The man doesn’t recognize her at first. Then, the woman whips around. “It’s me, dummy,” she says, and he lights up.
And with that, Roz is firmly back in Frasier’s universe, and life is a little bit better.
Roz (Peri Gilpin), who played Frasier’s (Kelsey Grammer) radio producer in the 1993-2004 series, showed up once in the freshman year of the revival. She’s back now as a regular and guaranteed to continue deflating the good doctor’s pomposity and remain his level-headed friend.
Roz is one of those wise women everyone wants in their life. In one episode, she uses the wisdom gained over the years to persuade Eve (Jess Salgueiro), Frasier’s neighbor and single mother of a baby, to have a night out. Eve worries about leaving her infant with Frasier, a friend, and his son.
“Do you really think we would trade John for white zinfandel?” an exasperated Frasier exclaims, then waits a beat before adding, “Or any wine?”
The second season of Frasier returns to Paramount+ on Thursday, Sept. 19, with two episodes and new ones dropping weekly. For anyone who missed last season’s return, Frasier has moved from Seattle to Boston, where he is rekindling a relationship with his firefighter son, Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), and lecturing at Harvard.
Returning to Boston, where this character began on Cheers, also gives Frasier new situations and co-stars. What is unchanged is the portrait of an exceptionally intelligent and cultured man often flummoxed by life’s mundane demands.
Grammer remains both a deft physical comedian—his babysitting difficulties are hilarious—and the perfect straight man. His deadpan self-involvement allows others to shine, including his boss, Olivia (Toks Olagundoye), and former classmate and current colleague Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst).
In addition to Gilpin, this season has appearances by Patricia Heaton, Rachel Bloom, and Amy Sedaris. All of their characters could recur, and this season also promises a call-in from Carol Burnett.
Additional television royalty is behind the scenes. James Burrows (Cheers, Taxi, Will & Grace) directs the season’s first two episodes. During its first run, Frasier won 37 Emmys.
So, the proverbial sitcom stage, and this one happens to be Soundstage 18 on the Paramount Lot, is set. From a table read, where the actors read through a script for the first time, it was clear that Grammer and Gilpin have kept their special bond, as have their characters.
Roz has always been fun, forever looking for the right man, or any man—depending on how close it is to the last call. She also brought the same ballast to the show as Frasier’s dad, the late great John Mahoney, who played Martin. She can set Frasier right and is completely relatable as the girlfriend we all need.
Some of that is the result of an early casting decision. Much of it comes from Gilpin and Grammer’s impeccable timing. In a joint interview with The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, they discussed their work as Roz and Frasier, why it works, and where they hope to see the characters go.
Was the onscreen chemistry between you two obvious from the beginning?
Grammer: From my perspective, yes, of course, from the very first show we did together. I knew about her for quite a while before we ended up working together, but we had cast someone else (Lisa Kudrow) in the role of Roz Doyle. Peri and I had actually met working on Cheers. She did a guest star as a reporter, and I thought, “She’s pretty good,” but that was about the extent of it.
Peri’s name came up after we just couldn’t find how to help Lisa make this role work. It didn’t connect. And that was partially our fault and really no fault of hers. We were a little bit at sea about what that character was supposed to be. And then Peri’s name came up, and it was, “Oh, yeah, well, she’s good. She’ll be able to give it some depth and some gravitas that we weren’t able to find.” And Peri walked in and did the first rehearsal.
And it was, boom, she was fantastic. So, we missed the luxury of the first reading because we just didn’t have it. Peri came, and it was a day before. It was a Friday. Was it Monday? So she had one day rehearsal, and boom, off and running. It was magnificent.
Did you know instantly that this worked? If so, how?
Gilpin: Well, I was a huge fan of Cheers. And I had done a couple of shows on the lot there at Paramount, and I was just in kind of awe of just being there. When I got to do the episode of Cheers, I was watching everyone work. It was the fourth-to-the-last episode, and Jimmy (Burrows) was directing, I think, stuff from the last one, stuff for the finale ahead, like a conductor, just doing thousands of things at the same time.
You could tell that they were going, “What are we going to do when this is over in two weeks?” You could feel it. And you know, I was just thrilled to be there and absorb it all. And Kelsey and I got to know each other during that time. And he said at one point, “You know, I’m going to do a show. You should audition for it.” And I go, “I’m in the process. I have been, and it was just really great.” And because there was a great part, so when I finally walked in to do it, I felt like I was very lucky that I got it.
Grammer: Did you feel like it was your part before you came in?
Gilpin: No.
Grammer: I’ve had that happen a couple of times, where I thought, “That’s my role.” And then something happens to the other person who was cast, and they’re gone. I mean, with J.T. Walsh, who was kind of tragic, he broke his leg, and suddenly I was playing Cassio (in Othello). “Oh, that’s my role. I’m doing that.” And then I did spend a year doing it with James Earl Jones.
Gilpin: I didn’t feel like it was mine. But, you know, I was at that age where you’re just all audition, audition, audition. You don’t get 99 percent of them. So it was like, “OK, Lisa got it.” We went to lunch because she got the part. I was like, “Oh, I’m paying, and congratulations!” She was, “I’m paying, I’m working.” It was very normal not to get something. And then I got a phone call telling me to come to work on Monday. Actually, I did come on Friday, right? I did get three days.
Grammer: And of course, Lisa was fantastic in that other show (Friends). I remember shooting pool with Matthew Perry at my house when they announced that they were going to actually pick that show up. It was just like a week or two before we started. So that was what she was meant to do. And they were able to write to her particular set of skills. I mean, she’s a little bit quirky and unpredictable. We needed somebody on a little more solid ground. Frasier needed a guide, rather than someone that was as crazy as he was.
Granted you have done a lot of theater, and other roles, but how long can you continue to do Frasier?
Grammer: For as long as it’s fun, and my life is fun. So, you know, forevermore. I mean, he’s not the only one I want to play. I had the good fortune to say goodbye to Frasier at one point and go on and play a couple of really pivotal roles for me since then that have been kind of remarkable in their reach.
Do you still watch the repeats?
Grammer: Sure.
Gilpin: Especially when there’s an old show, and you’re just sitting there, why not? And I think, “Oh, I know what’s going to happen.” I never know what’s going to happen. I’ve forgotten everything. It’s so weird. It’s wonderful.
Grammer: When we did the Niles’ heart attack one, I’d forgotten it was a two-parter. I can tell you, I said, “What? Where’s the hospital?” Oh, it’s the next one. I see it all the time in England. That’s because my wife is English, of course, so my kids are half English, and we have to show up for the parents, you know, we have to be there. So, it’s on every morning, Channel Four, back-to-back, two episodes every morning for the past 30 years.
Where would you like to see Roz go?
Gilpin: I’m curious what comes next. I want to be excited. I want it to be fun. I want it to be great. But I’m not sure what that is. My kids have gone to college and you need to plan the next stage, but sometimes you let things go and you don’t do it, and you just find yourself plodding along. And if I think it’s great to have a dream, and great to reach for the stars again and continue to do that the way we did when we were younger.
What have we not touched on about the two of you working together?
Grammer: It’s a relationship that is comfortable. And the reason I say comfortable is because I think it’ll make people feel comfortable to see it, and I want to invite them to see it. Listen, it’s not art unless somebody sees it. And that’s our biggest challenge at this point. We’ve got our hand on our hearts, and we have to have our hand out here saying, “Come and see the show.” And it’s a blessing. And I think people will feel that sort of comfort as they watch and see the kind of show that they’re used to seeing, or at least they were used to seeing 20 years ago.
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