Kelsey Grammer is a fan of ham. Iberian ham, of course. The American actor (Virgin Islands, 69 years old) confesses that he did not try it in Spain, but that his first tasting took place about a decade ago in Morocco, while he was filming a movie there when “a great guy named Vlad” cut him some slices “very, very thin and he put them on a piece of bread”: “It melted in my mouth, and I thought: ‘Okay, now I understand everything.’ Since then 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 interpreter tells the anecdote because the first episode of the second season of Frasier It stars, with your permission, a good leg of Iberian ham. Because, for those who have stayed in the nineties, yes, Frasier is back. It was already last year, but now it reinforces that long-awaited return: after 11 seasons as one of the most important series on television, between 1993 and 2004, the comedy about the uptight and funny psychiatrist returned in the fall of 2023. Now, The series that can be seen in Spain on the SkyShowtime platform returns with more force. If the first seasons can be unstable in the returns, the one by the now university professor based in Boston has been a success enough to renew and release a second of another 10 chapters [ya disponibles los dos primeros episodios]. Its protagonist, in addition to being an executive producer, reveals that they are already working on a third during a video call with EL PAÍS, who was also able to attend a day of filming, with a live audience and applause, at the Paramount studios in Hollywood. Los Angeles. And he says that, although it cannot be seen from the seats, Iberian ham is “a staple on the filming set.”
Ask. He has been living with Frasier Crane for almost four decades. That’s a long time for a co-worker. Do you feel like you have parallel lives?
Answer. The truth is that yes, we do have parallel lives. I mean, when I walk down the street, people come closer… It’s like a shadow, yeah. A kind of shadow that I wear attached to my hip. And I don’t care, because it’s fun. He is a fun guy, passionate about life, who wants to live a full life. We are not that different. I also want to be vibrant and meaningful and relevant and be alive and experience it all. strong [en español, ríe]. We are intertwined. He’s with me a lot.
From left to right, Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Peri Gilpin as Roz, Jess Salgueiro as Eve and Kelsey Grammer as Frasier, in the fifth episode of the second season of ‘Frasier’.Chris Haston (Paramount+)
P. If in real life I met FrasierDo you think they would be friends?
R. I think I would be friendly with him if I had the chance to spend time with him. We could become friends. He lives in a world that doesn’t interest me too much… I don’t know, we are not aligned on many things, but I would like to. Additionally, I was raised in Christian Science, which is another branch of Christianity. Very metaphysical. But [Mary Baker Eddy] The woman who wrote the key book of Christian Science said one thing: ‘Always observe the perfect son of God.’ And I have that recorded. So when I meet people, I always try to see that perfect son. And the most interesting thing is that usually that’s what they show you. If you look for it, that’s what they are.
P. They have managed to reach a second season of the series. Did you expect it, are you happy?
R. I am very happy about it. I expected it because I thought we had made a good series. The cast is great. we put it [a Frasier] in a new world, but we maintained care, that cares about people, about achieving something with their life and about connecting, that’s the same. It’s just a different group of people. And, of course, a son. Honestly, I thought it would do well if people paid attention to it, and we’ve gotten enough attention that it might last another 100 years. [risas].
P. Would he play Frasier for another 100 years?
R. Yes, yes.
P. At least 10?
R. I would do 10, without a doubt.
The original cast of ‘Frasier’ in 1994, in the second season of the series. From left, David Hyde Pierce, Peri Gilpin, Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, and John Mahoney, with the dog Moose.Everett /Cordon Press
P. When you go to the set you see how the audience laughs, and you immediately notice the connection between the actors. They all joke around, they like each other, it’s obvious and important, it seems, for the series.
P. Yes, there is real affection between everyone, there is joy. We celebrate people succeeding with their roles, we chant for them. And you know the best? That when we do it, the public does too. And we are becoming a family, the public begins to see us that way, and that is the key. If we get to that, we can stay as long as we want.
R. How do you think they have achieved success in this comeback? The humor of the series is white, friendly, not aggressive. Is it the actors, the scripts…?
P. Clearly, the scripts are the most important thing. Without a good script, you’re dead. I’ve seen great actors save mediocre scripts many times, but I’ve never seen a bad actor ruin a great script. With that you are halfway done, and we have very good scriptwriters. So I’m excited for what’s to come. The cast is already an expert in their characters, they already know where they are going, and that takes time. Specifically, 10 chapters [risas]. Now there are 10 others and they are already professionals, they know the characters better than anyone. I think people are still watching Frasier because he brings people together. He makes a lot of mistakes, but he’s adorable because he cares about doing it right. It is a great mirror of life.
R. Is it harder to make people laugh today than it was 20 or 30 years ago?
P. It would reflect much of what happens in our society. I don’t reflect on this very often, but yes, it’s all very serious. From the color of your toenail polish to, you know, don’t criticize this or don’t criticize that or don’t comment on this. Honestly: let’s lighten it up a bit. That’s what I want to tell everyone: have a sense of humor. If you have an opponent out there, tell him a joke. Don’t spend so much time worrying.
R. Is comedy, especially this white comedy, necessary today?
P. Absolutely. We all need a good laugh and it is laughter that helps us get through things. People tell me: ‘I was in the hospital for two months and the only thing I laughed at was with you, you saved my life.’ And for them to tell you that is incredible, and they mean it. Laughter is powerful, it heals you, it gets you up in the morning.
A scene from the series ‘Frasier’ with actors Kelsey Grammer and Jack Cutmore-Scott, who play Dr. Frasier Crane and his son Freddy.Chris Haston (Paramount+)
R. This Frasier of now is no longer a 29-year-old kid, he is around 60, he has different concerns, other issues.
P. It’s fun. I myself feel more alive now than I did 30 years ago. I think, without a doubt, that I am more interesting. I know more. I love more fully. It is fascinating to see the wealth that is out there while you continue in this life, it forces you to keep your eyes open and dedicate yourself to being relevant in every facet of your life. That’s what it’s about Frasierand it’s still fun, even funnier.
P. And it is also important to show that on television, platforms and networks do not usually do it.
R. Yes, very true. You can look at someone who has been kicked by life and think, ‘There are more things I need to pay attention to.’
P. He is now also executive producer of the series. Does that make things easier for you or give you headaches?
R. Well, people ask me for some things, I’m like the vote that decides. But I don’t care, I know what I like and what I think is right. If I say it will be done this way, it will be done this way [risas]. I hear you, I’m not the bad guy. I only have the last word and, for the moment, I have not made any big mistakes.
