KELSEY GRAMMER:Its just a button, you just push and youre there.
Granted, it probably wouldnt have been there if I was 18.
Im considerably more advanced in years than I was then and I know my craft.
L-R: Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy Crane, Bebe Neuwirth as Dr. Lilith Sternin and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane in FrasierGetty/Chris Haston/Paramount+
DEADLINE: I spoke to James Burrows before the revival premiered and he said working with you is effortless.
What does the shorthand look like between you two?
GRAMMER:Jimmy and I just…
L-R: Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy Crane, Kelsey Grammer as Frasier and Nicholas LyndhurstChris Haston/Paramount+
I dont know what it is.
Maybe its our similar backgrounds and, in certain terms, the world we grew up in with musicals.
He really lived the high life of Broadway and the New York theater community.
I was on the outskirts of that, and I arrived at it a bit later in life.
The thing that distinguishes us from one another is Jimmy just got me.
He would just point his hand and I [understood what he meant].
And the rest of it is just a huge trust thing; I trusted him.
He always had the camera ready to get the performance and that was the big thing.
He always knew Id show up when it was time to show up.
DEADLINE: Can you share an example?
GRAMMER:Im a little bit stingy about the full-blown performance until the cameras are actually rolling.
I rehearse by marking where you are going to be.
Kirstie [Alley] used to have this great thing she did when there was a kissing scene.
She just said, Kiss Kiss.
Until the cameras are on, you dont kiss anybody.
If you kiss before the cameras are on, she said it was cheating and I love that.
You dont have to rehearse a kiss.
As long as its on camera, its fine and not cheating; its part of the job.
I love that about her kiss kiss.
I love Kirstie and I love Jimmy for the same reasons.
Hes just a pro.
Were friends and we were always friendly.
I remember when we went through a few things personally.
He had some low times and I had some low times but we were always there for each other.
GRAMMER:The spirit of love has always been in Frasier.
He does everything with his whole heart.
He doesnt do things half-heartedly.
Maybe nobody else cares as much as he does?
Thats whats funny about him, but its also what makes him lovable.
DEADLINE: Frasier has an all-new cast.
Jack Cutmore-Scott is really holding his own and making the Freddy character his own.
What can you share about their casting?
GRAMMER:Jack was a terrific choice; he was wonderful in the audition.
Hes attractive and hes tall enough.
We wanted him to be a believable fireman and that all fell into place naturally.
Same thing with Jesse [Salgueiro] actually, who plays Eve.
She did this one thing, a little jump and we [knew that was Eve].
Her performance is terrific.
And then, of course, theres Alan, played by a dear friend of mine, Nick Lyndhurst.
He is just the sneakiest most talented actor Ive ever worked with.
We worked previously together in London on the musical,Man of La Mancha.
We made plans to get [our partners] together and we became best friends.
So when the idea ofFrasierhaving a best friend came into the mix, it was always Nicholas.
He said, Are you kidding?
I would do anything to work with you again every day for the rest of my life.
The feeling is mutual.
DEADLINE: Going with this new storyline seems like the natural progression for the show.
Was this always the idea?
GRAMMER:We always knew it couldnt be the same show.
Of course, everyone should be part of the party if they want to come.
It was decided after a couple of years of kicking around ideas that that wasnt going to happen.
So thats what gave birth to the idea of going to Boston.
It also makes many of us feel quite old.
GRAMMER:[Laughs] Thats great.
He didnt get to where he dreamed of being when he went to Boston as a young man.
Thats a wonderful element in it.
[Choked back tears]
DEADLINE: Im so sorry.
GRAMMER:Its okay.
Its been really wonderful to work with him and to discover him and really, discover them all.
Its been a great thing.
It leaves us wondering what wouldve happened if Freddy had waited a bit longer to come in.
Yes, they still have a sort of smoldering passion for one another somewhere in there.
DEADLINE: Its this love-and-hate thing, no?
GRAMMER:Theyre the two most exciting people they know.
GRAMMER:Thats true.
TV is a very powerful medium.
So yeah, we carried on our love as we have throughout several iterations.
The disappointment of them not working out is still sort of in him, which is nice.
DEADLINE: Any chance Frasier could revisit the Cheers bar now that hes in Boston?
Also, any plans to have other characters from the series appear in the new show?
GRAMMER:Im not sure the guys who wroteCheerswould want us to go back toCheers.
Its like, lets let that be where it is.
Its a monument in the minds of television history.
But is it possible we might see someone from the old days at the bar?
Frasier could revisit scenes that he lived out before like when he had made a mistake.
What could he do to fix it?
And [the original cast] wouldnt even have to appear; it would just be old clips.
We just havent broken that idea yet.
DEADLINE: Do you have any plans yet for what we could see in Season 2?
Maybe Frasier could become an important person in somebodys life [as a professor]?
Hes always getting into trouble in one way or another so Im sure thats going to continue to happen.
Who knows whats gonna arise?
We do have really talented writers who will come up with some ideas and well discuss it.
DEADLINE: Is there any chance we could see an appearance from David Hyde Pierce at any point?
GRAMMER:Well, I suppose theres a chance but Im the wrong guy to ask.
GRAMMER:You know what?
Weve always wanted to go back and revisitBossand finish that out.
Who knows if itll happen?
It might still have a life in some way.
I would love to do that.
DEADLINE: Any update on the Girlfriends reboot?
GRAMMER:I would love to rebootGirlfriends.
I dont know if Paramount+ is gonna grab another season of that but you never know.
Well see what happens.
She was terrific in that.
The show was a wonderful opportunity to see all those young women start out.
Its such a beautiful ensemble effort and I was very proud to be connected to that.
DEADLINE: Do you have a message for anyone who has yet to check out the new Frasier?
GRAMMER:I want to encourage people to take a look at us again.
Frasier has grown beautifully, I think, and its all still just fun.
There was this thing people used to do before if theyd see me at a bar or somewhere else.
Theyd say they didnt really like the [originalFrasier] which theyd admit theyd never watched.
Id encourage them to give it a look and theyd always come back and say they enjoyed it.
Like, Oh God, were the best and blah, blah, blah.
[Laughs] I never really cared for that tone.
I think its been a benefit for the show.
Its been a great idea for the show to have a sort of slightly younger mentality crafting the storylines.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
