An only child, Long was born a Midwestern baby on Aug. 23, 1949 in Fort Wayne, IN to parents Evandine and Leland Long. Her mother was a school teacher and her father worked in the rubber industry before becoming a teacher. Courting an early interest in performing, the future star was active on her high school speech team, winning national recognition. In 1967, she enrolled in Chicago’s Northwestern University as a drama major, but dropped out to pursue acting and modeling full time. It was in the Windy City that she joined the ground-breaking Second City comedy troupe, and later wrote, produced and co-hosted a local show called “Sorting it Out” for the Chicago NBC affiliate – a program that one three local Emmys for Best Entertainment Show during its three-year run.

Long broke into acting in feature films with the small role of Karen in the forgettable 1980 drama, “A Small Circle of Friends,” starring Karen Allen and Brad Davis. Taking a sharp detour, she followed up the drama with a lead role in the Ringo Starr camp comedy, “Caveman” (1981) – a project notable for nothing other than introducing the former Beatle to his future wife, Bond babe, Barbara Bach. Undeterred, Long finally gained some real recognition when she memorably portrayed a hooker with the proverbial heart of gold in Ron Howard’s directing debut, “Night Shift,” opposite Henry Winkler and then newcomer Michael Keaton. As Belinda Keaton, Long was surprisingly appealing, despite the heavy eye make-up and bottle blonde crimped hairdo she sported throughout the film. Suddenly on a hot streak, she followed up “Night Shift” with the 1983 comedy “Losin’ It” – memorable only for being one of the first movie roles for its young up-and-coming star, Tom Cruise. In the film, about a group of teenage boys’ quest for a good time on a trip to Mexico, Long portrayed Kathy, a woman seeking a divorce who is thrown into the mix w/ the rowdy boys.

In 1982, Long received the biggest break of her career – when she was cast by producers James Burrows, Les Charles and Glen Charles as barmaid Diane Chambers on their Boston-set sitcom, “Cheers” – a tavern where “everyone knows your name.” Although it featured an ensemble of hilarious performers, including Rhea Perlman (Carla), George Wendt (Norm) and John Ratzenberger (Cliffy) – the nexus upon which the comedy turned was the “will-they-or-won’t-they” romance between Long’s character and co-star Ted Danson’s ex-baseball player-turned-bartender, Sam Malone. Although the show initially tanked in the ratings, coming in at #74, the chemistry between Long and Danson was apparent to critics and audiences almost immediately and the show quickly began a stay in the top 10 Nielsen ratings.

The fabled Sam and Diane romance played out over five seasons, earning Long four Emmy nominations in a row, before she finally won the award in 1983. She was also nominated for three Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, winning in 1983 and 1985. At the same time she triumphed on the small screen, her film career began to blossom. In 1984, she earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy with her performance in the dramedy, “Irreconcilable Differences, co-starring Ryan O’Neal and a young Drew Barrymore. Following up that success, she appeared opposite Tom Hanks in the highly anticipated and Steven Spielberg-produced comedy, “The Money Pit” (1986) followed by “Outrageous Fortune” (1987) opposite Bette Midler. Both films did well at the box office, with Long’s onscreen contributions proving a big part of the films’ appeal.

With her film career in full swing, and with “Cheers” at the height of its popularity, Long – like many small screen actors savoring big screen success – decided to leave her TV show in 1987 to concentrate on features full time. Fans of Sam and Diane were disappointed, to say the least. And rumors abounded that her “Cheers” castmates were less than happy with her decision, as well. But Long was undeterred and after a tearful goodbye – when Diane Chambers backs out of her engagement to Sam Malone – Long’s days as “Cheers” series regular were over.

To say there were high expectations for Long after leaving “Cheers,” was an understatement. Amidst that kind of stressful expectations, Long starred in her first post-sitcom film, “Troop Beverly Hills,” (1989) – a misguided effort which was an undeniable critical and commercial dud. A kind of “we told you so” mentality seemed to prevail at that time, with critics of her departure taking a kind of pleasure in her first above-the-title failure. Suddenly, her popularity waned, and she found herself starring in such films such as “Don’t Tell Her It’s Me” (1990), “Frozen Assets” (1992), and the Showtime comedy spoof “Sex, Shock & Censorship” (1993). At the same time Long was experiencing some high-profile setbacks, her replacement on “Cheers” – Kirstie Alley as Rebecca Howe – was welcomed by the cast, critics and fans as a more-than-suitable replacement for Diane Chambers – a knowledge that had to sting for Long.

Although her departure from the show that made her a household name was rumored to have been less than amicable, Long returned for the highly-rated series’ final episode in 1993, reprising her role of the ever-bubbly and pretentious Chambers. She would go on to play her iconic role again on several episodes of the popular “Cheers” spin-off “Frasier” (NBC, 1993-2004), which starred Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane – a one-time Diane Chambers suitor. But it took her dead-on take on the 1970s most iconic mom – Carole Brady, in the big screen version of the popular TV series, “The Brady Bunch Movie” – that placed Long in a favorable light once again. The movie, which capitalized on a growing interest in nostalgic television, was such a hit, that Long appeared in “A Very Brady Sequel,” (1996) and the made-for-TV film, “The Brady Bunch in the White House” (Fox, 2002).

Long followed up her career-saving “Brady Bunch” role with a part in the Disney Channel’s version of “Freaky Friday” – a 1996 made-for-television remake of the 1976 feature film original, playing the Mom who switches bodies with her daughter. She also began a successful series of guest turns, including appearances on episodes of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” (ABC, 1993-97), “Murphy Brown” (CBS, 1988-98), “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” (syndicated, 1996-2003) and “Diagnosis Murder” (CBS, 1993-2001). In 2000, she appeared in the Robert Altman film “Dr. T and the Women,” but the film was less than successful. Back on the small screen, Long made sporadic guest spots on shows such as “8 Simple Rules,” (ABC, 2002-05) and “Strong Medicine” (Lifetime, 2000- ), but generally stayed under the radar, unlike her fellow “Cheers” castmates who popped up in numerous projects through the years.

It was with some surprise to fans, that, following the 2004 divorce of her long-time second husband Bruce Tyson, Long was suddenly back in the news after being admitted to UCLA Medical Center in connection with an overdose of prescription pain pills for a back injury. Following her recovery, she went on to appear in episodes of “Boston Legal,” (ABC, 2004- ) “Yes, Dear” (CBS, 2000-06) as well as in the feature forgettable films, “Honeymoon with Mom” and “The Last Guy on Earth” (both in 2006). However, by 2007, Long’s personal struggles continued to plague the beloved star. In January, Long admitted herself to an outpatient mental treatment facility, with no specific illness cited, but with some TV tabloid shows like “The Insider” (syndicated, 2004- ) listing her condition as “delusional.” Other than admitting the treatment, the Long camp remained silent. Whatever her condition, fans of the actress wished her well during her recovery and she continued to remain a popular and important figure in the history of television sitcoms.