"Making your way in the world today, takes everything you've got...". Who in this world doesn't know the theme song to "Cheers"??? Well, actually, probably quite a few, but I digress. Along with my earlier posts for "Seinfeld" and "M*A*S*H", I decided to look at some early performances on "Cheers", and here's what I found...
Keenan Ivory Wayans - SSN. 1, EP. 2 - "Sam's Women" 10/7/1982
If you blink, you'll miss him, but he's there! He was credited as "customer #1" and it was only his second time appearing on television, followed closely with a role on "CHiPs" which aired later in the same week. Of course, Wayans would go on to have huge success, along with his brothers, first with the TV variety show "In Living Color" and then in the theatres with his irreverent sense of humour.
Fred Dryer - SSN. 1, EP. 4 - "Sam At Eleven" 10/21/1982
After a 13 year career in the NFL from 1969 to 1981 as a defensive end, Fred Dryer started a career in TV and film, first appearing on "Laverne And Shirley" in 1980. A couple of other guest spots came and went and then the role of Dave Richards came up on "Cheers". Dryer would play the sportscaster three more times on the show through the years. Soon he would play renegade cop Rick Hunter on the show "Hunter", a fan and critical favourite that lasted 8 seasons. Not bad for a football player.
Harry Anderson - SSN. 1, EP. 4 - "Sam At Eleven" 10/21/1982
He only appeared in a couple of movies before landing the role of Harry "The Hat" Gittes, the conman that always gets the best of Sam. Anderson appeared 6 times as Harry, but his first was in the same episode as Fred Dryer's first. A couple of big TV shows would follow; "Night Court" playing Judge Harry T. Stone for 193 episodes from 1984 to 1992, and "Dave's World" as newspaper columnist Dave Barry for 98 episodes from 1993 to 1997. For his role on "Night Court", Anderson was nominated for 3 Emmy awards, but won none.
Allyce Beasley - SSN. 1, EP. 5 - "The Coach's Daughter" 10/28/1982
If you watched a lot of TV in the 1980's, you know who Allyce Beasley is. She showed up on the occasional TV show and you always knew her by her unique voice. Her appearance on "Cheers" was just her fifth TV role, playing Coach's daughter. In a couple of years, she would be a part of one of the most popular shows on television when she played the role of Agnes DiPesto on "Moonlighting". She was on that show for 66 episodes, then moved on to many voice work projects.
Christopher McDonald - SSN. 1, EP. 10 - "Endless Slumper" 12/2/1982
The name may not be familiar, but you've seen him on countless TV shows and movies. McDonald had been in about half a dozen things before showing up on "Cheers" as Rick Walker, a slumping Red Sox pitcher. He would go on to be seen in over 230 movies and TV shows in a career that is still going strong. You've seen him in movies such as Thelma And Louise, Dutch, Grumpy Old Men, Quiz Show, Requiem For A Dream, and so many others. Just last year he was nominated for his first Emmy Award for his role on "Hacks".
Kelsey Grammer - SSN 3, EP. 1 - "Rebound: Part I" 9/27/1984
Frasier?? Why would you include Frasier on your list?? Simple, he wasn't one of the original cast members and when Kelsey Grammar started playing the lovable psychiatrist on "Cheers" he had only appeared in a handful of other shows. He showed up on a couple of soap operas, "Ryan's Hope" and "Another World", in a six-part miniseries about John F. Kennedy that was quite popular, and an episode of "Kate And Allie". He'd go on to appear in 202 episodes of "Cheers" and, of course, had his own spinoff show "Frasier" that lasted for another 263 episodes. Grammar has received 13 Emmy nominations for playing Dr. Frasier Crane over three shows (once as a guest on "Wings") and won four times. I'd say he was born to play that role, wouldn't you??
Woody Harrelson - SSN 4, EP. 1 - "Birth, Death, Love And Rice" 9/26/1985
Just like Kelsey Grammar, one of Woody Harrelson's first roles was on "Cheers", and he stuck around for a while as well. In fact, except for a role as an extra on "Harper Valley P.T.A.", this WAS Harrelson's first role! His first movie role came soon after in Wildcats from 1986, but there is no doubt he became a huge star because of his role as Woody Boyd, the new bartender of "Cheers". Harrelson would have much more success in the movies than Kelsey Grammar did, appearing in fan favourites like White Men Can't Jump, Natural Born Killers, Kingpin, and even going on to receive three Oscar nominations; The People Vs. Larry Flynt, The Messenger and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Sherilyn Fenn - SSN 4, EP. 4 - "The Groom Wore Clearasil" 10/24/1985
She had appeared in four movies before making her way on to the small screen on "Cheers", but nobody really knew who Sherilyn Fenn was yet. She appeared as Gabrielle, a young girl who comes in near the end of the episode. She was only 20 years old and didn't look too much like she did in the role that made her a household name, that of Audrey Horne on 30 episodes of "Twin Peaks", a role that garnered her an Emmy nomination. Fenn has appeared in over 100 films and TV shows in her career and is still going strong.
Bebe Neuwirth - SSN 4, EP. 17 - "Second Time Around" 2/6/1986
Another actor that made many appearances on "Cheers", 80 in fact, pretty much started out on the show. She had appeared in "Simon And Simon" on the same day she made her debut on "Cheers", but that was it for TV or film roles at the time. She was a big presence on stage before that though, starting singing and dancing on Broadway in 1980. But the world would know her now as Frasier's girlfriend Lilith Sternin, a role she'd come back to in 12 episodes of "Frasier". Neuwirth won 2 Emmy Awards playing the female counterpart to Frasier, and became one of my favourite characters on the show.
Brenda Strong - SSN 5, EP. 2 - "The Cape Cad" 10/2/1986
She made a few appearances on TV before showing up on "Cheers" as Vicki, Sam's date on Cape Cod to make Diane jealous. Strong would go on to appear in more than 120 movies and TV shows through the years, but made her biggest splash as Mary Alice Young in 180 episodes of "Desperate Housewives" from 2004 to 2012. She was nominated for 2 Emmy Awards for that role, and continues to show up on the small screen to this day, most recently in "Supergirl".
Willie Garson - SSN 5, EP. 2 - "The Cape Cad" 10/2/1986
Yup, on the same episode as Brenda Strong, playing the waiter at the Cape, is Willie Garson. It was his third appearance on TV, just a few months after being on "Family Ties". And look, he has hair and no glasses!! Garson would go on to have a very successful career, probably being most recognized as Stanford Blatch in 27 episodes of "Sex And The City" and appearing in both film versions of the show. Sadly, Garson passed away just last year at the age of 57.
Richard Schiff - SSN 7, EP. 4 - "One Happy Chappy In A Snappy Serape" 11/17/1988
He's in the episode so briefly that I can't even find a photo of him on "Cheers" on the Internet. Schiff was named "tourist" in this episode, and it was his first TV role, although uncredited. He would definitely become more recognizable in films and TV shows through the years, especially in 145 episodes of "The West Wing" as Toby Ziegler, the White House Communications Director, and most recently as Dr. Aaron Glassman in over 100 episodes of the currently airing "The Good Doctor". Schiff has received three Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Ziegler on "The West Wing", winning once in the year 2000.
Thomas Haden Church - SSN 8, EP. 7 - "Death Takes A Holiday On Ice" 11/9/1989
It was only his third time appearing on television, playing Gordie Brown, the man who's life is saved by Carla's husband Eddie. Church would become much more recognizable a year later when he got a role on "Wings" in 1990 playing the lovable Lowell Mather in 123 episodes. Church would show up in many other shows and films through the years, receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the movie Sideways and winning an Emmy Award for his part in a miniseries called "Broken Trail" in 2007.
Lisa Kudrow - SSN 8, EP. 9 - "Two Girls For Every Boyd" 11/23/1989
Kudrow was making just her third appearance on television as well when she played Emily, Woody's acting partner who was trying to coax a romantic performance out of him. And look, she had dark hair! Kudrow would of course become one of the biggest stars on TV in a few years playing Phoebe on "Friends" for 235 episodes. She would go on to be nominated for 14 Emmy Awards, six times for her role as Phoebe and a few times as the executive producer of the reality show "Who Do You Think You Are?".
Diedrich Bader - SSN 8, EP. 13 - "Sammy And The Professor" 1/4/1990
He appeared in a couple of shows and a couple of TV movies before landing the role of "waiter" in this episode of "Cheers". But Bader has now appeared in over 200 movies and TV shows. You may remember him from Office Space as Lawrence with that great moustache, or from "The Drew Carey Show" where he appeared in 233 episodes, or his many voice acting roles for which he has been nominated for many awards. But it all started, kinda, as "waiter".
Kevin Sorbo - SSN 10, EP. 18 - "License To Hill" 2/13/1992
Another early appearance that I couldn't find a picture for on the Internet, Sorbo showed up on "Cheers" as an uncredited "bar patron". He had been seen in two other TV shows before "Cheers", very briefly. But soon enough he would star in a few TV movies about Hercules, which became so popular it garnered it's own series starting in 1995 and going 111 episodes. There was even a popular spin-off from the show, "Xena: Warrior Princess". Another huge series would follow, "Andromeda", for another 110 episodes. Sorbo is still working hard, with no less than 10 shows and films in production as of this writing!
Ok, there's some of the early roles of celebrities with regards to "Cheers". Next, I think I'm going to lose my mind and try something regarding all the guest appearances on "The Love Boat". This may take me down a very dark hole.....stay tuned.
