The Felicity Huffman Role On Frasier You May Have Missed
Over an impressive 11 years, every season of "Frasier" boasted some top-notch guest stars. The beloved sitcom, which recently returned for a revival show that was neither disappointing nor remarkable, featured everyone from Patrick Stewart to Michael Keaton and almost the entire cast of "Cheers" — the show on which Frasier Crane himself debuted.
But there were also a ton of major guest appearances that we never got to see. Dr. Crane famously ran a call-in talk radio show on Seattle's KACL station, where he would dole out life advice to embattled residents of the Emerald City, many of whom were big-time celebrities. At one point Macaulay Culkin called Frasier's show as a self-conscious 43-year-old man who was concerned about his youthful voice. Then there was the time Helen Mirren sought Dr. Crane's advice about her kleptomania. But that's just the beginning of the sitcom's extensive list of unseen guest stars. In fact, the show surely has some of the most impressive guests credits in sitcom history, with Art Garfunkel, Stephen King, David Duchovny, Kevin Bacon, Mary Tyler Moore, Billy Crystal, and Ray Liotta also lending their voices to "Frasier."
With all these big names associated with the show, you'd be forgiven for forgetting the time "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman guest-starred on the show. But guest star she did, and in one of the most controversial roles the sitcom ever saw ...
Felicity Huffman's Frasier debut
These days Felicity Huffman's name is known more in connection with the 2019 college admissions scandal that was the subject of the "Operation Varsity Blues" documentary. But prior to that unfortunate episode in an otherwise impressive career, Huffman built a reputation as a talented actress. Besides winning an Emmy and several Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role as Lynette Scavo on "Desperate Housewives," Huffman secured a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of trans woman Bree in the 2005 drama "Transamerica."
But even with as impressive a résumé as that, Huffman still seems to count her "Frasier" guest role as a career highlight. Speaking to the Television Academy Foundation, she explained that the sitcom was "one of [her] favorite shows" and that she agreed to casting director Jeff Greenberg's request for her to appear on the series "in a New York minute." Her character, however, was anything but pleased to be in Frasier's orbit. At least, at first.
Huffman played Julia Wilcox, a financial reporter who joins KACL after being fired from CNBC for writing a book called "Day Trade Your Way Out of Debt" — a moment in the reporter's career which Frasier sums up with the line, "Apparently some people lost money." Julia made her debut in season 10, episode 12 "The Harrassed" and appeared in a further seven episodes across the 10th and 11th seasons. Initially, she and Frasier clashed due to the character's icy and boorish personality. But eventually the two strike up a romance which proved to be one of the more contentious of Dr. Crane's relationships among fans.
Julia Wilcox's brief relationship with Frasier
When Julia Wilcox first arrives, she immediately establishes herself as a difficult character by referring to Peri Gilpin's Roz as "Rizzo" and demanding the producer fetch her a coffee. Julia's abrasive personality doesn't improve much over the course of the season, but Frasier is, for whatever reason, drawn to her arrogant, no-nonsense manner. That initially leads the doctor to try his luck with Julia, which only results in her rebuffing his advances and the entire KACL staff being required to attend a sexual harassment seminar.
But as the season goes on, Julia and Frasier become romantically involved after the doctor admonishes his married accountant friend for having an affair with Julia — a principled stand that Julia evidently finds very attractive. Unfortunately, the pair's short-lived entanglement would end in disaster after Julia attends a Crane family dinner and offends pretty much everyone in attendance. In the season 11 episode "A Man, a Plan and a Gal: Julia" not only does Frasier's romantic interest have the nerve to sit in Martin (John Mahoney)'s beloved recliner, she tells everyone that Daphne (Jane Leeves) is pregnant before she has a chance to reveal the news herself. But it seems none of this was too much for Frasier, who only breaks things off with Julia when she returns from the bathroom and likens his hand towels to those you might find in a home occupied by a "couple of old ladies."
Julia Wilcox was far from a fan-favorite Frasier character
If you ask fans of the series, the abrupt end to Fraiser and Julia's relationship couldn't have come any quicker. On X (formerly Twitter) you'll find no shortage of Julia Wilcox hate, though some seemed to enjoy the character's comically over-the-top hostility and brief story arc. But on the r/Frasier subreddit, Julia is evidently thought by some to be among the "top 3 worst girlfriends" Frasier ever had, with others seemingly not enjoying a single episode featuring the abrasive reporter.
Still, Felicity Huffman herself seems to have had a great time on the show, telling the Television Academy Foundation, "I remember it being a really nice group of people," before recalling how Daphne actor Jane Leeves complemented her with these supportive words, "You're just not afraid to play a total b****." Evidently, that fearlessness resulted in one of the least beloved characters in "Frasier" history, but there's no doubt that Huffman did a fantastic job in the role, delivering icy lines with an impeccably pitched nastiness. There's no doubt that even a casual watch of "Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal" will make you angry. But while Julia Wilcox might not be Huffman's best-known role, her brief stint on Frasier is still a reminder that despite recent controversy, there's no denying the actor's talent.