Watching the 1984-1985 season of Cheers I notice that Nicholas Colasanto starts losing weight and looking more frail. Then in his final appearance which was the mail goes to jail well the final appearance before he died... he really looked like he was on death's door step... i was wondering what the actor died of or the cause of death?

He died from heart disease. In the last season, his brain was getting less oxygen, so he had a lot of trouble remembering lines.

He sure did look sick in his final season. You could see he was getting real sick.

Yeah, he definitely got frail and gaunt. Here he is in the series pilot:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/1028/4328colasanto.jpg

And here he is in his final episode:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/1026/4328diane3.jpg

great pics AKA

Wow! I never realized he lost that much weight!:eek:

Originally posted by Petrie Malone
Wow! I never realized he lost that much weight!:eek:

That first pic is from the pilot, he didn't look that big in any other episode.... although his weight loss was very notable by Season 3.

If you watch the last episode the mail goes to jail i think that was his last filmed appearane before he died with the acception of one
episode which aired out of production order and an out take at the end of season 3... if you watch the mail goes to jail you will see a sick frail Coach who can barely stand behind the bar. It's a shame to see such a great comedic actor decline.

I heard somewhere that Nicholas Colasanto died two days after shooting the episode Cheerio, Cheers, in which he actually said goodbye to Diane because she was leaving for Italy with Frasier (and from which the photo above is taken, by the way :) ). Was this the one episode which aired out of production order you referred to previously? The look on Shelley Long's face looks almost as if she knew he was dying shortly after that.

Rest in peace, Coach.

I heard somewhere that Nicholas Colasanto died two days after shooting the episode Cheerio, Cheers, in which he actually said goodbye to Diane because she was leaving for Italy with Frasier (and from which the photo above is taken, by the way :) ). Was this the one episode which aired out of production order you referred to previously? The look on Shelley Long's face looks almost as if she knew he was dying shortly after that.

Rest in peace, Coach.

I remember watching Entertainment Tonight's Cheers: Behind the Bar a few years ago and they talked about Nick's death. I remember them saying that he had been sick and as a result missed several episodes, as we all know. They said that he had stopped by the set one day and that he was feeling better and would be back on the set. Then they said that he died a couple days later.

I'm pretty sure that Cheerio, Cheers was filmed out of order, and that would explain why Coach is not seen for several episodes and then suddenly appears in this one.

As for where the outtake in the season's final episode came from originally or when it was filmed, I have no idea, although it looks like it was from much earlier on, before he started getting sick. It was nice that they still included him in season 3's finale, and to be able to see him one last time.

That makes sense, then. I heard he actually stopped by the set at some point before he died (in E! True Hollywood Story: Cheers) but I must have misunderstood it, I thought they meant that Nicholas Colasanto actually shot Cheerio, Cheers that time. :)

Anyway, his death was undoubtly the saddest thing that ever happened on the show, and though I like Woody very much, he would never replace the Coach's sweetness. As Ted Danson often puts it, he was the heart and soul of Cheers.

Yes i agree that the episode Cheerio, Cheers, was filmed out of order because you can tell in Teachers Pet and The Mail goes to jail that they were the last filmed episodes of the comedic actor because you can see his face is very white and thin, and in the mail goes to jail he does not even move from behind the bar. I think the outtake at the end of the season was actually filmed sometime at the beginning of the 84-85 season. More or less in 1984. It was nice and suprising to see him and the end of the season... almost giving us a false hope to see him in the up and coming season... i do agree that it was not the same on the set without Coach and one can only wonder if Nicholas had lived through the whole series what it would have been like if he had lived? and Shelley had never left... would have made for some great episodes.

"The Belles of St.Clete's" was definitely shot after Nicholas Colasanto died. In that episode you can see the picture of Geronimo that the actor kept in his dressing room hanging on the back wall of the bar. I think one of the scenes of that episode (a conversation between Sam and Carla) took place in that precise spot -right next to the piano, where the picture is clearly visible- with the only purpose of acknowledging the late Nicholas Colasanto.

Originally posted by Norm's Stool
"The Belles of St.Clete's" was definitely shot after Nicholas Colasanto died. In that episode you can see the picture of Geronimo that the actor kept in his dressing room hanging on the back wall of the bar. I think one of the scenes of that episode (a conversation between Sam and Carla) took place in that precise spot -right next to the piano, where the picture is clearly visible- with the only purpose of acknowledging the late Nicholas Colasanto.

When they aired the episodes out of order on Nick@Nite, I really didn't notice these details. I didn't realize that Shelley was pregnant or that Coach wasn't in some of the episodes. Everything makes a lot more sense now that I have the DVDs.

Originally posted by Norm's Stool
I think one of the scenes of that episode (a conversation between Sam and Carla) took place in that precise spot -right next to the piano, where the picture is clearly visible- with the only purpose of acknowledging the late Nicholas Colasanto.

That's exactly right. I remember them talking about that in some special on Cheers, although I can't recall which one. I know it wasn't Cheers: Behind the Bar though.

wasn't there a rumor saying that he died of AIDS? Which was one of the reasons why it was so hush, hush?

Originally posted by DianeChambers87
wasn't there a rumor saying that he died of AIDS? Which was one of the reasons why it was so hush, hush?

Yeah, but the season 3 DVD proved it was heart problems.
Well, at least thats the story they're giving us.

the real cause of his death was never mentioned... they said he had died of a heart ailment... but to lose so much weight because of it... and AIDS to me would be out of the question because how would he have contracted it?

Originally posted by Mike22580
AIDS to me would be out of the question because how would he have contracted it?

Why would it be out of the question??

how would he have got it from a blood transfusion or something he was an upstanding actor.

Originally posted by Mike22580
how would he have got it from a blood transfusion or something he was an upstanding actor.

He could have gotten it through sex.
He may be old, but he's wasn't dead. (absolutely no pun intended)

funny but true, lol.

But I think it was heart failure.
Like most of the cast (with a few exceptions).... Nicholas Colosanto's private life wasn't big in the headlines, and the fact that he wasn't married made people automatically assume he might have been gay and contracted AIDS.

But, I'll go with what they've told us -- heart failure.

but shelly long said in behind the bar that he had a girlfriend that was at his grave or at the funeral or something that ruled out the aids thing for me... who knows what he had...your right they never discussed his personal life... he could have been doing all kinds of things we never knew of.

If Nick was still alive he would the oldest cast members of Cheers.

How old Coach would be if he was still alive when Cheers Ended