Loretta Tortelli

Cheers character


caption=Loretta with Nick in "Cheers"
name=Loretta Tortelli
gender=Female
hair=Blond
eyes=Blue
actor=Jean Kasem
role=Customer

Loretta Tortelli was a character on the American television show "Cheers", portrayed by Jean Kasem. Loretta was Nick Tortelli's ditzy blonde trophy second wife who occasionally stopped by "Cheers" with Nick. The two were wed in the second season episode "Battle of the Exes".

Nick, Carla's first husband, appeared in every episode Loretta did and Loretta was generally a side character despite significant screen time. Although Nick tries to rub his new wife's beauty in Carla's face, Carla develops a friendship with Loretta as she begins to notice Nick's horrible characteristics.

Loretta's dream, before she married Nick, was to become a singer; she once described herself as a "taller, blonder, less Mormon Marie Osmond". However, Loretta lacked in talent, though she performed with two groups, "The Grinning Americans" (described as an Up with People-type group) and The Lemon Sisters (deliberately named to be confused with The Lennon Sisters). Diane convinced Sam to let Loretta sing at Cheers, to which Sam responded after the first night, "Never again does that woman sing in my bar." Loretta, appreciative of Diane's kindness, told Nick, "I really like that Debbie."

Loretta was also featured in the brief spin-off series, "The Tortellis".