Shelley Long

. In 1992 she married English producer and director Simon Curtis, with whom she currently lives in London, together with their two daughters. The official reason given for her overdose was that painpills were perscribed to treat her back pain, and subsequently made her ill. Besides cinema and theater, she has also played in several television films. Media speculated that she had attempted suicide--she was reportedly depressed over the breakup of her marriage. As a movie actress, big-eyed and slightly baby-faced McGovern has given preference to eccentric roles over those parts typically tailored for actresses of her age. On November 16, 2004, Long overdosed on painkillers and was admitted to UCLA hospital. Since then she has continued performing on stage between film assignments rather than concentrating on becoming a film star.

Long enjoyed something of a comeback in the late 1990s with her starring role as Carol Brady in the surprise hit The Brady Bunch Movie. The following years she completed her education as an actress at the American Conservatory Theatre and at The Juilliard School, and began to act in theater plays, first off-Broadway and later in famous theaters. As Cheers continued to thrive, Long was derided for leaving in favor of a non-starter film career, and was lumped together with such entertainers as David Lee Roth (who left Van Halen,) and David Caruso, (who left NYPD Blue.) Long continued to appear in films and television, reprising her role as Diane Chambers in Cheers' 1993 series finale, and again several times on its hit spinoff Frasier. The next year she earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the 19th-century actress Evelyn Nesbit in the movie Ragtime. One of her first major post-Cheers films, Hello Again, garnered hostile reviews and poor box-office receipts. The movie won four Oscars. At the time, many speculated that her decision would harm both her career and Cheers. It was also Robert Redford's first film as director.

Long was known for being very arrogant and difficult on the set and was disliked by most of her fellow actors. While studying at this school, she was offered in 1980 a part in her first movie, Ordinary People, in which she played the girlfriend of troubled teenager Timothy Hutton. In 1987 she left Cheers at the height of its popularity. McGovern followed her advice and studied, first at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and then at The Juilliard School in New York City. Thereafter she became a sought-after comedic actress, starring in such films as Outrageous Fortune, The Money Pit and Troop Beverly Hills. Agent Joan Scott saw her performance in The Skin of our Teeth by Thornton Wilder, was impressed by her talent, and recommended that she take acting lessons. Cheers was innovative, and slow to catch on, but eventually became one of the most popular shows on television. McGovern started acting in plays in high school.

After appearances in such films as Caveman, Losin' It and Irreconcilable Differences, she was cast as a vain barmaid named Diane Chambers on the television sitcom Cheers. Later her family moved to Los Angeles, where her father, a university professor, accepted a position with UCLA. In Chicago she joined The Second City comedy troupe and acted and wrote for the local television program Sorting It Out. She was born in Evanston, Illinois. She studied drama at Northwestern University, but left before graduating to pursue a career in acting and modeling. Elizabeth McGovern (born July 18, 1961) is an American movie and theater actress. Shelley Long (born August 23, 1949 in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American actress. Ordinary People (1980).

Heaven's Gate (1981). Ragtime (1981). Lovesick (1983). Racing with the Moon (1984).

Once Upon a Time in America (1984). Native Son (1986). Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987). The Bedroom Window (1987).

She's Having a Baby (1988). Johnny Handsome (1989). The Handmaid's Tale (1990). A Shock to the System (1990).

Women and Men (1990). Tune in Tomorrow (1990). Ashenden, Part 2 (1991). Me and Veronica (1992).

King of the Hill (1993). The Favor (1994). The Changeling (1994). Wings of Courage (1995).

Broken Trust (1995). Summer of Ben Tyler (1996). Clover (1997). The Wings of the Dove (1997).

The Misadventures Of Margaret (1998). Twice Upon a Yesterday (1998). The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999). Manila (2000).

Thursday the 12th (2000). The House of Mirth (2000). The Flamingo Rising (2001). Buffalo Soldiers (2002).