The Big Picture

• John Lithgow was originally considered for the role of Frasier Crane, but he was not interested and thought the role was beneath him.
• Kelsey Grammer auditioned for the role of Frasier and initially received no laughs from the producers, but they eventually chose him for the part.
• Frasier became a beloved character on Cheers and went on to have a successful spin-off series that won multiple Emmy Awards. Grammer has returned for a Frasier reboot on Paramount+.

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. All these years later, Grammer even returned to the role in a Frasier revival on Paramount+. 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.

‘Cheers’ Success Paved the Way for ‘Frasier'

The success of Frasier's parent series, Cheers, cannot be understated. The series finale still ranks among the most watched 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 an 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.

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 big 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.

Mandy Patinkin Suggested Kelsey Grammer for Frasier

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 another 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 with, "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 to Grammer. The actor's Julliard training and Shakespearean history crafted the character's refined, often arrogant manner, while Grammer's humble 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 that audiences know and continue to love today.

The 'Cheers' Spinoff 'Frasier' Was a Huge Success

Producers knew they had success with Kelsey Grammer, and by the end of his debut season of Cheers, 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 returned for Paramount Plus' Frasier reboot in 2023. The new series finds Frasier back where it all began in Boston. 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.