Frasier actor Toks Olagundoye hails lead star Kelsey Grammer, telling how he’s similar to and different from the character he plays.
Frasier star Toks Olagundoye reveals what it’s like to work with star and producer Kelsey Grammer on the ongoing reboot. She also reveals what led her to join the revived series as Season 2 ramps up production.
Speaking with GoldDerby, Olagundoye delved into her experience on the Frasier reboot and interactions with her co-stars. When asked to compare Grammer and his title character, Frasier Crane, Olagundoye claimed the two couldn’t be more different in some ways, as Grammer doesn’t boast the pretentiousness Frasier does. However, the two have similarly generous traits, with Olagundoye praising his “big heart” when engaging with everyone on set. “He’s very much like Frasier in the way that he has a really big heart,” she said. The Nigerian actor also insists working with Grammer is “amazing, absolutely amazing.”
Olagundoye portrays Professor Olivia Finch, the chairperson of Harvard’s psychology department, in the Frasier reboot. The series is set in Cheers’ home in Boston, with Frasier accepting a psychology lecturer position at the Ivy League school to, in part, get closer to his estranged son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott). Olagundoye expressed her love for the original Frasier series, revealing Martin Crane, played by the late John Mahoney, was her favorite character. She also stated one major reason for joining the revival was “the fact that we’re in a comedy that hasn’t seen a lot of people of color and that she was in a position of power,” while reinforcing that “she’s a high-powered woman, but she’s still human and still has a softness.”
The Frasier reboot also sees Olagundoye star alongside British acting legend Nicholas Lyndhurst, who portrays the title character’s old friend, Professor Alan Cornwall. Most of her Season 1 scenes were alongside Lyndhurst, who critics hailed as the biggest positive in Season 1. Olagundoye raved about her chemistry with him and Grammer, particularly in Episode 5, “The Founders’ Society,” saying their respective dynamics “gives so much more dimension to all the characters.” Before the reboot, Olagundoye previously starred in DuckTales, Carmen Sandiego, Veep and Fatal Attraction.
Paramount renewed the Frasier revival series for a second season in February, with production commencing earlier this month. The series will see more screen time for the legacy character, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin), and recently added Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett’s Amy Sedaris to play Dr. “Doc” Stathos, a therapist and self-professed fan of Frasier.
The New Frasier Series Is Mean to Be a Long-Term Project
Grammer has signaled his intent for the Frasier reboot to be a long-term project, believing there are many stories to tell with its supporting characters. Season 1 of the series received mixed critical reviews, earning a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, thought its audience score of 80% was more encouraging.
