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Al
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Occupation
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barfly
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Episodes
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74 (Seasons 2-8)
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First credited appearance
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Last credited appearance
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Played by
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Al was a frequently seen barfly through much of the series run. He was usually seen sitting at the back end, usually dressed in a suit or plaid blazer, and almost always with his trademark hat. In at least one episode he's seen with dark rimmed glasses ("Second Time Around"). He spoke with a gravelly old voice. Occasionally he was sitting in a table or booth.
Al clearly thought himself the bar stud. In "The Groom Wore Clearasil", Woody takes a phone call for "The Outlaw of Love", and Al assumes it's for him. In "And God Created Woodman", Cliff is selling mail order shoes, and Al orders the "Playboy" model.
Though Al typically only had one or two lines in a show, usually the lines were memorable. He occasionally played a key part of an episode. In "Cheers: The Motion Picture", for instance, it was Al that saved Woody from having to return to Indiana.
Al stopped appearing after the 8th season because the actor who played him, Al Rosen, died from cancer. No mention of what happened to Al was made on Cheers, but in a Season 9 episode of Frasier ("Cheerful Goodbyes ") it was mentioned that he had died 14 years prior, which was technically a goof as that puts death as 1988, whereas "Al" (Al Rosen) died in 1990. Though his last credited appearance was season 8, episode 2 which aired in September 1989, so they might have been inferring the character died around that time within Cheers canon which is closer to 14 years. Season 9, episode 10 ("Norm and Cliff's Excellent Adventure ") is dedicated to Rosen with "to our friend Al Rosen" shown during the credits.