How A Case Of Stage Fright Led To John Mahoney's Frasier Casting
It's hard to imagine "Frasier" without the supporting cast that made it such a beloved show. That said, we don't have to imagine. The recent "Frasier" revival show, which is neither disappointing nor remarkable, has given us a glimpse of what the stellar '90s sitcom would have looked like if Kelsey Grammer's fussy psychiatrist was surrounded by less likable characters.
In the original series, Grammar was brilliant as Dr. Crane, but much of that was down to how well he played off the rest of the cast. Whether it was David Hyde Pierce's Niles, Jane Leeves' Daphne, or Peri Gilpin's Roz, each member of the cast brought something unique to the show that helped highlight various aspects of the titular doctor's flawed yet endlessly endearing personality.
On the revival, however, that same magic just isn't quite there. Still, it seems the producers weren't entirely unaware of the importance of the original cast. Aside from the fact that Grammer initially wanted to bring them all back before they all turned him down, the opening episode of the revival show takes time to mourn the great John Mahoney, who played Frasier and Niles' father, Martin, on the original show. The actor sadly passed away in 2018, making his return impossible. But his legacy looms large in the reboot, and his performance as Martin remains remarkable for showcasing Mahoney's ability to switch between comedy and deeply affecting drama with ease.
It's strange to think, then, that the actor's casting came down to a case of stage fright on a completely different show.
Stage Fright on the Cheers set
Martin was a big part of the moral heart of "Frasier." His blue-collar manner might have the complete opposite of his sons' pomposity, but he always came across as a wise and morally-centered character who would frequently bring Niles and Frasier down to earth when they needed it most. If it weren't for John Mahoney's talents, none of that would have been possible. With that in mind, you'd have thought the producers had Mahoney — who was 53 when he was hired on "Frasier" — in mind for years. In fact, they'd only seen him on a single episode of "Cheers," and even that was somewhat of a fluke.
Speaking to Yahoo!, legendary director James Burrows, who not only co-created "Cheers" but directed multiple episodes of "Frasier," "Friends," "Will & Grace," and numerous other sitcoms, revealed how Mahoney came to be cast on "Frasier." The actor actually played a small part on "Cheers," the show on which Frasier Crane himself debuted and became a central character. As Burrows remembered:
"We had a 'Cheers' episode ['Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman'] where Rebecca, Kirstie Alley, wants to hire a guy to write a jingle for the bar. So we had a B-story where he hires this guy, and he plays a jingle on the piano. It's not very good, and so he's let go."
According to Burrows, things went well at the episode's dress rehearsal, but when it came time to shoot, the actor playing the part of jingle writer Sy Flembeck "had driven off the lot" due to being "too scared." The director recalled how the crew was forced to reshoot the subplot another day, this time with a different actor playing the songster in question. Enter: John Mahoney.
Mahoney went from bit part to big star
As James Burrows remembered, he had seen John Mahoney in a production of John Guare's "The House of Blue Leaves." Mahoney played the lead role of Artie, a zookeeper with dreams of becoming a big-time songwriter, and played the piano in the role. Burrows naturally thought of him for the part of the piano player in "Cheers" after the previous actor was overcome with stage fright. The director continued:
"I had seen 'House of Blue Leaves' in Los Angeles, and John Mahoney was in it playing the lead. He played the piano. So I said, 'Let's look at John Mahoney, he's a wonderful actor.' We offered the part to John."
Mahoney did indeed accept the role, but little did he know that this small part in "Cheers" would lead to him playing Martin in "Frasier." "Do Not Forsake Me, O' My Postman" aired in 1992, around the time Kelsey Grammer was gearing up for his new show. Prior to the 1992 finale of "Cheers," Paramount had offered Grammer his own show, and he enlisted "Cheers" writers Peter Angell, David Casey, and David Lee to help him develop it. After a misguided attempt to completely abandon the "Cheers"-verse, the group came up with a spin-off starring Dr. Crane and remembered Mahoney from his brief appearance on their previous show. They immediately cast him as Martin on "Frasier."
Interestingly enough, it turned out that the actor didn't actually know how to play the piano, so as Burrows recalled, when Mahoney turned up for his "Cheers" episode, the director had to "turn the piano a little bit upstage so you couldn't see that." Meanwhile, the guy who drove off the "Cheers" lot is probably wondering if he'd have been cast as Martin.