David Hyde Pierce insists he’s ‘not against’ returning for Frasier reboot
David Hyde Pierce has shed further light on his decision not to appear in the recent Frasier reboot, teasing that he wouldn’t be ‘against’ returning if the show returns.
The 66-year-old appeared in all 11 seasons of the original series, playing Frasier Crane’s equally stuffy brother Niles, alongside Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, John Mahoney and Peri Gilpin.
While Kelsey reprised his role for the 2023 revival – which was axed by Paramount+ after two seasons – his former co-star turned the opportunity down, meaning plans had to be overhauled for the episodes.
In a new interview to promote his latest Broadway stint in Pirates! The Penzance Musical, he was questioned about taking a backseat.
‘I did not think it would hinge on my participation. I thought it should move on from what we were doing,’ he told Variety.
‘When Frasier happened, he didn’t bring the gang from Cheers. It was successful because they made it something different.
‘Creatively, I thought, I have nothing else. I don’t think I’m going to be much fun or be that enthusiastic about returning.’
Although Paramount+ canceled the Frasier revival earlier this year, Kelsey shared that he was still hoping to find a new home for the program in the future.
When asked if he would be tempted to return as Niles if the show was to come back, David vowed: ‘If there was a reason for me to appear, I’m not against it at all.’
The original series, a spin-off of Cheers, ran for 11 years between 1993 and 2004, and claimed 37 Emmys in that time.
It followed Frasier as he swapped Boston for his hometown of Seattle, reconnecting with his brother, Niles and their dad, Martin (John), at the same time.
In the 2023 revival, the radio host returned to Boston once more so that he could work on his relationship with his son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott).
Unpacking the short-lived reboot, Kelsey suggested that it could still be a success on another channel, with other familiar faces popping up.
‘There’s a better home for it,’ he told the New York Post. ‘We’ll end up somewhere where people are passionate about it.
‘Ted [Danson] and I might visit actually something together.
‘We’ve been talking about a couple ideas. Maybe on Frasier. We don’t know.’
‘As long as it’s still a relevant relationship, it will still be relevant for the show,’ he added. ‘[Sam] and Frasier got along pretty well, discovered some things together about life. They could still do that.’
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