Emmys 2024: The Touching Easter Egg You Missed In The Cheers Reunion
When much of the main cast of "Cheers" reunited at the 2024 Emmys, there were a few actors who couldn't be there. The biggest absences, naturally, were left by "Cheers" actors who have passed away since the show concluded. But while they may be gone, they'll never be forgotten. To wit — there was a tiny Easter egg honoring Kirstie Alley posted on the wall of the bar, as noted by @Iilithsternin on X, formerly known as Twitter. While it's not visible from the stationary camera side of the bar replica, you can see it when George Wendt makes his dramatic entrance with an envelope to be read. The image shows Alley on the set, dressed in one of Rebecca Howe's business suits. An NBC photographer presumably took it during her run on the program.
It's a loving tribute to Kirstie Alley, who died in December 2022 of cancer. And Alley is just one regular "Cheers" cast member who's much missed and much beloved years after their death.
Nicholas Colasanto was the series' first experience with a lost cast member
"Cheers" has suffered a few losses to its supporting cast, and one of the earliest and came in the form of the passing of Nicholas Colasanto. The actor portrayed Ernie "Coach" Pantusso, Sam Malone's (Ted Danson) former guide on the diamond and now a bartender for his new bar. Part of Coach's charm comes from his daffiness, and over the course of the show's first three seasons, he dispenses quasi-wisdom while everyone tries to keep up with his wandering mind. In the middle of Season 3, Colasanto's heart issues got the better of him. The show treaded water while trying to figure out what to do while Colasanto worked to get his health back. Unfortunately, he passed away in February 1985 of a heart attack.
The show kills off Coach during the Season 4 premiere, "Birth, Death, Love and Rice," where Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson) is introduced as Coach's replacement. It's never explained how Coach passes away, but it's clear that Sam and the rest of the gang mourn and miss him.
Other cast members who have passed on over the years include Harry Anderson, who played the ever-tricksy Harry the Hat; Roger Rees, who played Rebecca's rich romantic quarry, Robin Colcord; and Jay Thomas, who played Carla's former hockey-player husband, Eddie LeBec. They are all missed.