Kelsey Grammer: ‘I would play Frasier for 100 more years’

Kelsey Grammer is a fan of ham. Iberian ham, of course. The 69-year-old American actor says that he got his first taste not in Spain, but in Morocco a decade ago. He was filming a movie in the country when “a great guy called Vlad” cut him a “very, very thin slice and laid it on a piece of bread”: “It melted in my mouth, and I thought: ‘Okay, I understand.’ And so ever since, I have been a huge fan and last year, when I was in Madrid four days before Christmas, I ate Iberian ham 16 times,” he laughs.

The actor tells the anecdote because the star of the first episode of Frasier’s second season is a big leg of Iberian ham. Because yes, Frasier is back. The series was rebooted last year, but is now back with extra force. The sitcom about the uptight and funny psychiatrist named Frasier Crane ran for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004, and was one of the most important shows on TV. It returned in the fall of 2023, and while reboots are often canceled after the first season, this has not been the case for Frasier, which was renewed for a second season of 10 episodes.

Grammer — who is the show’s executive producer as well as its star — reveals that they are already working on a third season during a video call with EL PAÍS, which was also able to see the show recorded in front of a live audience at the Paramount studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles. And he says that, although the studio audience can’t see it from their seats, Iberian ham is “a staple on set.”

Question. You’ve been playing the role of Frasier Crane for almost four decades. That’s a long time. Do you feel like you have parallel lives?

Answer. The truth is we do have a parallel life. I mean, when I walk down the street, people come up to me... he is like a shadow. A shadow character that’s sort of attached to the hip. And I don’t mind, because he’s fun. He’s funny, passionate about life, he wants to live a full life. We aren’t that different. I also want to be vibrant and significant and relevant and alive and live everything fuerte [strong in Spanish, laughs]. We’re intertwined. The guy is with me a lot.

Q. If you met Frasier in real life, do you think you would be friends?

A. I think I would be friendly toward him if we had occasion to meet and spend time. We might become friends. He lives in a world that I don’t really interest me... I’m not sure, we don’t align on a lot of things, but I would like him. Also, I was raised Christian Scientist, which is another branch of Christianity. Very metaphysical. But [Mary Baker Eddy] the woman who wrote the definitive book of Christian Science had one saying: ‘Always see God’s perfect child.’ I took that to heart. So when I meet people, I always try to look for that perfect child. And the interesting thing is that’s usually who they show you. If you’re looking for it, that’s who they are.

Q. You have managed to get the reboot renewed for a second season. Did you expect that? Are you happy about it?

A. I’m very happy about it. I did expect it because I thought we’d made a good show. We cast it beautifully. We put [Frasier] in a new world, but we kept the caring, he cares so much about people, about accomplishing something with his life and about connecting to people, that’s stayed the same. It’s just a different group of people. And, of course, a son. I actually thought it would do well if people paid attention, and we’ve gotten enough attention to have it maybe for another 100 years [laughs].

Q. Would you play Frasier for another 100 years?

A. Yes, yes.

Q. At least 10?

A. I’ll do 10, for sure.

Q. When you’re on set, you see the audience laughing, and you immediately notice the connection between the actors. They joke around with each other, they like each other, it’s evident, and important, it seems, for the series.

A. Yes, there is real love between the cast members, there’s a joy in it. We celebrate people succeeding in their roles, we’re rooting for them. And you know what’s great? Once that starts to happen, the audience starts to root for the characters as well. And we become a family, the audience starts to see us like that, and that’s the ticket. If we get to that point, we’ll be on for as long as we want.

Q. Why do you think the reboot has been so successful? The series has a clean, friendly, non-aggressive sense of humor. Is it the actors, the script...?

A. Certainly the writing is the most important thing. If it’s not a good script, you’re shot. I’ve seen great actors save mediocre scripts a lot of times, but I’ve never seen a bad actor ruin a great script. With that, you’re halfway there, and we have really good writers. So I’m very excited about what they’ll write next. The cast are experts on their characters, they know where to go with them, and that takes a while. To be exact, 10 episodes [laughs]. Now we have another 10, and they’re professionals now, they know the characters better than anyone else. I think people continue to watch Frasier because he brings everybody along. He fails a lot, but he’s also lovable because he cares so much about doing the right thing. He’s a great mirror of life.

Q. Is it harder to make people laugh today than 20 or 30 years ago?

A. It would reflect a lot of what’s going on in our society. I don’t reflect on this too often, but yeah, everything’s serious. From the color of one’s toenail polish to, you know, don’t criticize this or don’t criticize that or don’t have an opinion on this. Honestly: let’s lighten up a little bit. That’s what I want to say to everybody: get a sense of humor. If you’ve got an adversary out there, tell a joke about it. Don’t spend so much time worrying.

Q. Is comedy, especially this nice comedy, necessary today?

A. Absolutely. We all need a good laugh and it’s laughter that helps us get through things. People tell me, ‘I was in the hospital for two months. The only thing that made me laugh was you. You saved my life.’ It’s an amazing thing to be told that, and they mean it. Laughter is powerful, it heals you, it gets you up in the morning.

Q. The new Frasier Crane is no longer a 29-year-old, he is around 60, he has different concerns and issues.

A. It’s funny. I feel more alive now than I did 30 years ago. I think I’m certainly more interesting. I know more. I love more fully. It’s fascinating to know how much wealth there is as you continue in life, and it forces you to keep your eyes open and dedicate yourself to being relevant in each part of your life. That’s what Frasier is all about, and he is still funny, arguably more funny.

Q. And it is also important to show that on television. Platforms and TV channels don’t usually.

A. Yes, that’s very true. You can turn to someone who’s been dealt a blow by life and think, ‘There’s more for us to pay attention to.’

Q. You are now also the executive producer of the series. Does that make things easier for you, or does it give you more headaches?

A. Well, people ask me for some things, I’m kind of the deciding vote. But I don’t mind, I know what I like and what I think is right. If I say let’s do it this way, we just do it that way [laughs]. I listen to others, I’m not really a bully. I’m just the last word and, so far, I haven’t made any huge mistakes.

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