John Mahoney smiling at an event
Movies - TV
How The Frasier Reboot Honors The Memory Of John Mahoney
By JOE ROBERTS
Sadly, John Mahoney, who played Martin Crane on “Frasier,” passed away in 2018. Fans feared the show’s Paramount+ reboot would suffer without such a crucial actor and character.
“Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer told Fox News that Mahoney’s loss was devastating, and the revival planned to honor the incredible actor and his contributions to the show.
Grammar was true to his word, as Martin is a strong presence in the premiere episode. Frasier mentions his father Martin’s funeral, revealing the character has also passed away.
The episode also sees Frasier trying to reconnect with his son, Freddy, who didn’t attend the funeral. Freddy reveals Martin came to comfort him when his friend died in a fire.
For Freddy, Martin meant too much to him and he couldn't face the loss head-on — a feeling Grammer and the crew no doubt confronted when faced with the loss of Mahoney.
Having shared his reasons for forgoing the funeral, Freddy is gifted by his father the flag that flew over the Seattle capitol to honor Martin’s passing.
Frasier then promises to be a better dad, not only to make up for being absent in Freddy’s life but to honor his own father’s dedication to being a dad.