Frasier star and executive producer Kelsey Grammer speaks about his character’s motivations and personality in the ongoing reboot series.
Frasier actor and executive producer Kelsey Grammer reveals his beloved character’s biggest motivations in the reboot series. According to Grammer, Frasier Crane “loves with his whole heart,” having nothing but pure intentions during his return to Boston.
Speaking with The Ankler, Grammer addressed the differences between the revival series version of Frasier and the original iteration of the titular psychiatrist and TV star-turned-professor. According to the Emmy-winning actor, Frasier returned to Boston, the home of the parent show, Cheers, because he had unfinished business and wanted to fulfill goals dating back to his childhood. “It’s like he’s getting younger in a way, so he can fulfill the dreams of his youth, which is what Herman Melville had above his desk: ‘Do not forget dreams of your youth.’ When he wrote every day, that’s what he looked at,” he said. Grammer also admitted to making the character “a little sillier” but spoke about his character having a good spirit, saying, “In the end, he just loves deeply, with every ounce of his being, and wants to make sure that everybody is okay.”
Frasier Crane Returns to Boston
In Season 1 of the Frasier reboot, which aired between last October and December, the eponymous character returns to Boston to take a professorship in psychology at the University of Harvard. He also returns to the North East to rekindle his estranged relationship with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott). Grammer believes his decision to bring back the show was justified, reiterating he was motivated to do the reboot series after the short-lived success of Roseanne Barr’s revival in 2018. “We can do this, we can make Frasier a new show and keep the elements that always made it a great show,” he said.
Paramount and Grammer announced the Frasier reboot’s renewal in February, with Grammer hoping to make Season 2 bigger after the first season was welcomed by audiences despite mixed critical reviews. Grammer has hinted at potentially featuring Cheers stars during Season 2, indicating his desire to bring Diane (Shelley Long) and Sam (Ted Danson) to the show. Furthermore, he hopes to feature more of his cohorts from the original series, including potentially getting Peri Gilpin’s Roz Doyle more on-screen time. Grammer also left the door open for David Hyde Pierce’s character, Niles Crane, to appear on the show.
Season 1 of the Frasier reboot features Grammer alongside Cutmore-Scott, Gilpin, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro, Anders Keith and Bebe Neuwirth. Grammer said he wants the reboot to be a long-term project as he believes there are several stories to tell about his central character’s “third act” and the other characters on the show.
