When it comes to the history of the sitcom, few actors have been so important as Kelsey Grammer. He first rose to prominence on the iconic Cheers, and his character was so popular that they even got their own spin-off series, Frasier, for which Grammer received countless awards nominations and wins. With such a storied and successful career, it can be hard to pick what his best performances are. But, we’re an ambitious bunch, so check out what we think are Kelsey Grammer’s best movies and TV shows!
Boss
This intriguing political drama stars Grammer as Tom Kane, the mayor of Chicago, and begins with him being diagnosed with a rare and debilitating neurological disorder called Lewy body dementia. The powerhungry Kane is desperate to keep hold of power so tries to keep the illness a secret from everyone, including his wife (who he’s in a marriage of convenience with) and various advisers. Although it only ran for two seasons the show racked up awards nominations, as did Grammer.
Wings
Although this classic sitcom is set in the same world as Cheers and Frasier, Grammer only makes one guest appearance in this show about a small private airport and the staff who run it, but it was so memorable it earned him an Emmy nomination. The actor appears in the season three episode “Planes, Trains and Visiting Cranes,” reprising the role of Frasier Crane who flies into Nantucket to make a self-help video, only for a former patient to publicly accuse him of ruining her life.
The Simpsons
Grammer voices the evil, murderous Sideshow Bob in this iconic animated sitcom, and the character is a firm favorite of all Simpsons afficianados for good reason. Many of his early season episodes are considered some of the best of the show’s much vaunted “golden age” (“Cape Feare” and “Brother From Another Series” are truly astounding), and some of the most memorable jokes in the series are thanks to his character (the rake gag practically deserves its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame).
X-Men: The Last Stand
Grammer got the Marvel treatment all the way back in 2006 when he took on the role of Dr. Henry “Hank” McCoy, or Beast to give him his mutant name. This action-filled look into the X-Men universe wasn’t the most profound film that’s ever come from the franchise, but it was certainly a great watch, and more importantly Grammer was excellent as Beast.
Frasier
This smart, funny spin-off from Cheers launched Grammer into the big time (and gave him the big bucks). Though he was already a household name from his previous turn as the psychologist Frasier Crane, getting his own series allowed the world to see what a talented actor he was, and earned him enough awards nominations to fill an entire Wikipedia page. Even now, the writing on Frasier stands up well to scrutiny, and it remains a hilarious watch from start to finish.
Cheers
Iconic doesn’t even begin to address the impact that Cheers had on the sitcom world. From its famous intro to the will-they-won’t-they dynamic that Sam and Diane find themselves in, this show about a former baseball star who runs a bar in Boston remains one of television’s most beloved watches, and rightfully so. The gags are great, the characterization even better, and the side characters (like Grammer’s Frasier) are phenomenal.
30 Rock
This may be a bit of a rogue choice as Grammer was only in three episodes of Tina Fey’s brilliant satire about working on SNL, but the Frasier star is fantastic every time he appears in this decorated and critically acclaimed series. His first appearance, in the episode “Reaganing,” is particularly brilliant, as he gets involved in a con with the sweet, often helpless (and potentially immortal) Kenneth.
Anastasia
Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, and Hank Azaria were just some of the stars that added their voice alongside Grammer to this fantastic Disney animated musical about an orphaned princess who finds her way back to her royal status through the help of two conmen. Grammer plays one of the conmen, a former nobleman, and is hilarious as always, utilizing his sardonic wit to make the best of an already well written script.
