Sternhagen’s career in entertainment began on the stage, making her Broadway debut in 1955. After her time on television, she chose to return to her roots. In 2005, she starred in Edward Albee’s “Seascape” on Broadway.
She is also credited with appearing in several films throughout the years, including “Dolphin Tale” in 2011 and “And So It Goes” in 2014. She’s been nominated for five Tonys and countless other awards for her work, both on film and stage.
Jay Thomas
Between 1987 and 1989, Thomas only appeared on the show for nine episodes. Afterward, he went on to play smaller roles in several shows and made-for-TV films. The actor passed away in 2017 after losing a battle with throat cancer.
He left behind his wife and three children, one of whom was songwriter J. T. Harding. With a tumultuous father-son relationship, Thomas and Harding appeared on an episode of "Dr. Phil" to talk about it and hash things out.
Esther Clavlin
Frances Sternhagen played beloved Esther Clavlin - commonly referred to as “Ma Clavlin.” She doesn’t appear until the fifth season. She debuts in the season's third episode and makes a couple more appearances throughout. Then, she returns in season 6 to help save the family’s home from being demolished.
When Esther hears how much developers were willing to offer her for the home, she throws in the towel. Ma Clavlin took her bundle of money and retired to Florida. Who wouldn’t?
Jacqueline Bisset
Although she may not have appeared in too many episodes, it doesn’t mean her time on the show didn’t have an impact on the storyline. There was a time when a drunken Sam promised he'd either marry Jacqueline Bisset or give up his bar. Lucky for Sam, his friends did everything they could to make sure the bar stayed in his hands…
They found this woman, played by Laurie Walters, who shared a name with the famous actress. Since the bet didn’t stipulate, they told her she’d won a trip to Boston to convince her to come out and meet Sam. Though the two didn’t end up getting married, it was still a memorable part of the "Cheers" universe!
Laurie Walters
Unlike a lot of the actors and actresses on this list so far, Walters didn’t go on to become a massive name in the industry. She did, however, work in Hollywood for over two decades, from between the early ‘70s through the late ‘90s
She only made four films during her career, all of which were done in the ‘70s. She was rumored to have gotten into environmentalism after quitting cinema and has also been said to have started stage acting and directing in Southern California.