Reviving ‘Frasier’: Kelsey Grammer Wanted a ‘Sillier’ Return and Is Ready to Do At Least 100 More Episodes (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comMichael Schneider Variety Editor at Large It’s a chilly February evening on the Paramount lot as Kelsey Grammer transforms into Frasier Crane for the first time in nearly two decades.
It’s an emotional moment on set, both nostalgic and anticipatory. The sets are new, as is every cast member besides Grammer.
But behind the camera, legendary director James Burrows shares some continuity with Grammer — having been there from the character’s 1984 beginning on “Cheers.” Even months later, with the 2023 “Frasier” now on the air (via Paramount+), Grammer gets choked up when asked about what returning to the character — and having institutions like Burrows (one of the original “Cheers” creators) back on board — means to him. “It’s a piece of personal heaven for me that Jimmy Burrows is still in my life,” Grammer says, his voice cracking just a bit. “And I will always feel that way about him.
He’s really helpful. And his loyalty to our friendship has been… he’s just aces. He’s one of the greatest people I know. Our relationship has been an extraordinary one through the years and I’ve so grateful to him for being there.” “Frasier” 2023 represents a new chapter for an older, wiser and perhaps mellower Frasier Crane — but the same probably can be said for Kelsey Grammer as well.
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