'Groveling' Kelsey Grammer 'Being Forced to Swallow Pride' and Beg Former 'Frasier' Co-Stars to Join Reboot as it 'Faces the Axe'
Kelsey Grammer is also at risk of losing his massive paycheck from the show.
Feb. 4 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Kelsey Grammer is said to be scrambling to save his beloved Frasier reboot from a humiliating cancellation – and is turning to old co-stars he once gave the cold shoulder to for help, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Industry sources claimed Grammer, 69, has been forced to swallow his pride and beg David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin to rejoin the cast.
Sources said Grammer is 'pulling out all the stops' to save the reboot.
Fraiser returned to air in the fall 2023 without Pierce, 65, and Leeves, 63, reprising their roles as Niles Crane and Daphne Moon, respectively. Gilpin, who played Roz Doyle in the original hit 90s sitcom, only made a few cameos.
Sadly, John Mahoney, who played dad Martin Crane, died in 2018.
The reboot aired for two seasons on Paramount+ until it was recently canceled. The show's producer, CBS Studios, is now said to be shopping the revival in hopes of finding a new platform.
Jane Leeves did not reprise her role of Daphne Moon in the reboot.
Desperate to renew the critically panned series, the Cheers alum had no other choice but to go with hat in hand to Piece, Leeves and Gilpin, and beg for their support in rescuing Frasier, a source revealed.
The industry insider said: "Kelsey has a lot of pride and I'm sure it wasn't something he wanted to do, but I'm also certain he felt he owed it to the characters and the existing cast to leave no stone unturned in making sure the show stays on air.
"He's frantic in trying to find a solution to save the show and is pulling out all the stops."
Peri Gilpin, who played Roz Doyle in the original series, only made a few cameos.
Meanwhile, rumors of a rift between Grammer and the other cast members – in particular between him and Pierce – have been roiling Hollywood.
But Pierce has adamantly insisted that scheduling conflicts – he was performing in two musicals when the show was filming – and a desire to move on from the character were to blame for his absence, not any animosity toward his former on-screen brother.
Still, a source claimed Pierce has good reason not to want to team up with Grammer again.
Rumors of rift between Grammer and David Hyde Pierce were said to be the reason he did not return as Niles Crane.
They explained: "There was a time when David had to carry the show because Kelsey was in rehab. And Kelsey is a huge (Donald) Trump man, while David has been an outspoken critic of the administration and its policies towards transgender people."
But Grammer is said to be so obsessed with saving the show, "it makes sense for him to make one last Hail Mary appeal to his former castmates, considering that their signing on would definitely pique the public's interest."
"That doesn't make it any easier for Kelsey to swallow his pride and ask them!"
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Grammer was said to earn around $2million per episode in the reboot.
As RadarOnline.com reported, with the reboot gone for good, Grammer also loses out on a fat payday.
Grammer is said to rake in around $2million per episode.
A source said: "The really interesting thing about this show is how Kelsey just turned his back on both his original Frasier cast and the many surviving actors from Cheers, building this version of the show with a lot of new faces and costars who frankly charge a lot less for their services than TV legends like Ted Danson or David Hyde Pierce.
"You're never going to see Woody (Harrelson) guest star on this version of Frasier like he did in the original series because it's not in the budget and they're watching every penny on this show."
