Diane Chambers

Living… in her ivory tower, in Boston. She’s been in the city since her time at Boston University, where she moved after some years at Bennington College. Most of the time though, Diane feels like she’s living in her own universe – a universe where people care about current events, Greek philosophers, and French poets.  She’s a perpetual fish-out-of-water in the bar scene.

Profession… cocktail waitress at Cheers. Diane was brought to Cheers by her fiancé, the distinguished Sumner Sloane, who quickly distinguished himself further by ditching her there. Bar owner Sam Malone offered Diane a waitressing job, which she took only because she didn’t have anything else at the moment. Eventually she found her place at Cheers – not one of the gang exactly, but a vital part of the Cheers fabric. She sometimes tries to engage with patrons in the same easygoing way as Sam but her high-minded and long-winded monologues usually go over everyone’s heads. She sees the job as a stepping-stone to her eventual writing career and has no desires to stay for the long run. Or so she keeps insisting.

Interests... academia. Diane’s primary form of engagement with the world is through books and academics, meaning she’s often out of place in a bar environment. She’s a writer with a drawer full of unpublished manuscripts, waiting for the opportunity to become a full-time scribe.

Relationship Status... on-and-off-again, and again, with Sam. Despite being completely mismatched on the surface, they are intensely attracted to each other. But their arguments are intense too. One break-up devastated Diane to the point of institutionalization. While at the mental institution she met Dr. Frasier Crane and the two became romantically involved. The ensuing love triangle is a constant source of stress for Diane, and entertainment for everyone else.

Challenge… transcending her situation. She thinks she is too good for Cheers and desperately wants to move on, achieving some sort of success in the world of literature or academia. And, of course, her other struggle is making Sam a one-woman man.

Personality… intelligent, almost to a fault. Diane is never shy about sharing her armchair philosophies, piping up with eloquently stated opinions that no one around her understands. She is the antithesis of the bar’s demographic and as a result can come off as snooty and condescending at times. And her privileged background makes seeing her fall on her face that much more satisfying for her co-workers, particularly her nemesis, fellow waitress Carla Tortelli. Nevertheless, she often means well and serves as a much-needed tonic to the bar’s occasionally brutish atmosphere.