Did Kelsey Grammer Really Fire Two Babies From Frasier?

Look, I, like an entire generation of '90s kids, love Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane. Across four decades, the actor has demonstrated a remarkable talent for playing a character who is at once warm and affable yet also insufferably pompous. Grammer has never once missed a step playing Dr. Crane, even in the neither remarkable yet disappointing "Frasier" revival series currently streaming on Paramount+. From his debut in "Cheers" to his current streaming-age exploits, Frasier has been a delight to watch as portrayed by Grammer.

But the actor's tenure as the beloved psychiatrist hasn't been without some questionable moments. Take, for instance, the time he became so frustrated by his "Frasier" co-star that he lightly chastised him for being "silly" and garnering "so much attention." At first, his comments seemed like a tongue-in-cheek ribbing from the sitcom star, but then his 1995 memoir came out and the tone took a more serious turn. "The only difficulty I have is when people start believing he's an actor," wrote Grammer of his colleague. "Acting to me is a craft, not a reflex. It takes years to master, and though it does have its rewards, the reward I seek is not a hot dog." Who is Grammer getting so upset about? A dog.

Moose the dog played Eddie in the original sitcom (along with his son, Enzo) and evidently wasn't Grammer's favorite cast member. You might think the man was being facetious in an attempt to carry over some of the comedy from his illustrious sitcom career. But that's not entirely clear from his memoir, which continues, "Moose does tricks; I memorize lines, say words, even walk around and stuff. But I don't need a trainer standing off-camera, gesticulating wildly and waving around a piece of meat, to know where I'm supposed to look."

The history of dodgy Grammer quotes continued with his not-so-modest contention that his character alone was the key to the success of "Frasier" — a patently "silly" thing to say considering the original series had one of the finest ensembles yet assembled for the small screen. Now, further evidence in favor of Grammer's own "silliness" might well have emerged, though much like with his dog hissy fit, it remains unclear just how serious the man is.

If you wondered whether Kelsey Grammer could turn his ire from dogs to that other group actors are warned against working with — children — he absolutely can ... I think. Speaking to the LA Times, Grammer and Jack Cutmore-Scott (who plays Dr. Crane's son Freddy on the "Frasier" reboot) discussed child actors used on the original sitcom. The writer asks Cutmore-Scott, "Other people played Freddy in 'Frasier.' Did you give much thought into how to incorporate those performances into your part?" But instead of the Freddy actor replying, we get yet another inscrutable interjection from Grammer, who appears to go off on a tangent about firing children from his sitcom. "There were a few. I fired one," said the star, adding:

"I said to one kid, 'Are you tired?.' And he said, 'No.' And I said, 'I think you need to go have a nap.' And he said, 'No, I don't need to have a nap.' And I said, 'Well, I'll tell you what, you're gonna take a break anyway because I'm not sure if this is your future.' I just thought that kid's not gonna make it."

It's hard to tell from a written interview, but it's not entirely clear that Grammer is kidding here. If not, which Freddy actor did he fire? Was he really that upset about a child doing what children do and refusing to take a nap? It would seem ridiculous if true, right? Well, not only is this the man who agreed to put together an airborne casino heist in "Money Plane," the film the Daily Beast called "the dumbest movie of 2020," but wait until you hear what else he did.

Did Frasier really fire a kid for not taking a nap? Before we can even begin to parse Kelsey Grammer's comments in that regard, he hit us with another bombshell, telling the LA Times that he also dismissed two little girls who played Roz (Peri Gilpin)'s baby daughter, Alice, on the show. "I did fire a couple of babies once," says Grammer. "Roz's child: we had twins for that. They just would not cooperate. So I said, 'Go enjoy your new career as babies.'"

Now, I'm sure working with kids can be as difficult as they say, especially babies. It's also not as if Hollywood is renowned for its grace and sensitivity to actors. But would you really openly admit to firing two little babies when you weren't even asked about it? It has to be a joke ... right? Meanwhile, Alice is played by Grammer's own daughter, Greer, on the "Frasier" revival series, and if I were her I'd be a tad worried about being unceremoniously discharged if babies aren't off the table.

Not that any of this takes away from Grammer's performances, but surely any "Frasier" fan and follower of the man's career would be intrigued to know what actually went on. Alas, it seems this is yet another public utterance from the actor that will remain frustratingly opaque — not as frustrating as having your dog co-star dubbed an "actor," I'm sure — but frustrating nonetheless.