Fans of HBO’s The Comeback can’t help but feel immensely protective over leading lady Valerie Cherish, portrayed to the utmost perfection by Lisa Kudrow.
Although grating, there’s something undeniably vulnerable and human about the character that viewers instinctively want to safeguard and defend.
On The Comeback, Lisa Kudrow portrays an uptight, image-obsessed, out-of-work actress, who cares deeply about presenting herself in the most airbrushed light imaginable. In Valerie’s desperate attempt to be perceived as likable, her quest backfires big time, turning her into one of the most curated figures in the industry. Plus, Kudrow’s character is more than willing to hold up the film set way past the required hours of shooting, in order to master the perfect take.
She’s easily one of the most fascinatingly flawed characters in the history of HBO, which is saying something because the network is known for dulling out imperfect anti-heroes from left to right. (Hannah Horvath. Larry David. Carrie Bradshaw. Tony Soprano. All of the Roy siblings. The list goes on and on.)
Yet Valerie Cherish is a particularly fascinating character study, since we can all relate to the fundamental desire to present ourselves in the most perfect light imaginable. You don’t have to be a sitcom star like Lisa Kudrow’s character in order to desire that unblemished presentation. But even so, there’s no denying Valerie Cherish takes that desperate need for flawless perfectionism one step too far.
Her fascinating persona leads fans of the series to wonder: is she based on a real-life actress? And who may she be?
Valerie Cherish in The Comeback is Reportedly Based On Cheers Star Shelley Long
It’s widely been rumored that Lisa Kudrow’s character, Valerie Cherish, is based on the iconic Cheers actress, Shelley Long. Long, who plays the role of Diane Chambers on Cheers, was known for being a very meticulous perfectionist on the 1980s hit sitcom. She reportedly didn’t get along very well with her co-stars due to their polarizing approaches to acting. While Shelley Long wanted to fully immerse herself into her role in order to perfect the art, the other actors had a much more laid-back approach to the job, seeing it as more of a paycheck than a passion project. (Sound familiar?)
Of course, Long’s meticulous approach has seriously paid off. It’s in part because of her brilliant acting on the show that the multicam series is still praised to this day as one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.
Eventually, Long left Cheers midway through the series in order to pursue a film career. Yet because she quit way before the tv show wrapped up, it would be artificial to suggest the friction she had on set with her co-stars didn’t play a massive part as to why she up and left. “Diane was…a pain in the butt…and I think the people of Cheers got me confused with that,” the actress revealed of her character in 1993 (per Entertainment Weekly.) ”Maybe I did too, which convinced me it was time to let go of that persona.”
Still, regardless of her tiffs with the cast and crew on Cheers, everyone can agree that Long is an outstanding actress. “You really put us on the map,” said her co-star and on-screen lover Ted Danson, while speaking to Long during the 30-year anniversary special. “And this is not my opinion. This is everybody’s. We hadn’t seen a character like Diane Chambers for years … You really put ‘Cheers’ on the map with your astounding performance.”
Is The Comeback Ready for A Comeback?
Fans of the niche HBO series are small but mighty. The show, which first premiered in 2005, and then was revived in 2014, amassed a cult-like following of dedicated fans who have been desperate for a season 3 of the series for years now.
Fortunately, Lisa Kudrow has some uplifting news. When asked by Newsweek if she’d be willing to reprise her role for a third season, she said, “Oh God, I’d love to. Michael Patrick King and I are always talking about what would happen next. Always,” she revealed. “And it’s been 9, 10 years now. So, we’re due.”
Are you as excited as we are for a potential 3rd season of The Comeback? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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