Quick Links
Considered by many to be one of the best TV series of all time, Cheers aired from 1982 through to 1993, and made actors like Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, and Kirstie Alley household names while also spawning one of the most successful spin-offs ever, Frasier starring Kelsey Grammar and his character Frasier Crane.
The series was set in a Boston bar called Cheers, and followed the stories of its owners and staff, and the regulars who would frequent the joint to grab a pint, chat up the bartender, or just vent their frustrations.
One of the few series to be a success through its entire 11-season run, it’s no surprise that many of the former cast members went on to do big things, and make big bank.
Ted Danson - $80 million
An actor and producer, Danson played the lead character Sam Malone on the series through its entire run. He was the owner and bartender, as well as a former pro baseball player, recovering alcoholic, and womanizer.
Danson had roles in major movies in the ‘80s, including Three Men and a Baby. He has since been back to television, heading up the cast of CBS sitcom Becker, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Fargo, and Damages, and also appearing on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death. He has been starring in NBC sitcom The Good Place since 2016, which is currently airing its final season. With 17 Primetime Emmy nominations to his name, and considered to be one of the top television stars of our generation, it’s no wonder Danson has a pretty big net worth.
Rhea Perlman - $50 million
Best known for playing head waitress Carla Tortelli on the series, Perlman won four Emmys for the role, and was nominated 10 times. She first got noticed on Taxi as the girlfriend of Danny DeVito’s character, who is now her husband.
Starting her acting career off-Broadway, she has starred in a number of TV movies and films, including There Goes the Neighborhood and Matilda, and done voice work as well. Her most recent work includes a recurring role on The Mindy Project, and she has also authored several children’s books.
John Ratzenberger - $80 million
Playing mail carrier Cliff Clavin on the series, most of Ratzenberger’s income comes from other roles. He has earned plenty of coin voicing characters in Pixar feature films. In fact, he has been in ever Pixar movie ever made, and has the second-highest worldwide box office revenue of any actor at $6 billion (Tom Hanks is tops at $8 billion).
Some of his most notable voice roles include Hamm in Toy Story, The Underminer in The Incredibles, and Mack in the Cars franchise. He has been involved in some reality and competition TV projects, and has had a long string of guest-starring roles on TV as well as appeared in commercials. He also started his own packaging-alternative company and monthly subscription box e-commerce website and co-authored a book, all of which contribute to his big bank.
George Wendt - $45 million
Frequent bar patron Norm Peterson appeared on every episode of Cheers through its entire run. Wendt earned six Emmy nominations for the role. He also did film work, appearing in movies like Fletch, Forever Young, and Man of the House.
Starting off as a comedian, you might also recognize him as the dad in the beginning sequence of Michael Jackson’s Black or White music video. He had his own short-lived show, The George Wendt Show, in 1995, and has been steadily working since, including playing Edna Turnblad in Hairspray and doing other Broadway work.
Kelsey Grammar - $60 million
Considered to be one of the most successful spin-offs of all time, Frasier, built around Grammar’s psychiatrist character from series, went on to massive success, airing for 11 years and receiving tons of awards and accolades throughout its run.
Grammar has also done extensive Broadway work and went on to star in many other series, including Starz drama Boss, which marked his first shift to a dramatic television role. He has also worked in film, and done voice work.
Woody Harrelson - $65 million
While Harrelson got on the Hollywood map thanks to his role as the goofy and dimwitted bartender Woody Boyd on Cheers, he went on to become a bona fida dramatic A-list movie star.
In addition to Emmy nominations (and one win), Harrelson has received three Academy Award nominations for People vs. Larry Flynt, The Messenger, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He has also appeared in a long string of popular films, like Natural Born Killers, The Hunger Games series, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, and returned to television for the first, and most praised, season of HBO’s True Detective. With no signs of slowing down, Harrelson’s net worth is set to continue its rise.
Kirstie Alley - $40 million
First getting noticed in the ‘80s when playing Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Alley played the new bar manager after Long departed the show, then went on to appear in the sitcom Veronica’s Closet.
She has tons of movie credits on her resume as well, from Summer School in 1987 to Drop Dead Gorgeous in 1999. She also played a fictionalized version of herself in Showtime’s Fat Actress in 2005. Since then, she has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, had her own sitcom, appeared on Scream Queens, and competed on British reality series Celebrity Big Brother.
Shelley Long - $10 million
Originally playing Sam’s foil and love interest on the series, Diane Chambers, Long received five Emmy nomination for the role and one win. She reprised her role in four episodes of Frasier, receiving an additional Emmy nomination.
She most recently had a recurring role as DeDe Pritchett on ABC comedy Modern Family, and has starred in a number of films throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s, including playing Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel.
Bebe Neuwirth - $10 million
Playing the rigid and uptight ex-wife of Frasier, Lilith Sternin, Neuwirth reprised the role for the spin-off as well. Also a singer and dancer, she has worked on Broadway, including playing Morticia Addams in The Addams Family in 2010, and Velma Kelly in the 1996 revival of Chicago, for which she won a Tony Award.
Most recently, she appeared in the CBS political drama Madam Secretary from 2014-2017, and she had a recurring role on Blue Bloods. Her latest credit is playing a judge on The Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight, which streams on CBS All Access.
Nicholas Colasanto - $1-5 million
“Coach” Ernie Pantusso was a retired baseball coach and assistant bartender at Cheers from 1982-1985, until he sadly passed away. Colasanto had previously served in the United States Navy during World War II before pursuing acting.
He had also directed many TV series prior to working on Cheers and was planning to retire when the Cheers role was presented to him. Ironically, that short-lived role ended up making him a well-known actor. His character was killed off the show when Colasanto passed away. His posthumous net worth is estimated based on earnings prior to his death.