Movies - TV
Why David Hyde Pierce Isn't Returning As Niles For The Frasier Revival
By JOE ROBERTS
As news of the “Frasier” revival began to drop many wondered who would be reprising their roles, with most fans focusing on David Hyde Pierce and his character Niles. It is now not only clear that Peirce will not be returning to the role that won him four Emmys, but there isn’t any ambiguity surrounding his disinterest.
As Kelsey Grammer explained in a recent interview, "For a while, we were going to try to bring back [...] the whole legacy cast [...] David basically decided he wasn't really interested in repeating the performance of Niles." He went on to put a positive spin on the news, saying that Pierce not being involved "took us to a new place" and led to the creation of "an entirely new life" for Frasier.
Grammer's latest comments fit with Pierce's own, with the actor telling Vulture in June 2022 that, since "Frasier" ended, "I don't have a strong feeling that there's anything more that I can think of that I need to say about [Niles].” He went on to explain he just wasn't interested in the project, stating, "In terms of my own drive and interest, no. I love those characters, but I don't miss them."