David Hyde Pierce Has One Condition To Return As Niles For The Frasier Reboot

Why isn't Niles in the "Frasier" revival series? He's busy, that's why. In a recent interview with Metro's 60 Seconds, actor David Hyde Pierce reassured fans of the show that his absence from the new Paramount+ series, which has a second season due out in September, is nothing more than the result of a scheduling decision. Also, it sounds like he really might be open to coming back — briefly.

"I think right from the beginning, when we talked about it, if the idea of had we been we were going to do, like, a one-off special episode, or something that would have been very easy to commit to," Pierce explained to Metro. Basically, he'd be down for a guest star spot, but doesn't want to forgo other jobs in order to become a series regular again. We don't blame him — the actor already appeared in a staggering 263 episodes of the original series, and it's a job that took up 11 years of his life.

"It isn't so much about not doing that show, it's about the other opportunities that I have that I don't want to turn down," Pierce explained. His most recent credits include a starring role in the now-canceled Max original show "Julia," where he played the husband to renowned chef Julia Childs, and a role in "The Exorcism," part of the Russell-Crowe-plays-an-exorcist cinematic universe (note: this movie is somehow not actually related to "The Pope's Exorcist"). Pierce previously told the LA Times he was already committed to "Julia" and a role in a musical when the "Frasier" revival came together, but he also recalled thinking to himself, "'They don't actually need me [in the revival].' 'Frasier' has moved on to a new world. They have new characters." Now that "Julia" has ended, though, I can't help but wonder if he'll make a short appearance in season 2.

Despite Niles Crane's absence from the new series, his character hasn't been forgotten: David Crane, the college-age son of Niles and Daphne (Jane Leeves), is a major character in the new show. Played by Anders Keith, he is described in press materials as having "Niles' intelligence, Daphne's smile, and neither of their polish." The reappearance of Niles, even just for one episode, would no doubt be a boon to "Frasier" 2.0, as the Paramount+ series earned middling reviews from critics in its first go-round. For /Film, Josh Spiegel wrote that season 1 was "a return that's neither disappointing nor remarkable," noting as many have that "if there is anything to be said as truly shocking about the first five episodes of the new 'Frasier,' it's that there are no other returning cast members who crop up."

Elsewhere in the Metro interview, Pierce confirmed that the original series' cast is like a family. "I think that word resonates for a lot of reasons," he said. "We were all very close. We were at each other's weddings and birthings and passings and everything in between." He also said that, although "it's been about 100 years since 'Frasier' was on," he still hears from fans who approach him to explain how the show has impacted their lives. "People still come up to me and tell me how much the show means to them — what it did to get them through COVID, for example," Pierce explained.

If Pierce is ever going to return to "Frasier," it seems likely that the actor and the show's marketing will keep that decision close to the vest for a while. After all, you can only make your big entrance once, and Pierce seems to know that the hype is there. Before giving Metro a serious answer about his return, he joked about the SEO potential if he were to stay off the show: "I knew how many Google hits I would get if I didn't!" Touché! Maybe one of these days, when you search "Why isn't Niles in the 'Frasier' revival series?" the answer will have changed to "He is." In the meantime, you can watch the first season of the "Frasier" revival on Paramount+ now, with season 2 set to launch on September 19, 2024.