She won an Emmy playing Diane Chambers. Then she gave it all up for a toddler.

She won an Emmy playing Diane Chambers. Then she gave it all up for a toddler. Shelley Long grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was crowned national champion in original oratory in 1967. She left Northwestern University before graduating to chase acting, and she became a popular Chicago TV host who won three local Emmys. Still, something felt missing.“It wasn’t until I got a little oats about missing acting that I decided to take a class at Second City,” she told the Asbury Park Press.That class opened the door to the legendary comedy troupe, and Shelley never looked back.“I didn’t choose comedy. I felt that comedy chose me, and I feel grateful that it did,” she said.In 1982, she became Diane Chambers, the flighty, pseudo-intellectual barmaid on Cheers, and the world fell in love. She won an Emmy in 1983 and two Golden Globes for the role. She even wore a wig on set to protect her own hair from the hot studio lights, and she wrapped up filming the third season while eight months pregnant with her daughter, Juliana.The bond she formed with her castmates was real, especially with Nicholas Colasanto, who played Coach.“He was one of my closest friends on set,” Shelley said.Then, in 1987, after five seasons, she left the show, and rumors flew. But years later, she shared the real reason.