Television December 21, 2023
Kelsey Grammer on His ‘Frasier’ Return (Exclusive)
Chris Haston/Paramount+
After twenty years, Kelsey Grammer is back as Dr. Frasier Crane!
“Extra’s” Melvin Robert spoke with Kelsey, who said he feels like he “never left” the role!
Of his iconic character, Grammer said, “He’s always been at some weird place, somewhere growing and changing and evolving and finding love and not finding love… He ended up stepping off a plane and going back to Boston.”
Kelsey, who won four Emmys playing Frasier, said when the call came two years ago to reboot his beloved sitcom, he was all in!
The Paramount+ reboot will focus on Frasier’s evolution as a parent. Grammer shared, “Yes, the original idea for the show was always to get him in a mirrored relationship with my son, as I was with my father in the previous show. That was always one of the foundational pieces we had in mind.”
Kelsey raved about his co-star Jack Cutmore-Scott, who plays his son Freddie, calling him “delightful.” He added, “We resemble one another enough to believe that he is my kid. He’s captured something about the mannerisms and everything else.”
Grammer noted that they still wanted to keep the core qualities of Frasier, just making him “a little wiser, a little more seasoned, less frenetic, but still caring.” He emphasized, “It’s always been about love for him.”
Speaking of love, since Frasier found himself back in Boston, could there be a possible romantic reunion with a past “Cheers” favorite?
He answered, “The bar is closed, apparently!”
Without saying too much, Kelsey teased, “There may be a character that we would see.”
Remembering the late Kirstie Alley, who played Rebecca Howe on “Cheers,” Grammer noted, “It would have been fun to have Frasier hook up with Rebecca on some wild night.”
He added, “I’m sorry Kirstie is gone. I loved her so much.”
As for why it was the right time to reboot the series, Kelsey admitted, “Maybe it’s something beyond us… The audience needs a laugh this way, like they used to.”
There had been talks about a reboot for six years. He shared, “It went through all kinds of manifestations… About two years ago, David Nevins said, ‘Let’s make this show.’”
“Frasier” streams on Paramount+.
To hear Grammer’s full interview, you can also download this week’s “Extra: The Podcast” on the Audacy app and everywhere podcasts are available. New episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays.
