The Big Picture
- Kelsey Grammer’s portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane in Cheers was originally intended to be a short arc, but his success and popularity led to him becoming a series regular and eventually getting his own spin-off show, Frasier.
- John Lithgow was initially considered for the role of Frasier Crane, but he was not interested and thought the role was beneath him. This opened the door for Kelsey Grammer to audition and ultimately be cast.
- Grammer’s audition for the role of Frasier was initially met with silence, but he ultimately won producers over and became a beloved character on Cheers and later on Frasier, leading to record-breaking success for both the show and Grammer’s performance.
It’s the role that made everyone know his name. For nearly 40 years, Kelsey Grammer‘s portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane has been celebrated and beloved by fans around the world. Originally a reoccurring role on the NBC mega-hit Cheers, the character was only meant to last a few episodes. Instead, he went on to become a series regular for the remainder of the show’s 11-season run before spinning off into his own series, Frasier, for an additional 11 years. Now, Frasier is back for an unprecedented third sitcom. However, the multi-series run, the awards, and the all-around success that follows the good, yet pompous doctor, almost belonged to beloved star John Lithgow, until disinterest and a particularly silent audition changed the trajectory of both the character and the star that brought him to life.
The success of Frasier‘s parent series, Cheers, cannot be understated. The series finale still ranks among the highest viewed of all time. Audiences were drawn in by the relatable setting, lovable characters, and, most of all, by the will-they-won’t-they romance of bar owner Sam Malone, portrayed by Ted Danson and aspiring writer in the role of waitress, Diane Chambers played by Shelley Long. During the show’s third season, a new character was thrown into their romantic mix, a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Frasier Crane. Producers approached Frasier as a character that would bring a new dynamic to the relationship between the series’ leads. Written as Diane’s intellectual significance, Frasier began as an antagonist of sorts for Sam. Fans would not have to worry long, though. According to Cheers writer Ken Levine’s Blog, Frasier was only going to hang around for six out of the season’s 25 episodes. Already, producers had the perfect man in mind for the short arc.
Frasier
Dr. Frasier Crane moves back to his hometown of Seattle, where he lives with his father and works as a radio psychiatrist.
How Did Kelsey Grammer Get Cast as Frasier Crane?
While creating the character of Frasier Crane, the producers of Cheers had their sights set on beloved Terms of Endearment star, John Lithgow. The role had been written specifically for the famed character actor. However, there was one problem: According to an interview with The Guardian, Lithgow was not interested. He would later recall that he thought the role was beneath him and did not particularly care for the character in general. Lithgow was also a busy name, thus such a job was not needed at the time. The same could not be said for another actor across the country, struggling to find a break. A Julliard graduate, Kelsey Grammer spent his early years working on the stage. Not long after leaving school, he interned at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, before making his Broadway debut in a 1981 production of Macbeth. Poor press for his first big stage outing caused Grammer to depart the production early. He would return to the stage the following year in a major revival of Othello that starred James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. While the production proved more successful, sharing the bill with the two major stars did not provide Grammer with the break for which he was looking. It was a pace at which he continued for the next year, taking roles at the Public Theatre and joining a demo recording of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. The latter would provide a reunion with former Julliard cohort Mandy Patinkin and set the stage for Grammer’s long-sought-after success.
Patinkin, no stranger to multimedia stardom, suggested Grammer to the New York-based casting agent tasked with filling the role of Frasier. Though a short arc, a role on a hit show such as Cheers could be exactly the break Grammer had been after. There was one problem, though: When Grammer auditioned for the show in front of a group of 20 people, nobody laughed. The room throughout his reading was void of any reaction. In an article from GQ, Kelsey Grammer recalled thinking: “I’m done. I blew this completely.” He further remembered thanking everyone before leaving on the line “I’m going to go and see if I can get some laughs out on the street.” Grammer needn’t worry, though. Shortly after the audition, producers sent him a bottle of champagne with a note that read “Welcome to Cheers.” Per GQ, Grammer’s costar and series love interest Shelley Long remembered reading with Grammer and another actor up for the part, but to her, it was no contest, claiming: “it was so obviously Kelsey.”
Viewers agreed with Long. Grammer’s portrayal of Frasier garnered a strong audience response. While the character may have been written as Sam’s foe, Frasier soon became one of the most popular characters on the show. As time went on, the character became increasingly tailored for Grammer. The actor’s Julliard training and Shakespearean history crafted the character’s refined, often arrogant manner, while Grammer’s humbled success up to that point and down-to-earth nature helped influence the more relatable and likable elements. These elements coupled with the public praise for Grammer changed the character completely from what had been written for Lithgow and paved the way for the Frasier audiences know and continue to love today.
Why Did Frasier Get a Spin-Off?
Producers knew they had success with Kelsey Grammer, and by the end of his debut season, he was promoted to series regular, a role he would maintain for the remaining eight seasons of the show’s run. He even outlasted love interest Diane Chambers when Shelley Long exited Cheers after the Season 5 finale. Frasier would get a new love interest in Dr. Lilith Sternin, portrayed by another Broadway star turned to television, Bebe Neuwirth. The characters would eventually marry (and divorce) and have a son, Fredrick.
Even after Cheers ended its 11-season run in May 1993, Grammer was not done with Dr. Frasier Crane. The following fall, Frasier debuted on NBC. The spin-off won a record-breaking 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, four of which were rewarded to Grammer for his performance. The series ended its run in May 2004.
Nearly 20 years after Frasier wished Seattle goodnight, Kelsey Grammer has returned for Paramount Plus’ Frasier reboot. The new series finds Frasier back where it all began in Boston. Producers have already teased potential cameos and appearances from Grammer’s original Cheers costars, in a way turning the tables for the actor who nearly didn’t get the part almost four decades ago. Grammer’s refined and relatable approach to Frasier not only changed the fate of the character but defined record-breaking success that may have been missed had producers not taken a chance on the newcomer. Both Grammer and Frasier Crane have come a long way from their humble beginnings, and both hope to keep audiences entertained with tossed salads and scrambled eggs for some time to come.
Frasier is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
