot's mother in ''Film/ETTheExtraterrestrial''. Unfortunately, she had to turn it down as she had already signed on to do ''Film/NightShift'', and there would be scheduling conflicts.

* ActorAllusion: When she guest starred in a 1996 episode of ''Boston Common'', Boyd angrily remarks to her character, "You think you can just waltz right in here and everybody knows your name?!"

* BackForTheFinale: After six years away Long returned to play Diane Chambers in the last episode of ''Cheers'', "[[Recap/CheersS11E25 One For The Road]]".

In 1993, she returned to television by guest-starring as Diane in the ''Cheers'' finale. Following this, she starred in a high-rated but short-lived (due to problems with Long's health) series ''Good Advice'', in which she played a marriage counselor with an office next to that of a divorce lawyer. She currently has a recurring role as a jealous CloudCuckoolander ex-wife in ''Series/ModernFamily''.

* MsFanservice: Even as late as ''2000'', in ''Film/DrTAndTheWomen''. Directors [[MaleGaze sure seemed to love emphasizing]] [[ShesGotLegs her legs, in particular.]] Often seems to play an InnocentFanserviceGirl, especially in ''Night Shift'' and ''Film/TheMoneyPit''. ''Hello Again'' also shows her as a [[ReluctantFanserviceGirl "reluctant" type]].

As a rule, particularly in TheEighties, she's known for playing a NiceGirl, usually spoiled but nice or otherwise naive in the ways of the world (often a WideEyedIdealist), who can be expected to end up finding herself out of her league, but nonetheless has or eventually finds the [[PluckyGirl pluck]] to overcome the obstacles in her CharacterArc. (Think Creator/JimmyStewart crossed with Creator/AudreyHepburn, into a pretty and highly feminine blue-eyed blonde girl...)

* MsFanservice: Even as late as ''2000'', in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1WVp7lQbfI Dr. T And The Women]]''. Directors [[MaleGaze sure seemed to love emphasizing]] [[ShesGotLegs her legs, in particular.]] Often seems to play an InnocentFanserviceGirl, especially in ''Night Shift'' and ''Film/TheMoneyPit''. ''Hello Again'' also shows her as a [[ReluctantFanserviceGirl "reluctant" type]].

Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American television and movie actress. She is most famous and well-known for her five-year (1982-1987) portrayal of the academic-turned-waitress Diane Chambers of ''Series/{{Cheers}}''. She also starred in various films--typically romantic comedies--both before (''Film/NightShift'', ''Losin' It'') and during (''Film/IrreconcilableDifferences'', ''Film/TheMoneyPit'', ''Hello Again'') her time on the show, before she ultimately left the cast in 1987 to focus both on a film career and raising her daughter. Her most well-known work post-''Cheers'' includes ''Film/OutrageousFortune'' (in which she co-starred with Creator/BetteMidler), ''Film/TroopBeverlyHills'', and ''Film/TheBradyBunchMovie''.

* BackForTheFinale: After six years away Long returned to play Diane Chambers in the last episode of ''Cheers'', "One For The Road".

** In ''Film/{{Caveman}}'', where she plays...[[CaptainObvious a cavewoman]].

In 1993, she returned to television by guest-starring as Diane in the ''Cheers'' finale. Following this, she starred in a high-rated but short-lived (due to problems with Long's health) series ''Good Advice'', in which she played a marriage counselor with an office next to that of a a divorce lawyer. She currently has a recurring role as a jealous CloudCuckoolander ex-wife in ''Series/ModernFamily''.

As a rule, particularly in TheEighties, she's known for playing a NiceGirl, usually spoiled but nice or otherwise [[TheIngenue naive in the ways of the world]] (often a WideEyedIdealist), who can be expected to end up finding herself out of her league, but nonetheless has or eventually finds the [[PluckyGirl pluck]] to overcome the obstacles in her CharacterArc. (Think Creator/JimmyStewart crossed with Creator/AudreyHepburn, into a pretty and [[WomenAreDelicate highly feminine]] blue-eyed blonde girl....)

!!Tropes associated with this actress include:
* {{Adorkable}}: Her characters often prove quite quirky and at times eccentric, but down-to-earth enough so that they rarely cross the line into CloudCuckoolander territory.
* BadassAdorable: Especially in ''Film/OutrageousFortune''.
* BelligerentSexualTension: In ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', but ''Film/TheMoneyPit'' in particular seems to pay homage to "Sam & Diane" at times.
* BreakTheCutie
* TheChick
* TheCutie
* DramaQueen: Her scenery-chewing moments are at once fun to watch and highly ''adorable''.
* EnforcedMethodActing: As a rule, the actors who complained about Shelley being hard to work with played characters that ''her'' characters constantly come into conflict with....
* TheHeart
* HighClassCallGirl: In ''Night Shift''.

* IdenticalGrandson: Daughter, actually. Juliana Long Tyson, currently on the Youtube WebOriginal series ''FML'', looks quite like Shelley at the same age, the only major differences being her nose and her typical hairstyles (and ''possibly'' her eyes not being as wide as Shelley's). [[http://instagram.com/p/V_vNRnPp49/ Example here]] and [[http://static6.imagecollect.com/preview/560/10731d522f3e0f5 here.]]
* MsFanservice: Even as late as ''2000'', in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1WVp7lQbfI Dr. T And The Women]]''. Directors [[MaleGaze sure seemed to love emphasizing]] [[ShesGotLegs her legs, in particular.]]
** Often seems to play an InnocentFanserviceGirl, especially in ''Night Shift'' and ''Film/TheMoneyPit''. ''Hello Again'' also shows her as a [[ReluctantFanserviceGirl "reluctant" type]].
** Naturally, this means quite an undertone of IWasQuiteTheLooker, in her more recent roles.
* NiceGirl: According to Ted Danson (Sam in ''Series/{{Cheers}}'') in particular, this also applies to RealLife--as he noted that Shelley would become distraught whenever she believed she'd hurt someone's feelings.

** She also guest-starred on an episode of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch''...as a wicked (yet lovely) witch living on top of a giant beanstalk. And she's BRUNETTE!
* PluckyGirl
* SilkHidingSteel
* SpiritedYoungLady: [[Series/{{Cheers}} Her most famous character]] is something of a modern-day TropeCodifier. Diane is a self-proclaimed feminist, but is nonetheless very "ladylike" and highly romantic. Considering her upper-class accent and cutely formal style, it's a good bet Diane would feel right at home in a Creator/JaneAusten novel....
** Shelley also invokes this sort of character type in several of her other roles--particularly in ''Film/OutrageousFortune''.

** [[WordOfGod According to Shelley herself,]] had the staff of ''Cheers'' agreed to have Sam and Diane marry by the end of Season 5, it probably would've convinced her to stay with the show.

* WideEyedIdealist
* WillTheyOrWontThey: Part of the TropeCodifier of Sam & Diane, in ''Series/{{Cheers}}''.
* WomenAreDelicate

Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is an American television and movie actress. She is most famous and well-known for her five-year (1982-1987) portrayal of the academic-turned-waitress Diane Chambers of ''Series/{{Cheers}}''. She also starred in various films--typically romantic comedies--before (''Night Shift'', ''Losin' It'') and during (''Film/TheMoneyPit'', ''Hello Again'') her time on the show, before she ultimately left the cast in 1987 to focus both on a film career and raising her daughter. Her most well-known work post-''Cheers'' includes ''Film/OutrageousFortune'' (in which she co-starred with Creator/BetteMidler), ''Film/TroopBeverlyHills'', and ''Film/TheBradyBunchMovie''.