Kirstie Alley has died at 71 after a brief battle with cancer .

“We are sad to inform you that our incredible mother has passed away after a battle with cancer that she had recently discovered. She was surrounded by family and fought hard. She was an icon on the screen and even more so as a mother and grandmother," wrote the children on Instagram.

A two-time Emmy winner, she was best known for playing Rebecca Howe on the sitcom “Cheers” .

Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1951, she moved to Los Angeles in 1980, where she worked as an interior designer. His film career began in 1982 with "Stark Trek II", followed by "Blind Date" and in 1985 by the miniseries "North and South".

In 1991, he earned his first Emmy for his role in "Cheers." The second came instead in 1994 with "David's Mother" , in which she played the role of the mother of an autistic teenager.

The news of his death rebounded on social media, many remember it. Among these John Travolta, who with Alley was the protagonist of "Look who's talking" : "Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I've ever had," he wrote.