A spinoff of beloved sitcom “Cheers,” “Frasier” went to become a massive TV success in its own right. Chronicling the exploits of psychiatrist Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer) after leaving Boston to return to his hometown of Seattle, the series that ran for 11 seasons.
Over the course of the series’ run, “Frasier” won a jaw-dropping 37 Emmy Awards, and continues to live on via reruns and streaming — not to mention a two-season reboot that streamed on Paramount+.
Yet the show could have looked a lot different had a casting decision gone in another direction.
Jane Leeves Played Daphne
Throughout those 11 seasons, Jane Leeves portrayed Daphne Moon, live-in physical therapist for Frasier’s dad (played by the late John Mahoney).
However, she wasn’t the only actress up for the role — and almost lost the part to someone else.
Appearing on the “Still Hot in Cleveland” podcast, Leeves recalled the heated competition for the coveted role.
She Was Already a Fan of ‘Cheers’
At the time, Leeves was up for two other TV series when she learned that a spinoff of “Cheers” was in the process of finding its cast.
“My agent said to me, ‘There’s some interest in you for this spinoff from Cheers,” Leeves said.
“And I loved ‘Cheers,‘ so I was like, ‘Well, I’m not taking these two shows. I want to read for that,'” she recalled.
“So, it was sort of rushed because they said, ‘Well, you have to see her now if you’re interested because she’s got these two other offers,’” the actress continued.
Another Actress Was Up for the Role
However, when she arrived at the audition she was stunned to see another actress in the room already auditioning: Cynthia Nixon, who would go on to become part of the iconic cast of “Sex and the City.”
Finally, Leeves took her turn and audition. It went well enough that they invited her back the following day to read with Grammer.
“And I was like, ‘Oh, let me check my calendar,’” Leeves joked.
A Solo Audition with Kelsey Grammer
“The next day I went in and I remember sitting on the steps outside, and this red Corvette came flying in and out jumped this beach boy-looking guy, and I [was like], ‘Oh my god, It’s Kelsey Grammer,’” she remembered.
According to Leeves, the real-life Grammer “looked nothing” like the buttoned-up shrink he’d played on “Cheers,” showing up wearing a pair of flip-flops.
There was one big problem right off the bat: the fact that she was British.
“He didn’t want an English girl,” Leeves said. “He thought it would be ‘Nanny and the Professor.’ He didn’t want their influence.”
Nevertheless, she read the scene with Grammer. When they’d finished, Grammer “ran off in his Corvette” before producers told her that she’d gotten the job.
“It was extraordinary,” Leeves recalled.
Further Success with ‘Hot in Cleveland’
After 11 seasons of “Frasier,” Leeves went on to further success as a member of the ensemble cast of “Hot in Cleveland.”
Starring alongside Valerie Bertinelli, Wendy Malick and TV legend Betty White,” “Hot in Cleveland” ran for six seasons.
