View source for Frasier

==Characters==
{{main|List of Frasier characters}}

===Main===
[[File:FrazierCap.theora.ogv|thumb|Grammer, Hyde Pierce and Mahoney in character in an advertisement for [[US Treasury bonds]]|alt=]]
* [[Kelsey Grammer]] as [[Frasier Crane]], a radio psychiatrist. He is fussy, uptight, cultured, and sometimes arrogant. Having grown up with an educated mother and an "[[average Joe]]" father, Frasier epitomizes an [[Upper class|upper-class]] sophistication, yet is still sympathetic to [[Working class|working-class]] culture. After returning to Seattle, he begins embracing his more privileged background and develops a more selfish and aloof manner, possibly due to rekindling his relationship with his younger brother, [[Niles Crane]]. Despite his haughty demeanor, however, Frasier has a strong sense of ethics.
* [[Jane Leeves]] as [[Daphne Moon]] (later Crane), an English immigrant from [[Manchester]]; a physiotherapist and live-in aide hired by Frasier to help his father. Daphne's eccentric, working-class background and self-professed psychic abilities (which often end up being correct) frequently lead to Daphne's comical non-sequiturs about her unusual family, which is a sharp contrast to the Cranes' incredulity. In spite of their different upbringings, Niles falls for her instantly. Niles's obsession with Daphne and her obliviousness to this is developed throughout the earlier seasons of the series.
* [[David Hyde Pierce]] as [[Niles Crane]], Frasier's younger brother. He is a psychiatrist in private practice. Educated, coldhearted, and more arrogant than Frasier, Niles's snobby, anxious qualities provide a foil for Frasier's own issues. Despite his aforementioned qualities, he is brave, caring, and well-meaning, which, to his loved ones, more than makes up for his eccentricities and quirks. Niles is very close to his older brother, though their fiercely competitive natures often provide the audience with much humor throughout the series. Like Frasier, Niles has a deep appreciation and respect for the arts, music, and pursuits that are seen as intellectual and prefers these activities over most sports, though he excels in squash and croquet. Niles is severely [[mysophobia|mysophobic]], often given to wiping his hands after human contact, and is even depicted wiping down chairs in public places before sitting on them.
* [[Peri Gilpin]] as [[Roz Doyle]], the producer of Frasier's radio show. A native of Bloomer, Wisconsin, Roz, one of two single women in the series, is depicted as a sharp contrast to Daphne. Throughout the show, Roz's search for love and liberal approach to dating is the subject of many witty remarks, particularly from Niles. In the middle of series' run, Roz becomes pregnant with her first child, Alice, and the show addresses some of the challenges of being a single mother, including Roz having to borrow money from her boss, and the personal and professional strain that places on their relationship.
* [[John Mahoney]] as [[Martin Crane]], Frasier and Niles's father, is an outspoken and laid-back Seattle police detective who was forced to retire after sustaining a gunshot wound to his hip. Because this injury renders him incapable of living alone, upon Frasier's return to Seattle, Martin is forced to accept Frasier's invitation to live with him. Though he and his sons share few commonalities, the relationship between the three men strengthens throughout the series. Martin's relationship with his Jack Russell terrier, Eddie, and his pea-green tartan- and twill-upholstered duck tape stricken recliner are a perpetual source of distress for Frasier. He is also known for his fondness for beer (specifically that for [[P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company|Ballantine]]).
* [[Dan Butler]] as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe (main seasons 4–6; recurring season 1; special appearance seasons 2–3; special guest seasons 7–11), a [[shock jock]] hosting a sports show which follows Frasier's time slot at KACL.

===Recurring===
* [[Harriet Sansom Harris]] as Bebe Glazer (seasons 1–5, 7 & 9–11), Frasier's flirtatious and duplicitous agent. Described by Niles as "[[Lady Macbeth]] without the sincerity", she will use any method to get her or her clients the best deal.
* [[Patrick Kerr]] as Noel Shempsky (seasons 6–11; guest seasons 1 & 3–5), KACL technical assistant and avid ''[[Star Trek]]'' aficionado who speaks fluent [[Klingon (language)|Klingon]] and Spanish (allowing him to keeping his job when the station owner change formats in Season 5) In season one, Roz goes on one date with Noel and he is smitten with her ever since.
* [[Edward Hibbert]] as Gil Chesterton (seasons 2–8 & 10–11; guest season 1), KACL's posh, [[Camp (style)|camp]] restaurant critic, his arguably "effeminate" nature is the source of many gay innuendos on the show, despite him revealing early in the series that he is married to a woman who is a car mechanic by trade.
* [[Marsha Mason]] as Sherry Dempsey (seasons 4–5), Martin's flamboyant girlfriend, whose tastes and opinions are often a cause of antagonism and arguments with the rest of the family.
* [[Tom McGowan]] as Kenny Daly (seasons 7–11; guest seasons 5–6), KACL's station manager
* [[Millicent Martin]] as Gertrude Moon (seasons 9–10; guest seasons 7, 11), Daphne's mother
* [[Brian Klugman]] as Kirby Gardner (season 9; guest season 8), a part-timer at KACL and the son of Frasier's former classmate
* Ashley Thomas as Alice Doyle (seasons 10–11; co-star season 9), Roz's daughter
* [[Felicity Huffman]] as Julia Wilcox (season 10; guest 11), host of a financial news segment, whose personality leads to frequent clashes with others at KACL
* [[Wendie Malick]] as Ronee Lawrence (season 11), Frasier and Niles's childhood babysitter who, after a chance meeting, becomes Martin's girlfriend
* [[Luke Tarsitano]] (season 3) and [[Trevor Einhorn]] (seasons 4–11) as Frederick Gaylord Crane, Frasier's son with ex-wife Lilith

===Notes===
The main cast remained unchanged for all 11 years.{{r|mcfadden}} When the series ended in 2004, Grammer had portrayed the character of Frasier Crane for a total of 20 years, including his nine seasons on ''Cheers'' plus a one-time performance as the character on the series ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'', which earned Grammer an Emmy nomination. At the time, he tied [[James Arness]]' portrayal of [[Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke)|Matt Dillon]] on ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' for the longest-running character on American primetime television.<ref name=indyheart /> The record has since been surpassed in animation by the voice cast of ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and in live action by [[Richard Belzer]]'s portrayal of [[John Munch]] and [[Mariska Hargitay]]'s portrayal of [[Olivia Benson]] (both on ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'', among several other series). Grammer was briefly the highest-paid television actor in the United States for his portrayal of Frasier, while Jane Leeves was the highest-paid British actress.<ref name="indyheart">{{cite news|last=Gorman |first=Steve |title=Kelsey Grammer has heart attack |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/kelsey-grammer--has-heart-attack-838970.html |date=June 3, 2008 |access-date=February 20, 2009 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227095325/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/kelsey-grammer--has-heart-attack-838970.html |archive-date=February 27, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="bbcNewsmakers">{{cite news |last=Frost |first=Caroline |title=Frasier: Goodnight Seattle... |date=January 24, 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/newsmakers/2691735.stm |access-date=February 20, 2009 |work=BBC News |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108050929/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2000/newsmakers/2691735.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In addition to those of the ensemble, additional story lines included characters from Frasier's former incarnation on ''Cheers'', such as his ex-wife [[Lilith Sternin]], played by [[Bebe Neuwirth]], and their son, Frederick, played by [[Trevor Einhorn]].

=== Guest stars ===
Throughout the series, numerous guest stars appeared such as:
{{div col | colwidth=25em}}
* [[René Auberjonois]] 
* [[Christine Baranski]]
* [[Kristin Chenoweth]] 
* [[Erika Christensen]]
* [[Patricia Clarkson]] 
* [[Gary Cole]]
* [[Kim Coles]]
* [[Robbie Coltrane]]
* [[Jennifer Coolidge]]
* [[Elvis Costello]] 
* [[Brian Cox (actor)|Brian Cox]]
* [[Alan Cumming]] 
* [[Zooey Deschanel]] 
* [[Illeana Douglas]] 
* [[Griffin Dunne]]
* [[Aaron Eckhart]]
* [[Katie Finneran]]
* [[Victor Garber]]
* [[Ana Gasteyer]] 
* [[Tony Goldwyn]]
* [[Richard E. Grant]]
* [[Luis Guzman]] 
* [[John Hannah (actor)|John Hannah]]
* [[Teri Hatcher]]
* [[Bob Hoskins]] 
* [[Derek Jacobi]]
* [[Allison Janney]] 
* [[James Earl Jones]]
* [[Jane Kaczmarek]]
* [[Michael Keaton]] 
* [[Nathan Lane]]
* [[Anthony LaPaglia]]
* [[Piper Laurie]] 
* [[Laura Linney]]
* [[Patti LuPone]]
* [[Virginia Madsen]]
* [[Patrick Macnee]]
* [[John C. McGinley]]
* [[Phil McGraw]] 
* [[S. Epatha Merkerson]] 
* [[Laurie Metcalf]] 
* [[Brian Stokes Mitchell]]
* [[Donald O'Connor]]
* [[Estelle Parsons]] 
* [[Rosie Perez]]
* [[Robert Picardo]] 
* [[Teri Polo]] 
* [[Saul Rubinek]]
* [[Mercedes Ruehl]]
* [[Eva Marie Saint]]
* [[Rebecca Schull]]
* [[Tony Shalhoub]]
* [[Marian Seldes]] 
* [[Jean Smart]]
* [[Brent Spiner]]
* [[Patrick Stewart]] 
* [[David Ogden Stiers]] 
* [[Jennifer Tilly]] 
* [[Jeanne Tripplehorn]] 
* [[Sela Ward]] 
* [[Rita Wilson]]
* [[Bellamy Young]] 
{{div col end}}

''' ''Cheers'' co-stars who returned'''
* [[Bebe Neuwirth]]
* [[Shelley Long]]
* [[Ted Danson]]
* [[Woody Harrelson]]
* [[Rhea Perlman]]
* [[John Ratzenberger]]
* [[George Wendt]]

=== Reunions ===
Grammer had been the voice of [[Sideshow Bob]] on ''[[The Simpsons]]'' since 1990. In a 1997 episode (while ''Frasier'' was still in production), the character's brother, [[Cecil Terwilliger]], was introduced, played by Pierce, as per the reference in the episode title, "[[Brother from Another Series]]". The episode contained numerous ''Frasier'' references, including a ''Frasier''-style version of ''The Simpsons'' theme for a transition and its iconic title card for the same thing. Pierce returned as Cecil for the second time (the first since ''Frasier'' had concluded) alongside Grammer in the 2007 episode "[[Funeral for a Fiend]]". The episode introduced the brothers' father, Dr. Robert Terwilliger, who was portrayed by Mahoney.

Cast reunions also occurred on four episodes of ''[[Hot in Cleveland]]'', which featured Leeves in the main cast along with [[Wendie Malick]] (who played Martin's girlfriend towards the end of ''Frasier''). In the season-two episode "Unseparated at Birth" and season-three episode "Funeral Crashers", Mahoney guest-starred as a waiter smitten with [[Betty White]]'s character. Gilpin appeared in the episode "I Love Lucci (Part 1)", and [[Tom McGowan]] (who played Kenny Daly) appeared in "Love Thy Neighbor" as a casting director. ''Hot in Cleveland'' was created and produced by [[Suzanne Martin]], who wrote multiple episodes of ''Frasier''.