Rhea Perlman

Actress Rhea Perlman cut a formidable onscreen presence with memorable, strong-willed characters all throughout her career, but none were as larger-than-life than her unflinchingly sharp-tongued and oft-pregnant barmaid, Carla Tortelli, on the iconic sitcom "Cheers" (NBC, 1982-1993). For 11 seasons, Perlman's Carla slung beers and barbs while assuring her place as one of television's great masters of the putdown. Prior to her Emmy-winning success on "Cheers," Perlman was a veteran of stage and screen, most notably with a recurring role on "Taxi" (ABC/NBC, 1978-1983), which starred real-life husband Danny DeVito. In fact, she and DeVito routinely appeared together in a wide variety of films and television projects, though he never appeared on "Cheers." Once the show left the air in 1993, Perlman focused more on family-oriented TV movies and features. Of course, she would guest star on popular shows like "Becker" (CBS, 1998-2004), which starred "Cheers" alum Ted Danson, and "Frasier" (NBC, 1993-2004), which starred Kelsey Grammer. Perlman remained a busy actress who brought wit and charm to every role she played.