| Kelsey Grammer | |
|---|---|
During Fleet Week, New York 2006 |
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| Born | Allen Kelsey Grammer February 21, 1955 Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, producer, director, writer, voice artist |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse | Doreen Alderman (1982–1990; divorced; 1 child) Leigh-Anne Csuhany (1992–1993; divorced) Camille Donatacci (1997–2011; divorced; 2 children) Kayte Walsh (2011–present) |
Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. He has been nominated for fourteen Emmy Awards, including one for playing his character on three sitcoms, and has also worked as a television producer, director, writer, and as a voice artist. He is also known for his role as the voice of Sideshow Bob on the animated series The Simpsons. Grammer recently returned to U.S. television in his first dramatic role, as mayor of Chicago Tom Kane, the lead role in the Starz premium television series, Boss, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
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Grammer was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, the son of Sally (née Cranmer),[1] a singer, and Frank Allen Grammer, Jr., a musician and owner of a coffee shop and a bar & grill called Greer's Place.[2][3][4] His parents divorced when Grammer was two years old.[5] He attended Pine Crest School, a private preparatory school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Grammer later spent two years at the Juilliard School.[6] Grammer's personal life has been affected by several tragedies. In 1968 his father, whom he had seen only twice since his parents' divorce, was shot and killed.[3] In 1975 his younger sister, Karen, was abducted, raped, and murdered.[7][8][9][10][11] In 1980 his twin half-brothers died in a scuba diving accident, and in 2001 David Angell, close friend and producer of Frasier, died in the 9/11 attacks.[12][13]
After leaving Juilliard, he had a three-year internship with the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in the late 1970s before a stint in 1980 at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He made his Broadway debut in 1981 as "Lennox", in Macbeth taking the lead role when Philip Anglim withdrew after receiving negative reviews. Grammer then played Michael Cassio in a Broadway revival of Othello, with James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. In 1983 he performed on the demo of the Stephen Sondheim–James Lapine production Sunday in the Park with George, starring Mandy Patinkin. Also featured on the demo was Christine Baranski, who later starred as Mrs. Lovett to Grammer's Sweeney Todd in the 1999 LA Reprise! production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In 2000, Grammer again played Macbeth on Broadway.
On April 18, 2010, Grammer made his Broadway musical debut playing the role of Georges in a revival of the Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical La Cage aux Folles, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
His television career began in the early 1980s when he portrayed Stephen Smith in the NBC miniseries Kennedy.
Grammer came to broader public attention as Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcom Cheers. Grammer's former Juilliard classmate and Broadway co-star Patinkin suggested Grammer to the New York casting director, and he got what was supposed to be a six-episode job, but ended up as a regular cast member.[14]
The character became the center of the spin-off Frasier, one of the most successful spin-offs in TV history. In addition to starring, he also directed many episodes, especially during the second half of the series, and sang the closing theme "Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs." Frasier won and was nominated for many awards during its 11-year run.
In 2001, he negotiated a US$700,000-per-episode salary for Frasier. His 20-year run playing Dr. Frasier Crane ties a length set by James Arness in playing Marshall Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1975.[15]
In 2005, Grammer returned to television. He appeared in an American adaptation of the British show, The Sketch Show, which aired on Fox. The main cast consisted of Malcolm Barrett, Kaitlin Olson, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Paul F. Tompkins, as well as Lee Mack from the British version of the show. Grammer appeared in only short opening and closing segments in each episode. Many of the sketches from the British version were recreated, such as the "California Dreamin'", "English Course", and "Sign Language" sketches. Only six episodes of the show were made, and it was cancelled after only four of them had aired.
In 2007, Grammer starred with Patricia Heaton in the American sitcom, Back to You. It was cancelled by Fox after its first season.
Grammer's next attempt at a successful series (ABC's Hank) fared even worse. It was cancelled after only five episodes had aired. Grammer later commented, "Honestly, it just wasn't very funny."[16]
Grammer is currently starring in the Starz drama series, Boss, as a fictional mayor of Chicago in the mold of Richard J. Daley which premiered in October 2011.[17] It is his first dramatic TV series.[18]
In addition to being producer he guest-starred as the Angel of Death on Medium, and Captain Morgan Bateson in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Cause and Effect".
Grammer's smooth, deep voice and Mid-Atlantic accent make him popular for voiceover work. He has provided the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, winning an Emmy Award for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob".[19] He has appeared in twelve episodes since the show's inception in 1989, the most recent being "The Bob Next Door" that aired in May 2010. Grammer supplied the voices for "Stinky Pete the Prospector" in 1999 Disney/Pixar film Toy Story 2, Vladimir in the Fox animated movie Anastasia, (Rothbart) Barbie of Swan Lake, Zozi the Bear in the subsequently produced prequel Bartok the Magnificent, and the title character in the short-lived animated series Gary the Rat. He provided the opening speech and piano in The Vandals' song "Phone Machine" from the album Fear of a Punk Planet, and sang a rewritten version of the "grinch" on an episode of Just Shoot Me!. He was the voice of the mad scientist, Dr. Frankenollie, in the Mickey Mouse short Runaway Brain.
Grammer's voice has been featured in many commercials. One of the earliest was a 1998 commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios, where he played the voice of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. He was the original voice of The GEICO Gecko when he first debuted in 1999. Since 2006, Grammer has provided the voice for television commercials advertising Hyundai. In 2008, Grammer reprised his role of Dr. Frasier Crane in a commercial for Dr Pepper.
His production company, Grammnet Productions, produces the CW sitcoms Girlfriends and The Game which is now on BET, the NBC drama Medium, and is involved in many other projects.
In 1996 he starred in the feature comedy Down Periscope. Additionally his film work includes the role of Dr. Hank McCoy (also known as the Beast) in X-Men: The Last Stand, and he was the voice of Snowball in the live-action film adaptation of the George Orwell book Animal Farm. Grammer co-starred in the movie Swing Vote, playing the Republican incumbent. He played General George S. Patton in An American Carol. In 2010, he starred in The Kelsey Grammer Bill Zucker Comedy Hour.
Grammer has been married four times and has four children and one grandson as of 2011.[20]
His first marriage, to dance instructor Doreen Alderman, lasted from 1982 to 1990. They had one daughter, Spencer Grammer (born October 9, 1983), an actress on the CBS Daytime soap opera As the World Turns and the ABC Family show Greek.[21]
After this marriage to Alderman, Grammer had a daughter, Kandace Greer (born February 15, 1992), with hair and makeup stylist Barrie Buckner.[22]
His second marriage, to stripper Leigh-Anne Csuhany in September, 1992,[23] lasted one year. Grammer says that she was abusive and fired a gun at him,[24] and that after talk of divorce, she attempted suicide, which resulted in the miscarriage of their child.[25]
In 1994 he met 28-year-old Tammy Baliszewski, also known as Tammy Alexander, at a bar in Manhattan Beach, California. In December 1994 the two of them appeared on the cover of People magazine, announcing their engagement and Grammer's substance abuse problems. They broke up in 1995.
In August 1997 Grammer married Camille Donatacci, a former Playboy model. They met on a blind date in 1996.[26] They have a daughter, Mason Olivia (born October 24, 2001), and a son, Jude Gordon (born August 28, 2004), both born to a surrogate mother.[22] Grammer and Donatacci have several homes that have been featured in InStyle magazine and Architectural Digest. Some are: Malibu, California (February 2001, InStyle magazine), Maui (May 2004, InStyle magazine), Long Island, New York (April 2008, InStyle magazine), Bachelor Gulch, Colorado (Architectural Digest),[27] and Bel Air, Los Angeles (Architectural Digest). On June 14, 2010, Donatacci and Grammer appeared together at the Tony Awards. It was announced on July 1, 2010 that Donatacci had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[28] Grammer and Donatacci's divorce was finalized on February 10, 2011.[29]
On August 12, 2010, Grammer announced that he was going to be a father for the fifth time with girlfriend, Kayte Walsh (born 1980).[30] On October 9, 2010, Grammer announced that Walsh had miscarried six weeks earlier.[31] On December 28, 2010, Grammer announced their engagement.[32] At the beginning of February, Grammer and Walsh booked the ballroom at the Plaza Hotel on February 25, 2011, for their marriage, at a cost of more than $100,000 for the reception, despite rumors of Grammer's divorce not being finalized.[33] On February 25, 2011, he married Walsh.[34]
In 1998 Grammer filed a lawsuit against Internet Entertainment Group, which Grammer claimed had stolen a videotape of him having sex with a woman from his home. IEG countersued Grammer, denying they were in possession of such a tape, and Grammer's suit was eventually dropped.[35] IEG President Seth Warshavsky told the New York Post, "We have been presented with another Kelsey Grammer tape. But we have no plans to air it. We are still evaluating it at this time."[36] Grammer later told Maxim, "Whether or not you’re a celebrity—even if you’re just an old slob with a video camera—you don’t realize you shouldn’t do it. So you throw the tape in the back of a dark closet until your old girlfriend remembers it’s there because you’re famous now and she’s not. But if you’re not prepared to do the time, don’t do the crime."[37]
Grammer began drinking at age nine[38] and became a frequent abuser of alcohol.
In 1988, Grammer was arrested for drunk driving and cocaine possession and sentenced to 30 days in jail.[39]
Grammer was arrested again for cocaine possession in August 1990 and was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $500, and given 300 hours of community service.[39]
In January 1991, Grammer was given an additional two years' probation for violating his original probation through additional cocaine use.[39]
In 1995, Grammer was sued by ex-girlfriend Cerlette Lamme for defamation of character and invasion of privacy over content he included in his autobiography So Far.[40]
In September 1996, he flipped his Dodge Viper while intoxicated and subsequently checked into the Betty Ford Center for 30 days.[39]
In August 2008, Bradley Blakeman, a former aide to George W. Bush, filed a copyright lawsuit in federal court on Long Island over Grammer's movie Swing Vote, claiming that parts of its plot and marketing had been stolen from him. The lawsuit claimed that Blakeman had given a copyrighted screenplay called Go November to Grammer in 2006, and that Grammer agreed to develop the project and star as a Republican president but instead ended up playing a similar role in Swing Vote, which was released on August 1, 2008. Grammer's spokesman dismissed the claims as "frivolous" and a "waste of time". The lawsuit claims that Blakeman's copyrighted screenplay had the same basic plot as Swing Vote.[41]
Grammer suffered a heart attack on May 31, 2008. He told Jay Leno on the July 24, 2008 airing of The Tonight Show that he had to wait one and a half hours for paramedics to arrive. He was hospitalized in Hawaii after he had symptoms while paddleboarding with his then-wife, Camille.[42] He was released on June 4, 2008, and was listed as "resting comfortably" at his Hawaiian residence.[43] Seven weeks after his attack, Grammer told Entertainment Tonight that, although at the time his spokesman described the attack as mild, it was in fact more severe, almost leading to his death, as his heart had stopped.[44]
Grammer thought Fox's decision to cancel his TV sitcom Back to You contributed to his health problems, stating that "It was a very stressful time for me, and a surprise that it was cancelled. But you know, everything that doesn't kill us—which it almost did—makes us stronger!".[45]
On June 28, 2008, Grammer checked into an undisclosed New York hospital after complaints of feeling faint. His publicist said that it may have been due to a reaction to medication.[46]
Grammer is a member of the Republican Party and has expressed an interest in someday running for United States Congress.[47] Grammer was a guest at President George W. Bush's first inauguration.[48] Grammer endorsed Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential primary and later campaigned for John McCain in the general election.[49][50] RightNetwork, a conservative start-up American television network, is promoted by Grammer.[51] He has endorsed Michele Bachmann for the Republican nomination for president in 2012.[52]
He won a number of Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globes for his work on Frasier. He was the first American actor ever to be nominated for multiple Emmy awards for portraying the same character on three different television shows (Cheers, Frasier, and Wings).
Grammer has received at least 45 nominations for major awards and has won on 18 occasions.[53] He has received 14 individual Emmy Award nominations for 4 different television shows (plus an additional 2 as part of the Frasier ensemble) and has won on 5 occasions. At the Golden Globes, he has received eight nominations and twice been victorious. He has received two People's Choice Awards, and in 1999 his directorial skills were recognized with a nomination for a Directors Guild of America award for directing an episode of Frasier. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in X-Men: The Last Stand. On May 22, 2001, he was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television. On April 20, 2009, Grammer was presented the inaugural Television Chairman's Award at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas.[54] In 2010, Grammer enjoyed his first Tony Award nomination for "La Cage Aux Folles" as Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
The following table gives a selection of the awards he has won.
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |
| 1995 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |
| 1995 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Frasier) |
| 1996 | Golden Globe Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical (Frasier) |
| 1996 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Frasier) |
| 1998 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |
| 2001 | Golden Globe Award | Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical (Frasier) |
| 2004 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |
| 2006 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (The Simpsons) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Galaxies Are Colliding | Peter | |
| 1995 | Runaway Brain | Dr. Frankenollie | Short film |
| 1996 | Down Periscope | Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge | |
| 1997 | Anastasia | Vladimir | |
| 1998 | The Real Howard Spitz | Howard Spitz | |
| 1999 | Animal Farm | Snowball | |
| 1999 | New Jersey Turnpikes | Unknown | |
| 1999 | Standing on Fishes | Verk | |
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | "Stinky Pete" the Prospector | |
| 1999 | Bartok the Magnificent | Zozi | Direct-to-video release |
| 1999 | Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas | Narrator | Direct-to-video release |
| 2001 | 15 Minutes | Robert Hawkins | |
| 2001 | Just Visiting | Narrator | Uncredited |
| 2003 | The Big Empty | Agent Banks | |
| 2003 | Barbie of Swan Lake | Rothbart | Direct-to-video release |
| 2004 | Teacher's Pet | Dr. Ivan Krank | |
| 2005 | The Good Humor Man | Mr. Skibness | Also executive producer |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand | Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy/Beast | |
| 2007 | Even Money | Detective Brunner | |
| 2008 | Swing Vote | President Andrew Boone | |
| 2008 | An American Carol | General George S. Patton | |
| 2009 | Fame | Joel Cranston | |
| 2010 | Crazy on the Outside | Frank | |
| 2010 | Bunyan and Babe | Norm Blandsford | Post-production |
| 2010 | Middle Men | Frank Griffin | |
| 2010 | Alligator Point[55] | Director | TBA |
| 2011 | I Don't Know How She Does It |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Macbeth | Ross | TV film |
| 1983 | Kennedy | Stephen Smith | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | Kate & Allie | David Hamill | Episode 1.1: "Allie's First Date" |
| 1984 | George Washington | Lt. Stewart | TV miniseries |
| 1984– 1985 |
Another World | Dr. Canard | Recurring role |
| 1984– 1993 |
Cheers | Dr. Frasier Crane | Appeared in 201 episodes |
| 1986 | Crossings | Craig Lawson | TV miniseries |
| 1987 | Biography | George Washington | Episode: "Benedict Arnold" |
| 1987 | J.J. Starbuck | Pierce Morgan | Episode 1.3: "Murder in E Minor" |
| 1988 | Dance 'til Dawn | Ed Strull | TV film |
| 1989 | Top of the Hill | Unknown | TV film |
| 1989 | 227 | Mr. Anderson | Episode 4.24: "For Sale" |
| 1990 | The Tracey Ullman Show | Mr. Brenna | Episode 4.12: "Maria and the Mister" |
| 1990–present | The Simpsons | Sideshow Bob | Has appeared in twelve episodes, Recurring Role. |
| 1991 | Baby Talk | Russell | Episode 1.7: "One Night with Elliot" |
| 1992 | Wings | Dr. Frasier Crane | Episode 3.16: "Planes, Trains and Visiting Cranes" |
| 1992 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Captain Bateson | Episode 5.18: "Cause and Effect" |
| 1993 | Roc | Detective Rush | Episode 2.25: "To Love and Die on Emerson Street: Part 2" |
| 1993 | Beyond Suspicion | Ron McNally | TV film |
| 1993 | Mike & Spike | Super Dog | Episode: "Person To Sea Creature" (voice only) |
| 1993– 2004 |
Frasier | Dr. Frasier Crane | Appeared in all 264 episodes; also executive producer and director of 37 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy, 1996, 2001 Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002 |
| 1994 | The Innocent | Det. Frank Barlow | TV film |
| 1995 | The John Larroquette Show | Dr. Frasier Crane | Episode 3.1: "More Changes" |
| 1996 | London Suite | Sydney Nichols | TV film |
| 1997 | Fired Up | Tom Whitman | Episodes 1.3: "Who's the Boss" and 2.3: "You Don't Know Jack"; also executive producer |
| 1998 | The Pentagon Wars | Major General Partridge | TV film |
| 1998 | Just Shoot Me! | Narrator | Episode 3.10: "How the Finch Stole Christmas" |
| 1999 | Animal Farm | Snowball | TV film |
| 2000 | Stark Raving Mad | Professor Tuttle | 1.17: "The Grade" |
| 2001 | Neurotic Tendencies | N/A | TV film; executive producer, director and writer |
| 2000– 2008 |
Girlfriends | himself | Executive producer |
| 2001 | The Sports Pages | Howard Greene | TV film |
| 2002 | Mr. St. Nick | Nick St. Nicholas/Santa Claus the 21st | TV film |
| 2002– 2003 |
In-Laws | N/A | Executive producer |
| 2003 | Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor | George Washington | TV film |
| 2003 | Becker | Rick Cooper | Episode 5.13: "But I've Got Friends I Haven't Used Yet" |
| 2003 | Gary the Rat | Gary "The Rat" Andrews | Appeared in all 13 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2004 | A Christmas Carol | Ebenezer Scrooge | TV film |
| 2004 | The Soluna Project | N/A | TV film; executive producer |
| 2005 | Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show | Various characters | Appeared in all four aired episodes; also executive producer |
| 2005 | Out of Practice | N/A | Directed episodes 1.1 and 1.18 |
| 2006 | Medium | Angel of Death/Bob | Episode 2.21: "Death Takes a Policy" Also executive producer/Double Role |
| 2006 | My Ex Life | N/A | Director |
| 2006– 2009 |
The Game | N/A | Executive producer |
| 2007 | Dash 4 Cash | N/A | TV film; executive producer |
| 2007 | Everybody Hates Chris | N/A | Directed episode 2.22: "Everybody Hates the Last Day" |
| 2007– 2008 |
Back to You | Chuck Darling | Appeared in all 17 episodes Also executive producer |
| 2009 | Hank | Lead role | Also executive producer[56] |
| 2010 | The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills | Himself | Filmed during his marriage to Camille Donatacci Grammer |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Himself | |
| 2010 | The Troop | Dr. Cranius | |
| 2011 | Boss | Mayor Tom Kane | Also executive producer Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama |
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