Minor characters on Frasier
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Besides the main characters Frasier Crane, his father Martin and brother Niles, Daphne Moon, Roz Doyle and a few others, there are several minor characters who regularly appear on the American television sitcom Frasier, or who have important but limited roles.
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[edit] Crane men's love interests
As many of the plots on Frasier surround the romantic entanglements of the Crane men, several women have significant minor roles on the series. The more significant of these are listed below:
[edit] Sherry Dempsey
Sherry Dempsey (Marsha Mason) is a waitress at MacGynty's, Martin's favorite bar, and, for a short time, Martin's girlfriend. Sherry is fun-loving, brash, loud and crass, and she and Martin share many interests. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Frasier and Niles dislike her, but nevertheless, for the sake of family unity, they attempt to tolerate her. Martin and Sherry eventually break up when they decide that they both want different things out of the relationship.
[edit] Melinda "Mel" Karnofsky
Dr. Melinda "Mel" Karnofsky (Jane Adams) is Maris Crane's plastic surgeon, and for a period, Niles Crane's girlfriend and (briefly) wife. She is fussy, neurotic, and fastidious, much like Niles. Mel also has one son, who she (it is implied) bore at a young age (based off a picture that Niles saw on Mel's desk). When Niles confesses to Mel his love for Daphne, Mel, Niles' wife for only several days, becomes hurt and bitter. To make Niles pay for all the pain and frustration he's put her through, Mel does not guarantee an immediate divorce; instead, she forces Niles to play along that the two remain happily married, assuring him that after he has done this on several select social occasions she will file for divorce. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that she is merely stringing him along out of spite, and taking the opportunity to force him to humiliate himself publicly in the process. At a social event held by Frasier, however, Mel finally pushes Niles to the limit; refusing to put either Daphne or himself through "this sham of a marriage" any longer, Niles publicly disowns the marriage, and the two are quickly divorced. Mel does not appear again in the series after this.
[edit] Charlotte
Charlotte (Laura Linney) is a matchmaker recently arrived from Chicago, and Frasier's final love interest on the series. Frasier initially hires her to set him up with someone following a particularly grim period regarding his romantic prospects, only to fall in love with her instead of the women she sets him up with. Although she initially has a boyfriend, she eventually returns his feelings, but the relationship is forced to end when Charlotte moves back to Chicago. The series ends with Frasier on a plane arriving in Chicago, intent on continuing the relationship.
[edit] Crane family members
The following are significant members of the Crane family excluding Frasier, Martin and Niles Crane. Although most of the series revolves around Frasier Crane and his immediate family, occasionally members of Frasier's extended family appear. These are listed below.
[edit] Eddie
Eddie is Martin's dog, a large Jack Russell Terrier. Eddie was played by two dogs: first Moose, and then Moose's son Enzo, who first appeared as a stunt double.
Eddie is known for responding to Martin and Daphne with human-like understanding, but often seems to taunt Frasier. An early recurring gag had Eddie staring unceasingly at Frasier, to Frasier's increasing annoyance. Frasier's ex-wife Lillith is the only one who scares Eddie and whenever she is around Eddie does "exactly" as Lillith says.
Eddie is often featured in the closing sequences of a show, when the closing theme is sung as the credits roll, in a short vignette relating to a joke from earlier in the episode.
Moose, the feisty Jack Russell terrier who played Eddie on TV's Frasier, died June 26, 2006, at the home of his trainer, Mathilde Halberg. He was 15-and-a-half years old.
Moose had retired from showbiz when he was 10, in the year 2000, and had been replaced by his lookalike son named Enzo for the final seasons of Frasier.
[edit] Frederick Gaylord Crane
Frederick Gaylord Crane (Trevor Einhorn, Luke Tarsitano) is the son of Frasier and Lilith Sternin. "Freddy" appears in several episodes throughout the show's run. He lives with his mother in Boston but often comes to visit Frasier in Seattle on the holidays.
Initially his personality is very undeveloped, as he is just a small child. As he gets older more traits begin to develop. At around eight he develops a crush on Daphne, much to Niles' jealousy. As he gets older he begins to get somewhat spoiled and surly, and enjoys Frasier's company less and less, prompting Frasier to fear a growing generation gap.
[edit] Ronee Lawrence Crane
Ronee Lawrence (Wendie Malick) is Niles and Frasier's old babysitter, and the first woman to break Frasier's heart (he used to watch her kiss her boyfriend through the bannisters). She is also responsible for Niles' compulsive furniture-wiping, as she told him stories when he was a child about earwigs laying eggs on all the furniture, which would hatch, crawl into his ears, and eat his brain.
In 2003 she meets Frasier by chance and eventually she and Martin fall in love and get married on May 15 (Eddie's birthday) the next year in the show's final episode, "Goodnight, Seattle".
She released an album called "Mood Swings", and works as a lounge singer and pianist at the Wellington Club. Ronee drives a red 1950's Cadillac. Her traditionally-minded, prudish mother lives in Spokane, Washington.
[edit] Hester Rose Crane
Hester Rose Crane (Nancy Marchand in Cheers, Rita Wilson in Frasier) was Martin's wife and Niles and Frasier's mother. By the time the series begins, she has been dead for approximately six years; throughout the course of the series, the cause of her death is never expressly revealed although it is indicated in "Rooms with a View" she died from a terminal disease. Hester appears in a dream sequence (experienced by Frasier) and in 8 mm cine transferred to video (in the Seventh-season episode "Momma Mia" where Rita Wilson also plays Mia Preston who is the spitting image of Hester). All three Crane men miss her terribly.
Hester was a psychiatrist (she met Martin when she was profiling a murderer) and the inspiration for both Frasier and Niles to go into the profession. She named her two sons after favorite lab rats. Both her sons take after her more than they do their father, being amusingly supercilious and intellectually pompous. For example, Frasier and Niles quote her in the pilot-episode as saying "a handshake is as good as a hug." On the other hand, in the episode "Dinner at Eight", Martin says that Hester "may have had fancy tastes, but she had too much class to ever make anybody else feel second-rate", which he contrasts with their sons' snobbishness.
[edit] Maris Crane
See main article: Maris Crane
Maris Crane is Niles Crane's wife for the early seasons of the show. Immensely spoiled, dominating and neurotic, she does not appear on the show but is frequently referenced. She is arguably the most notable of the show's many unseen characters. She is also implied to be pathologically emaciated, often the subject of many jokes.
[edit] Nikos Crane
Nikos Crane is the son of Walt and Zora Crane. He is Martin's nephew, and Frasier and Niles' cousin.
[edit] Walt Crane
Walt Crane is Martin's brother. He appears only once, in an episode where he and Martin remeet, only to become separated again by the end of the episode.
[edit] Zora Crane
Zora Crane, a Greek woman, is Walt Crane's wife, and Martin's sister-in-law, and the one responsible for Walt and Martin's estrangement.
[edit] Lilith Sternin
See main article: Lilith Sternin
Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth) is the ex-wife of Frasier Crane and mother of their son, Frederick. A cold, remote woman, she is disliked by most of his family and friends. Lilith appeared as a prominent character on Cheers, in which Frasier also first appeared.
[edit] Nanette Guzman/"Nanny G"
Nanny G is Frasier's first wife and a well-known children's entertainer. She first appeared in a Cheers episode played by Emma Thompson. In a final season episode of Frasier, Laurie Metcalf played Nanny G. The character also appeared in a fantasy sequence as the young hippie from Frasier's memory played by Dina Spybey. Frasier and Nanette were briefly married when he was an undergraduate. The two experienced a strong sexual chemistry but no reason is given for the marriage ending.
[edit] KACL staff and professionals
This section outlines the various people with whom Frasier works with at KACL 780AM (the radio station from which Frasier's show is broadcast) or has another otherwise professional relationship with.
[edit] Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe
See main article: Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe
Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe (Dan Butler) hosts the "Gonzo Sports Show" on KACL. He is a boorish, intensely macho sports fan, and the urbane Frasier is frequently annoyed by Bulldog, partly because of the other man's more 'common' characteristics, and partly because Frasier is usually the butt of Bulldog's jokes. Bulldog is an intense womaniser, and has casual affairs with many women (whom he usually dumps just as casually), but has something of a crush on Roz.
[edit] Chopper Dave
Chopper Dave (Richard Poe) hosts KACL's Eye in the Sky traffic reports. He has a tendency to speak very loudly due to spending time trying to speak over the rotors of his helicopter. He has also been known to annoy his colleagues by flying his helicopter very close to their apartment windows.
[edit] Gil Chesterton
Gilbert "Gil" Leslie Chesterton (Edward Hibbert) is a food critic and host of the show "Restaurant Beat" on KACL.
A pompous, catty, effeminate, overrefined character, believed by his coworkers to be in the closet, Gil is married to Deb, a "Sarah Lawrence graduate and the owner of a very successful auto body repair shop", whom his co-workers had believed to be merely a pet cat. Gil claims to have had no idea anybody ever thought he was gay, even mentioning (or at least claiming) that he is married (to a woman) in a Season 5 episode (The Perfect Guy), and much of the humor related to the character stems from his adamant denial of his supposed sexual orientation, along with his general snarkiness. In one memorable episode, Frasier is disturbed to find that he is having heavily symbolic and vaguely sexual dreams about Gil. Frasier comes up with various interpreations, hoping to prove that the dreams don't actually mean he is attracted to Gil on some level, but in the end none of the interpretations are satisfactory.
In the final season of the show, Gil's homosexuality begins to become more apparent. After a misunderstanding results in Frasier being publicly (and falsely) outed on the air after being spotted at a local gay bar, Gil attempts to coach Frasier on coming out, congratulating him on his first steps onto "the Yellow Brick Road to pride and self-acceptance." During the episode's credits, Gil himself is seen covertly entering the gay bar in question, Bad Billy's.
Gil drives a red BMW with a red interior and is almost always seen wearing his trademark bow tie. He is also a veteran of the armed services (he once refers to having "seen some cruel pranks in the Army"), and his taste buds are insured.
The character is named in honor of the real-life Gil Chesterton, a former journalism teacher (now retired) at Beverly Hills High School. One of the series' producers, Christopher Lloyd, was Chesterton's student years ago, and Lloyd evidently felt naming a character in a hit sitcom would be a nice homage to his former teacher.
[edit] Bebe Glazer
See main article: Bebe Glazer
Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris) is Frasier's agent over the course of most of the series. An intensely manipulative and seductive woman, with no apparent morals whatsoever, she is often compared to the Prince of Darkness by most of the characters. Frasier relies on her intensely in order to get the best deal he can out of his employers, whilst simultaneously frequently being horrified by her extremely flexible and questionable ethics.
[edit] Julia Wilcox
Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman) becomes the new financial reporter for the KACL late in the series' run. She is the author of two books, Practical Applications of Econometrics and Day Trade Your Way Out of Debt, the latter of which had stirred some controversy and had eventually contributed to her being fired from CNN.
Her no-nonsense, all-business demeanor and arrogant and stand-offish attitude earn her the dislike of the other staff. Julia files a complaint against Frasier and KACL for sexual harassment (Frasier had misunderstood her behaviour towards him), but later dropped the charges.
When Frasier discovers that his accountant and former Oxford classmate, Avery, is cheating on his wife with Julia, he confronts Avery, unaware that Julia is hiding in a closet, overhearing the entire conversation. Julia's attitude towards Frasier begins to soften after this display of chivalry on his part, and she uses her connections to have Ben, a British street musician (Elvis Costello) whom Frasier and Niles find annoying, then playing a regular gig at Café Nervosa, offered a full-time job elsewhere.
She and Frasier have a brief romantic encounter, although her boorish and coarse behavior towards Martin, Niles, and Daphne ultimately persuades Frasier to break off their relationship.
[edit] Kenny Daley
Kenny Daley (Tom McGowan) is a long-time radio man; little else is known about him. Apparently a successful DJ, in 1993 he was reduced to delivering pizzas as he was out of work at the time. Kenny was married with at least 3 children, but got divorced in 2003, following which he suffered a breakdown.
Kenny becomes the new station manager of KACL in 1998. A likeable and relaxed manager, he soon becomes friends with all the staff there.
Kenny resigns as station manager after deciding to go back to DJing, and Roz is appointed as his replacement.
[edit] Kate Costas
Kate Costas (Mercedes Ruehl) is one of several KACL station managers prior to Kenny. Frasier and Kate have a love-hate relationship finding themselves on opposite sides on programming decisions and union negotiations. They have a brief affair before Kate leaves to accept a management position at a Chicago station.
[edit] Noel Shempsky
Noel Shempsky (Patrick Kerr) is a painfully geeky Trekkie who keeps an autographed picture of William Shatner as Captain Kirk on his desk and is fluent in Klingon. His station nickname is "Noel the Mole".
He works in sales at KACL. From early in the series he is in love with Roz Doyle, who does not feel the same way about him. In the episode entiltied 'Star Mitzvah' it is revealed that Shempsky is Jewish, and is fluent in Hebrew.
His claim to fame, as seen when he volunteers to be the station representative during contract negotiations, is that he can faint at will. It has also been mentioned in the episode "A New Position for Roz" that Noel has never missed a day of work.
[edit] Moon family members
This section discusses the more significant members of Daphne Moon's family, a large, working-class clan from Manchester, England. Many of the actors who play Moon family members do not have specifically Mancunian English accents; Anthony LaPaglia, Richard E. Grant and Robbie Coltrane, who portray Daphne's brothers, and Brian Cox who portrays her father, were not even born in England (La Paglia is Australian, Grant was born in Swaziland and both Coltrane and Cox are Scottish) and this apparent discrepancy is never addressed on the show but may be taken as an in-joke (see below).
[edit] Gertrude Moon
Gertrude Moon (Millicent Martin) is Daphne's mother. The two have a difficult and complex relationship, and Daphne appears to dislike her mother intensely whilst still remaining intensely loyal and subservient to her. Domineering and ever-complaining, Gertrude is doting and always forgiving towards her son Simon's selfish behaviour but is hyper-critical of her ever-supportive and long-suffering daughter, frequently guilting Daphne into providing what she wants. When Gertrude leaves her husband she goes to Seattle; there she unsuccessfully tries to start a romance with Martin and briefly lives with Niles and Daphne, where she quickly overstays her welcome.
[edit] Grammy Moon
Grammy Moon, Daphne's paternal grandmother, is frequently mentioned but never seen or heard from on the show (see also: Maris Crane). She and her numerous eccentricities, cooking tips and health complaints are frequently the subject of Daphne's long-winded stories.
[edit] Harry Moon
Harry Moon (Brian Cox) is Daphne's father. Although he is an alcoholic and a layabout (who supports his drinking on the money given to him by men who attempt to impress their girlfriends by pretending to hit Harry after he pretends to chat up their girlfriends), his relationship with Daphne is closer than the relationship between Daphne and her mother. Seemingly trapped in a long-suffering marriage with his wife, he eventually left her; with Niles' intervention, they attempted a reconciliation, but it was short-lived, and Harry Moon eventually returned to England.
[edit] Michael Moon
Michael Moon (Robbie Coltrane) is a brother of Daphne's. Michael appeared in the two-part series finale, Goodnight, Seattle, and his speech is almost entirely incomprehensible (and utilises Coltrane's Scots accent despite the Moons being from Manchester) except for random odd words such as 'boom'.
[edit] Simon Moon
Simon Moon (Anthony LaPaglia) is one of Daphne's brothers. An obnoxious and boorish heavy drinker and layabout, Simon has a difficult relationship with his sister, largely because of Simon's uncouth and selfish nature. He is greatly disliked by both Frasier and Niles, partly because of their class-conscious nature but also because when in Seattle he frequently stays with one of them, often taking unreasonable liberties with regard to their homes, possessions and alcohol supplies in the process. Conversely, he gets on quite well with Martin and, despite his many negative qualities, is quite a popular man who is very successful at attracting women. Roz is quite taken with him (and him with her) at first, but she eventually catches on to his ways and rejects his advances. Simon appears in eight episodes.
[edit] Stephen Moon
Stephen Moon (Richard E. Grant) is Daphne's favorite brother. He appears in person in in the series finale Goodnight, Seattle (and speaks with Grant's trademark RP 'posh' accent despite the Moons being from Manchester). Many of Daphne's stories about Stephen imply that he is if not gay then he is confused about his feminine side. The character also appears in the two-part episode And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon, where he is played by a different actor and has no speaking lines.
[edit] Niles and Maris' household staff
This section discusses the significant members of Maris and Niles' household staff who are mentioned on the show. Of these, Marta is significant as the only member of the household staff to have both a recurring role in the series complete with dialogue.
[edit] Marta
Marta is Niles and Maris' elderly maid. She comes from a remote mountain village in Guatemala, and has difficulty with her English pronouns. She speaks fluent German, however, owing to her previous experience working for a German family 'who turned up in Guatemala just after the war'. She is the only member of Maris' household staff to be regularly seen on the show.
[edit] Yoshi
Yoshi is Niles and Maris' elderly and temperamental Japanese gardener. He is frequently mentioned by Niles, usually when referring to arguments over the zen garden Yoshi is keen to build. He is seen once on the series, when Niles is addressing staff before leaving Maris and dies of a heart attack while trimming Maris' elaborate hedge maze -- Niles said 'the paramedics never had a chance.'
[edit] Minor Staff Members
Mary Mary is Niles and Maris' housekeeper, and a fan of The Dr. Frasier Crane Show.
Nadia Nadia, Maris' "hatchet maid," is never seen or heard.
[edit] Other characters
[edit] Alice May Doyle
Alice May Doyle (Ashley Thomas) is the daughter of Roz Doyle. She first appears as a newborn, and by the end of the series has become a child of six.
[edit] Donny Douglas
Donald Ronald Douglas (Saul Rubinek) is Niles' divorce lawyer and, for a period, Daphne's boyfriend and fiancé. Ironically, despite his intense crush on Daphne, it is actually Niles who first introduces the two; they meet during Niles' divorce proceedings, when Donny is helping Daphne to prepare her upcoming testimony.
Ultimately, Daphne leaves Donny at the altar in favour of Niles. Embittered, Donny initially sues both her and Frasier (who was responsible for Daphne and Niles getting together), but eventually drops the lawsuit. Niles and Daphne later run into Donny when getting married at city court, where he is getting married again. He announces that Daphne was the love of his life, in front of his bride-to-be.
[edit] Jerome Belasco
Jerome Belasco is a crime boss, whom Niles and Frasier approach in order to seek his help in getting one of Maris' parking tickets overturned - an action which soon comes back to haunt Frasier, as he must then provide couples counselling for Belasco's girlfriend. He was portrayed by Harris Yulin, who was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Jerome.
[edit] Bob Gardner
Bob Gardner is the husband of Lana Gardner and father of Kirby. Having previously abandoned his wife for another woman, he later had second thoughts and debated whether to return to her - coincidentally, at an airport he met up with Frasier, who was considering whether or not pursue Lana romantically at the time, and after a brief conversation decided to remain with his wife. Frasier, who had also left the conversation with the intent to pursue Lana, decided as a consequence to withdraw and advised Lana to at least attempt to restore her marriage.
[edit] Kirby Gardner
Kirby (Brian Klugman) is the teenaged son of Lana and Bob Gardner, and sometime employee of KACL. He is briefly tutored by Frasier, and does odd jobs for Niles.
[edit] Lana Gardner
Lana Gardner (Jean Smart) is an old high school classmate of Frasier's, on whom both Frasier and Niles had crushes during high school. Frasier and Lana meet again as adults, and have a brief romantic relationship while Lana is estranged from her husband, Bob. Frasier calls this off owing to Lana's immensely aggressive personality. They later become friends. Lana is the mother of Kirby. In Jean Smart's first appearance as this character, she was known as Lorna Lynley.
[edit] Rick Garrett
Rick Garrett is a waiter at Cafe Nervosa. At twenty, he has an affair with Roz, which results in her getting pregnant. Their child is Alice May Doyle.
[edit] Derek Mann
Derek Mann (voiced by Joe Mantegna) is a newspaper columnist who is one of Frasier's biggest critics. His columns often debase Frasier's program and often twists the doctor's innocent advice to make Frasier look bad in the eyes of the public. He once challenged Frasier to a fistfight after the doctor publically ridiculed him on his radio show.
[edit] Cam Winston
Cam Winston (Brian Stokes Mitchell) is the tenant of the apartment above Frasier's and Frasier's rival. The two frequently clash and compete over parking spaces, apartment board placement, and balcony rights. For all their rivalry, the two have similar tastes, mannerisms and personalities, which may contribute to their clashes. The two have a history of trumping each other back and forth via the apartment board: while Frasier convinces the board to ban Cam from parking his SUV in the provided garage, Cam hangs an American flag over his balcony, covering Frasier's view; as well as the obvious inconvenience, this incident also damages Frasier's standing with the board, as when he protests it Cam twists matters as to make Frasier seem unpatriotic. When their parents feign that they are dating to have the two come to a truce, Cam and Frasier finally end their feud and compromise with each other to please their parents.
[edit] Dr. Frasier Crane Show callers
Voices for callers who phone in to the Dr. Frasier Crane Show were provided, in many cases, by famous actors and other personalities. They literally called in to record their parts, without having to go in to the studio.
| Frasier characters |
|---|
| Main characters: Frasier Crane | Niles Crane | Martin Crane | Daphne Moon | Roz Doyle | Eddie the dog
Recurring characters: Maris Crane | Bob 'Bulldog' Briscoe | Lilith Sternin | Bebe Glazer List of minor characters |
