What happened to the cast of “Frasier”? See the cosmopolitan comedy's ensemble, then and now
What happened to the cast of “Frasier”? See the cosmopolitan comedy's ensemble, then and now
Declan Gallagher, Kevin JacobsenThu, April 23, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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John Mahoney as Martin Crane, Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon, Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane, David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Niles Crane, and Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle in a promotional photo for 'Frasier'Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Premiering in 1993, NBC's Frasier gradually grew into one of the most successful spinoffs of all time.
Kelsey Grammer reprised his Cheers role as snobbish psychiatrist Frasier Crane, who moves home to Seattle from Boston to host a radio show and take care of his retired father, Martin (John Mahoney). The sitcom, renowned for its sparkling wit, was a ratings hit and Emmy darling, taking home five consecutive trophies for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Part of the show's smashing success was its cast, with David Hyde Pierce as Frasier's fellow psychiatrist brother, Niles; Jane Leeves as Martin's live-in nurse, Daphne; and Peri Gilpin as Frasier's radio show producer, Roz, rounding out the ensemble.
Ahead, we're looking at where the original cast of Frasier is now, including who returned for the short-lived Paramount+ revival series.
01 of 09
Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Frasier Crane)
Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane on 'Frasier'; Kelsey Grammer during the Faith Beer takeover at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on May 13, 2022, in Atlantic City, N.J.Credit: Gale Adler/Paramount; Donald Kravitz/Getty Images
Kelsey Grammer got his start in theater before taking on the role of Frasier on Cheers. He moved into a leading man role with this spinoff — winning four Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes, and a SAG award in the process.
"My initial feelings were that Frasier should die with Cheers," Grammer told ABC's Chris Connelly on the set of EW's 2013 Reunions issue. "I said, 'Okay, he's not married and he doesn't really see his child,' and, of course, I forgot to mention that I didn't want any animals on the show, but one oversight."
Ultimately, though, he was satisfied with the outcome. "I'm going to go out on a limb: It was a pretty perfect show."
He went on to have a journeyman's career, with voice-acting credentials in Anastasia (1997), Toy Story 2 (1999), and The Simpsons. His malevolent turn as Sideshow Bob on the latter earned him another Emmy.
The actor later waded into action territory with roles in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and The Expendables 3 (2014). He snagged a Tony nomination in 2010 for his work in La Cage aux Folles, and won in 2016 as part of the producing team for The Color Purple.
Grammer returned to lead the 2023 Frasier revival on Paramount+, and will soon reprise his X-Men role as Beast in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).
Grammer has been married four times, including to reality TV star Camille Grammer, with whom he shares one daughter, actress Spencer Grammer. He married his current wife, Kayte Walsh, in 2011. She's the mother of three of his seven children.
02 of 09
David Hyde Pierce (Niles Crane)
David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane on 'Frasier'; David Hyde Pierce attends CaringKind's 'Forget-Me-Not' 2022 GalaCredit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Chance Yeh/Getty Images
David Hyde Pierce had his breakout role in the '90s sitcom The Powers That Be. His intense resemblance to Grammer prompted Frasier producers to craft the role of the doc's brother specifically for him.
While he's still best known for his four-time Emmy-winning role as Frasier's younger brother, Niles, Pierce has enjoyed a varied career with appearances in Nixon (1995), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Down with Love (2003), and the thriller The Perfect Host (2010).
He also voiced Slim in 1998's A Bug's Life and Abe Sapien in 2004's Hellboy. In 2007, he won a Tony for his leading role in Curtains.
Much of Frasier's magic came from the realistic family dynamic between Pierce and Grammer. "I watched a lot of Cheers preparing to do it," Pierce recalled to ABC News at the EW cast reunion in 2013. "I know with my own family, that the things that make people really seem like family and siblings is they have physical mannerisms."
Pierce has been in a relationship with Brian Hargrove since the '80s. They married in 2008. He did not return for the Frasier revival, telling the Los Angeles Times in 2023 that he didn't see a reason to repeat his performance of Niles, citing the show’s addition of new characters and himself being busy with other projects.
03 of 09
Peri Gilpin (Roz Doyle)
Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle on 'Frasier'; Peri Gilpin attends the opening night of 'The Sound Inside' at Pasadena Playhouse on Sept. 10, 2023, in Pasadena, Calif.Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
Peri Gilpin took over the role of Frasier's wise-cracking cohost after Lisa Kudrow, who would go on to fame and fortune in Friends, was fired for a lack of chemistry with the cast. Gilpin had actually appeared in an episode of Cheers' final season as a journalist who interviews Woody Boyd (Woody Harrelson).
She's since starred in ABC Family's teen drama Make It or Break It, lent her voice to films like The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998) and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), and appeared in episodes of Why Women Kill, Broad City, Scorpion, and Kevin Can F**k Himself.
"It was not just life transforming, it was tons of fun," Gilpin said of the show in a 2013 chat with ABC News. "They wrote a real three-dimensional person and [she] is the kind of person you always have at work, the person with the smart-ass comments."
Gilpin has been married to painter Christian Vincent since 1999. They had twins via surrogate in 2004. She appeared in six episodes of the Frasier revival.
04 of 09
Jane Leeves (Daphne Moon)
Jane Leeves as Daphne Moon on 'Frasier'; Jane Leeves attends the FOX Winter TCA All Star Party on Jan. 7, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif.Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic
Jane Leeves appeared in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) before rising to prominence with a recurring role on Murphy Brown and as the pious Marla on Seinfeld. She was suggested for the role of Daphne by NBC executives, and Grammer cast her after just one read.
Leeves has also appeared in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), James and the Giant Peach (1996), and Music of the Heart (1999). She continued her television career with roles on TV Land's Hot in Cleveland and Fox's The Resident.
Much of Daphne's arc concerns her initially unrequited (but then very much requited) romance with Niles. It was an idea Leeves hatched herself early on. As Pierce told ABC News in 2013, "Jane Leeves, in the first photo shoot we did, after she said, 'I always thought it would be nice if Daphne had a thing for Niles,' [and] we started sort of hanging over each other."
Leeves added, "There is just something about Niles and David that is adorable."
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Leeves is married to Marshall Coben, an executive at CBS Paramount Television. They share two children. She and Gilpin have maintained a close friendship and live near one another.
05 of 09
John Mahoney (Martin Crane)
John Mahoney as Martin Crane on 'Frasier'; John Mahoney attends the 'Flipped' Los Angeles premiere at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on July 26, 2010, in HollywoodCredit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; WireImage
John Mahoney segued into acting later in life, having edited medical journals before making waves in theater. He won a Tony in 1986 for his performance in The House of Blue Leaves, then pivoted to film with roles in Moonstruck (1987), Say Anything (1989), and Barton Fink (1991).
Like Gilpin, he also guested on Cheers, but his proper breakout came as Martin on Frasier. Mahoney was the first choice for the role based on creator Peter Casey's father, so much so that no audition was necessary.
For Mahoney, his decision to join the series was just as obvious. "The [pilot] script was so brilliant [that] I'd be an idiot to turn it down," he recalled to ABC News in 2013. "Plus, to work with Kelsey meant a great deal to me… I don't think anything I've ever done in my life I'm more proud of than Frasier."
Following Frasier, he continued to act on both the stage and screen. He reunited with Grammer and Pierce in a 2007 episode of The Simpsons, and also appeared in the 2010 film Flipped.
Mahoney died in 2018 at the age of 77 due to complications from throat cancer.
06 of 09
Jean Smart (Lana Gardner)
Jean Smart as Lorna Lynley on 'Frasier'; Jean Smart attends the 80th annual Golden Globe awards on Jan. 10, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif.Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Daniele Venturelli/WireImage
Veteran actor Jean Smart had a recurring role as Lana, an old crush of Frasier's with whom he kindles a romance. The part earned her two Emmys for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Smart called Lana "one of my favorite roles ever… I read it and I said, 'Oh dear god, where do I sign?' You know, it was just one of the funniest things I had ever read. Truly one of the best sitcoms ever, ever, ever."
Smart's career has spanned more than 40 years, starting with her big break on the '80s sitcom Designing Women. She later enjoyed turns in films like Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and Garden State (2004), as well as shows such as 24 and Samantha Who?, winning an Emmy for the latter.
In recent years, Smart's had an HBO-boosted renaissance, appearing on miniseries like Watchmen and Mare of Easttown while winning awards (four Primetime Emmys, three Golden Globes, and three of SAG's Actor awards, so far) for her raucous role on Hacks.
Smart met her husband, Richard Gilliland, on the set of Designing Women. They were married from 1987 until his death in 2021 at age 71. They had two sons together.
07 of 09
Bebe Neuwirth (Dr. Lilith Sternin)
Bebe Neuwirth as Dr. Lilith Sternin on 'Frasier'; Bebe Neuwirth attends the 'Pay the Writer' opening night at Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre on Aug. 21, 2023, in New York CityCredit: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Bebe Neuwirth began her career on Broadway before starring in 80 episodes of Cheers as Frasier's paramour and the mother of his son, Freddy — a role that earned her two Primetime Emmy awards.
She made her film debut in Say Anything (1989) alongside her future Frasier costar, John Mahoney. Though Neuwirth only appeared in 12 episodes of Frasier, her indelible presence permeates the series.
She continued her screen career by starring on Madam Secretary, acting on The Good Wife and The Flight Attendant, and appearing in films like Jumanji (1995), The Faculty (1998), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), and Tick...Tick... Boom! (2021).
Neuwirth was married to Paul Dorman from 1984 to 1991. She later married Chris Calkins in 2009. She appears on the Frasier revival in an episode centered around Freddy's birthday.
08 of 09
Dan Butler (Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe)
Dan Butler as Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe on 'Frasier'; Dan Butler attends the Roundabout Theatre Company one-night only benefit reading cast reception for 'Twentieth Century' at Studio 54 on April 29, 2019, in New York CityCredit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Walter McBride/WireImage
Theater actor Dan Butler played different characters in the Hannibal Lecter flicks Manhunter (1986) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) before being cast as irascible sports broadcaster Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe in all but one season of Frasier.
He also played Art on Rosanne and landed roles in films like Captain Ron (1992), Enemy of the State (1998), Crazy Stupid Love (2011), and Blonde (2022).
Butler is married to producer Richard Waterhouse. He appeared in one episode of the Frasier revival.
09 of 09
Edward Hibbert (Gil Chesterton)
Edward Hibbert as Gil Chesterton on 'Frasier'; Edward Hibbert attends the Off Broadway opening night arrivals for 'Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders' at the Westside Theatre on June 20, 2018, in New York CityCredit: Paramount Television/Courtesy Everett Collection; Walter McBride/Getty Images
Edward Hibbert broke out playing the effeminate restaurant critic Gil Chesterton on Frasier, leading to parts in The Paper (1994), The First Wives Club (1996), The Prestige (2006), and Mary Poppins Returns (2018). He also voiced Zazu in The Lion King III (1998) and The Lion King 1½ (2004). In recent years, he's appeared on the shows Grace and Frankie and Blue Bloods.
Hibbert is also a literary agent, representing the authors Chuck Palahniuk and Ed Sikov, among others.
In a 2019 interview at Mercy College, Hibbert remarked, "I've never known anything which is as brilliantly funny [as Frasier]." He appeared in the "Thank You, Mr. Crane" episode of the revival.
Where can I watch Frasier?
Frasier is currently available to stream on Hulu and Paramount+.
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