Who

Although she's an accomplished dancer, Broadway actress, and two-time Tony winner, Neuwirth is still best known—much to her chagrin—as the prim Dr. Lilith Sternin from the TV shows Cheers.

Backstory

Athleticism is in her genes—the Princeton, NJ native was born to a triathlete dad and dancer mother. Neuwirth began dancing at age five and studied at Julliard before making her Broadway debut as Sheila in A Chorus Line in 1980. She's continued to perform on stage ever since, earning a Best Actress Tony for Sweet Charity in 1986 and another Tony for Chicago, in which she defined the role of Velma Kelly. But despite having spent the bulk of her career in musical theater, she's most famous for playing the pale and prissy Lilith Sternin (the wife of Kelsey Grammer's character Dr. Frasier Crane) on Cheers from 1986 to 1993. After leaving the show, Neuwirth had a recurring guest spot on Frasier and a stint on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, which she parlayed into a starring role on the short-lived spin-off Law and Order: Trial by Jury. Her film career has been less stellar—her resume includes stinkers like Jumanji, The Faculty, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Medical file

When Neuwirth rejoined the cast of Chicago in 2006 as the other female lead, man-killer Roxie Hart, she pulled off Hart's dance moves on a brand-new titanium hip: after enduring hip problems ever since she appeared in A Chorus Line, she finally had replacement surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in May 2006.

Personal

Neuwirth was married to theater director Paul Dorman from 1984 to 1991, and got engaged to fellow dancer Michael Danek in 1997 before calling it off in 1999. She's also been linked to the diminutive politico George Stephanopoulos. She now lives on West 12th Street.