What The Cast Of Frasier Is Up To These Days
"Frasier" is one of the most successful sitcoms in the history of American television. Per The Atlantic, the series, which began in 1993 and ran for 11 seasons, topped the ratings charts and collected a whopping 37 Emmys along the way. Spun off from a character introduced on "Cheers," Kelsey Grammer stars as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, a Seattle radio host who offers on-air advice to a bevy of colorful callers. The series signed off in 2004, but in 2021, Grammar delighted fans with news that a reboot is coming. He confirmed to E! News that filming could begin as early as fall 2022. This seems like the perfect time to check in on the cast of the iconic show, and see who might be up for a reunion.
Sadly, there are some "Frasier" stars who are no longer with us. John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane, died in 2018. After "Frasier," the well-known Chicago actor appeared on "Hot in Cleveland" and performed mostly onstage, including starring in a 2007 Broadway revival of "Prelude to a Kiss." "If I wanted a television legacy, I couldn't do better than Frasier," the "Say Anything..." actor told Broadway World at the time. And Moose, who played Eddie, Martin's scene-stealing Jack Russell Terrier, died in 2006.
The "Frasier" roster runs deep, and many of the stars have stayed busy. You might be surprised how often many of their paths have crossed.
David Hyde Pierce went back to Broadway
David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier's brother Niles, has made a few interesting choices since "Frasier" ended. In 2010, he played a convict on the run in the dark comedy "The Perfect Host." In 2017, he reprised his role in the cult comedy "Wet Hot American Summer." Then, the queer actor appeared in the Netflix mini series "When We Rise," playing a dad who doesn't approve of his son being gay.
The Tony winner played a recurring role on "The Good Wife," and returned to The Great White Way, starring alongside Bette Midler in a "Hello Dolly" revival. In 2022, he co-starred in the HBO Max series "Julia" as Julia Childs' husband. Other projects include 2022's "The Georgetown Project," a supernatural thriller featuring Hyde Park as a clergy member. About the show that made him a household name, Hyde Pierce told Vulture in 2022 he has very fond memories.
"It was bliss. That's the word I would use," Pierce said. "It was 11 years, we had the best time, we had the best writers. We were a good cast, but it has to be good writing to all these years later see it and have it not be dated." So, will Niles return for a fussy brothers reunion? At this point, Hyde Pierce is reserving judgment. "I'm certainly interested to see what they come up with," he shared in a 2022 interview with The Guardian.
Kelsey Grammer has found love
Kelsey Grammer won multiple awards for playing the titular star of "Frasier," including four Emmys and three Golden Globes. Since the show went off the air, he has expanded his resume as a producer, as well as an actor, in film and TV. He starred as Mayor Tom Kane in the Starz political drama "Boss" and joined some action film franchises, including "Transformers," "The Expendables" and "Trollhunters."
He played the character of Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons," winning another Emmy for that performance. Grammer was an executive producer on the popular comedy series "Girlfriends" and its spinoff "The Game." The Juilliard-trained actor also returned to the stage several times. In 2010, he flexed his rich baritone in his Broadway debut, starring in the hit musical "La Cage Aux Folles." Now a happily married father of seven, Grammer went through a very messy divorce back in 2011.
About fourth wife Kayte Walsh, Grammer gushed to Vanity Fair in 2015, "This lovely young woman lit up my world and changed my heart, which was a bit calloused and hardened against a lot of things. And we are good, and I feel young and alive." Now, he is looking forward to a new baby: the reboot. And it sounds like he couldn't be more thrilled with the script for the first episode. As Grammer revealed on "The Talk" in 2022, "I've had a couple of runs through it, and I cried, so you know, I'm happy," he said.
Jane Leeves scored a residency
Before she arrived in the United States, Jane Leeves made her mark on British TV, with appearances on series like "The Benny Hill Show." She had recurring roles on "Murphy Brown" and "Seinfeld" before landing the role of Daphne Moon. The English actor has come a long way from her days as a live-in housekeeper for the Cranes. After Frasier, she did a stint on "Desperate Housewives" playing a therapist, and starred in the short-lived series "Misconceptions."
She also brought a number of animated projects to life with her signature voice, including "James and the Giant Peach," "Phineas and Ferb," and "Mickey and the Roadster Racers" as the Queen of England. In 2010, Leeves struck comedy gold a second time in TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland," alongside fellow "Frasier" cast mate Wendie Malick. In 2018, Leeves joined "The Resident" as Dr. Kit Voss, CEO of Atlanta's Chastain Memorial Hospital.
As for the reboot, Leeves told Entertainment Weekly in 2021 she would not ditch "The Resident" if it happens. For the "Frasier" alum, her first comedy series established relationships that meant the world to her, and changed the course of her life. "We were a real little family, and I didn't know what I was going to do without them," she said in The Daily Mail in 2011. "I'd had 11 superbly happy years, in which I met my husband, had two children — everything great I have was given to me in those years."
Peri Gilpin called her Frasier role 'extraordinary'
Before she was Frasier Crane's radio producer Roz Doyle, Peri Gilpin played a reporter named Holly Matheson on the final season of "Cheers." As per the New Zealand Herald, the part of Roz originally went to a pre-"Friends" Lisa Kudrow, but she got cut after the pilot.
After "Frasier," Gilpin joined former co-star Jane Leeves as a guest star on "Hot in Cleveland" and Patricia Arquette's "Medium" in 2007, which was produced by Kelsey Grammer. Gilpin played a young gymnast's mom on "Make It or Break It" and a school principal on Craig Robinson's short-lived sitcom, "Mr. Robinson." She took on recurring roles on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "Scorpion." After that, she went on to star in "Rushed," a drama about college hazing and a comedy called "We Broke Up." Of all the roles she's done, the Dallas native said nothing compares to Roz Doyle, because the character reminded her of a close friend.
While appearing in a radio play production of "Miracle on 34th Street" in 2017, Gilpin told Broadway World her portrayal of Roz was inspired by a friend. "I used to say it often. But Roz was very much a woman of her time," she said. "So, we all knew people like Roz in those days. I hope that women like her never again seem out of the ordinary. Extraordinary women are the norm and extraordinarily written female characters should be the norm!"
Dan Butler is nothing like his character on Frasier
Dan Butler played Bob Briscoe, otherwise known as Bulldog on "Frasier," a politically incorrect macho jock sportscaster. "When I read the part, they had this funny, quirky, angry bit–over the top, maniacally heterosexual," Butler told the Chicago Tribune in 1996. Before landing the gig, the talented actor and playwright had a role in the Will Smith actioner "Enemy of the State" and played Mr. Simmons in Nickelodeon's "Hey Arnold."
In 1994, Butler came out publicly with his one-man stage show inspired by his own life, titled "The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me." Though many called it brave, he told the Los Angeles Times at the time, "This is not a courageous thing." It was a way of, as he said, "processing my life, what being gay means." The actor has also appeared in feature films like "Crazy, Stupid, Love," and he played Father Romanoff in "The Mist."
Butler also has a role in "Blonde," the 2022 Ana de Armas-fronted flick loosely based on Marilyn Monroe's life. The actor continues to pop up in guest starring roles and remains active in theater, where he got his start at age seven. After booking the part of Bulldog, Butler realized he had found something special. In his aforementioned chat with the Chicago Tribune, he recalled, "I guessed that since the character worked at the radio station and since he was pretty colorful, he was likely to survive."
Tom McGowan has played a few wicked roles
Tom McGowan joined the "Frasier" cast in the fifth season as Frasier's boss, soft-hearted station manager Kenny Daly. His previous film credits included 1992's "Sleepless in Seattle," (along with David Hyde Pierce), Daniel Day Lewis' "The Last of the Mohicans," and the 1996 comedy classic "The Birdcage." He also appeared on TV shows like "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," "Monty," and "ER."
McGowan had a recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," and played a featured role in Michael Rapaport's comedy, "The War at Home." The busy character actor has guest-starred on many primetime shows, including "Veep," "Modern Family," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He joined Jane Leeves for an episode of "Hot in Cleveland," and Kelsey Grammer's daughter Spencer, on "Greek." In 2017, McGowan played Rose Leslie's shady TV uncle on Season 1 of "The Good Fight." In 2020, he was featured in the Hallmark Channel's Christmas movie "One Royal Holiday."
He has an impressive list of Broadway credentials, with appearances in "Kiss Me, Kate," "Chicago," and "She Loves Me." In 2015, the musical comedy actor returned to London's West End to play The Wizard in "Wicked." Though he played the role on and off for six years, he said it never gets old. "There are always still challenges to playing a part, that's one of the things about live theater," he told Broadway World. "It's fresh every night, you engage yourself every night to tell that story because there are people out there watching it for the first time."
Bebe Neuwirth refuses to wear her hair in a bun
Bebe Neuwirth played buttoned-up psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Sternin on "Cheers" for 10 years, earning her two Emmy Awards. She then reprised her role on "Frasier." Starting out in Hollywood, she was on the TV series "Fame," and had a supporting role in the 1990 film "Green Card." In 2003, she appeared in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."
After "Frasier," Neuwirth starred alongside Terrance Howard in the short-lived series "Law & Order: Trial by Jury." She played recurring characters on "Blue Bloods," and "Madam Secretary" and banged a gavel as two different judges on "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight." In 2021, she joined "Frasier” co-star David Hyde Pierce on HBO's "Julia."
The two-time Tony winner started out as a Broadway performer who fell into TV acting. As she recalled to the Los Angeles Times, she wasn't even sure she wanted to read for "Cheers." "When I auditioned for that character I said, 'What are they sending me up for this for? I'll never get that," she said in The Sun-Sentinel in 2004. "The only thing that was like me was that, as a ballet dancer, I always wore my hair up in a bun,'" she said. So I brought my ballet bun to a sitcom, and I haven't been able to wear my hair like that since." So, will the bun come out for another Frasier-Lilith reunion? Though Neuwirth told Variety she's into the reboot idea, we'll have to wait and see.
Felicity Huffman took a break from acting
On "Frasier," Felicity Huffman played Julia Wilcox, another one of Frasier's paramours, appearing in eight episodes in 2003 before things went south. In 2004, her stint as Lynette Scavo in the hit series "Desperate Housewives" began, winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award. Her performance in 2005's "Transamerica" earned the actor an Oscar nomination. In 2015, Huffman joined the anthology series "American Crime," in which she played three different characters.
In 2019, Huffman appeared in the acclaimed miniseries "When They See Us." Soon after that, she was sentenced to 14 days in prison, after pleading guilty to rigging her daughter's university entrance exams, per the Los Angeles Times. Huffman served 11 days behind bars, and paid a $30,000 fine for her crime.
In a 2015 interview with The Providence Journal, she said, "As an actor, your last job is always your LAST job," acknowledging how difficult it can be waiting for the next paycheck to come. For Huffman, that should be soon. In 2020, Deadline reported she had a comedy series with "The Peanut Butter Falcon" actor Zack Gottsagen, in the works. As for her turn on "Frasier," she recalled to the Television Academy Foundation in 2016, "I had a great time. I remember Jane [Leeves] turning to me and going, you know what I love about you? ... You're just not afraid to play a total b***ch." Maybe the b***h will be back.
Jean Smart is killing it on HBO
In a recurring role as Lana Gardner, Jean Smart appeared on "Frasier" as the titular character's high-school crush who comes back into his life and sparks romance. The "Hacks" star is certainly no hack in the acting world. After landing her breakout role on "Designing Women" back in 1986, she racked up a string of memorable small-screen performances. She played D.A. Sherry Rogan in "The District" and collected an Emmy as Christina Applegate's TV mom in the ABC comedy, "Samantha Who?"
Smart played the steely matriarch of an organized crime family on "Fargo" and the first lady on "24." She starred alongside Kate Winslet in the popular 2021 mini series "Mare of Easttown." Then she went on to knock 'em dead as a sharp-tongued comedian on HBO's comedy "Hacks," which was picked up for a third season in 2022. Smart only appeared in seven episodes of "Frasier," but won two consecutive Emmys for her guest-starring turn as Lana. "It's one of my all time favorite parts I remember," she told People in 2019.
"I remember when we did the table read with the rest of the cast we could hardly get through it we were laughing so hard," the actor shared in a 2016 interview with Variety. When news of a possible "Frasier" reboot started to circulate, the sitcom legend didn't waste much time in expressing her interest, telling People she would be down to be a part of it.
Laura Linney would 'love' to reprise her Frasier role
In the final season of "Frasier," Laura Linney played Charlotte, a matchmaker for Frasier who ends up becoming his romantic partner. The "Ozark" star's breakout role was in 1993 as Mary Ann Singleton in Armistead Maupin's "Tales of City," on PBS, a role she reprised in two sequels and a Netflix prequel in 2019. Her performances in feature films "Kinsey," "You Can Count On Me," and "The Savages" all earned her Oscar nominations, and she scored a holiday classic with "Love, Actually."
On TV, the four-time Emmy winner took the lead in 2001's "Wild Iris" and she played The First Lady in "John Adams," a 2008 mini series. "The Big C" was Linney's next big role, garnering the actor an Emmy win for her performance. Of course, many viewers know her as Wendy Byrde from the ratings juggernaut "Ozark." As for her first multi-cam studio comedy experience? "I did six episodes of Frasier because I had no idea what it was like to be on a sitcom," the actor admitted to The Independent in 2019.
"There was something about it that massaged your wit," she continued. "The Truman Show" actor later revealed to Vulture she developed an appreciation for the art form of the situation comedy while on the show, realizing she had underestimated it. When Harper's Bazaar asked if she had been called about the "Frasier" reboot, the Juilliard graduate's interest was piqued. "I'd love that. Let's see. Let's see what happened to good old Charlotte," she replied.
Amy Brenneman thought she made a serious 'mistake'
In 1998, Amy Brenneman began a four-episode arc playing pastry chef Faye Moskowitz, one of Frasier's love interests on the show. The actor worked in theater before landing her first break in Hollywood on "NYPD Blue." She appeared in smaller roles in the 1995 film "Heat" and "The Suburbans" a few years later. In 1995, Brenneman premiered her own drama series called "Judging Amy." Based on the experiences of her mother, a Connecticut judge, the actor starred, produced, and co-created the series, which ran for six seasons.
"'Judging Amy' was the greatest job ever," she told Good Housekeeping in 2004. "But it sucked a lot of my life away." The mother of two said wearing so many hats was tough, especially with two young children. On "Grey's Anatomy," Brenneman originated the character of Dr. Violet Turner, which was spun off into "Private Practice." She joined Justin Theroux for "The Leftovers," and appeared in "Shining Girls" and "The Old Man."
When Brenneman started work on "Frasier," she started to reevaluate her whole career path. At the time, she was still developing "Judging Amy." "I remember coming home to my husband and saying, 'Brad, I made a mistake. I want to do comedy. This is so incredible,'" the Harvard grad told Yahoo! in 2014, adding, "Everyone involved with that show ... were incredibly sophisticated and totally goof balls, that's just a delicious combo."
Patricia Clarkson fared quite well after Frasier
Patricia Clarkson played Claire French, Frasier's seemingly perfect girlfriend in 2001. Before signing on to the series, the New Orleans native appeared in "The Green Mile" and "Jumanji." In 1998, playing a lesbian struggling with heroin addiction in the indie flick "High Art" was a totally different direction for her filmography. "It opened up, it changed my career, saving me from a very specific track I was on," she shared at the 2019 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, per the Chicago Tribune.
She played Aunt Sarah on "Six Feet Under" and followed that with "The Station Agent." She starred in "Cairo Time" and received an Oscar nomination for her turn as a mother with cancer in "Pieces of April." She went on to appear in "House of Cards" and joined Amy Adams in "HBO's "Sharp Objects." But "Frasier" wasn't Clarkson's only crack at a comedic role. She's popped up in flicks like "Easy A" and "Friends With Benefits," too.
After that, Hollywood started to see Clarkson differently. "Work begets work, and suddenly people are like 'Oh, she's funny.' Yes, I can pull down my pants with the best of them," she said in a 2012 interview with NBC San Diego. She played Ron Swanson's ex-wife on "Parks & Recreation," telling MTV News, "It was beautifully written and funny and perfectly etched." While Clarkson hasn't commented on the return of "Frasier," in a 2019 Reddit poll fans voted her character their favorite.
Mercedes Ruehl found a new hustle
When Mercedes Ruehl joined the cast of "Frasier" in 1995, she had already won an Academy Award for the 1991 film "The Fisher King." Approaching the role of Kate Costas, Frasier's fiery boss and eventual playmate, the actor had a vision for her character. "When I first spoke to the writers, I asked, 'Could we do something that's a little Tracy-and-Hepburn, a little Beatrice-and-Benedick?' (characters from Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing.') They said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ruehl told the AP in 1995 (via Greensboro News and Record).
The actor has appeared in many major motion pictures, mostly in supporting roles, including "Married to the Mob, "Big" with Tom Hanks, "Radio Days," and Michael J. Fox's blockbuster "The Secret of My Success." In 1993, she starred alongside Richard Dreyfuss in "Lost in Yonkers," reprising her Tony-winning role. She's also had recurring roles on "Power" and "Bull" and a number of guest-starring spots. In 2019, Ruehl appeared alongside Jennifer Lopez in the strip club con job flick "Hustlers."
"My agent tells me that Jennifer Lopez just wanted me," she told HuffPost in 2020 about her first theatrical release in five years. In 2017, Ruehl began teaching acting at the prestigious HB Studio in New York. When the "Heartburn" actor exited "Frasier," she said to the AP, "It might be fun to go back and do one or two at some point, because I enjoyed it so much." It appears she might have her chance after all.