Kelsey Grammer (Saint Thomas, USA, 68 years old) was 29 years old when he played Frasier Crane for the first time. He was one of the supporting stars of the comedy Cheers. He then became the protagonist of another series that ended up becoming even more popular and award-winning than its predecessor. In fact, it remains the most Emmy-winning comedy in history. This Tuesday, Grammer, an avowed Republican Party voter, staunch defender of Donald Trump and devout Christian, visited Madrid to give a round of interviews for the return of the series, available on SkyShowtime. The day opens with EL PAÍS and ends with El Hormiguero. With his deep voice, he answers questions concisely, slowly, in a friendly manner and with a smile.
Questions. How is today's Frasier different from 20, 30, or 40 years ago?
Answer. Obviously he is older and more comfortable. He's not so afraid of what his life means. He laughs at himself a little more. He has grown up. He's not quite there yet, but he's a kinder Frasier.
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Q He has played this role on Cheers since 1984. What is it like to be with a character for so long?
R. It's like a life, it's up to you how you do it. Life constantly surprises and interests me. I've been asked before: Don't you get tired of playing the same character? Only when you get tired of life.
Q How was your reunion with the character after 19 years?
R. It was interesting to come back to that. It was like putting on an old piece of clothing that I had forgotten and that now fit a little differently. He's a little different. But he's still just as excited to live every day. That's something I always found remarkable about him. He has suffered a lot in his life and gone through many hardships, but he is able to wake up the next morning and be ready to fight again.
Actor Kelsey Grammer poses for EL PAÍS at the Rosewood Villa Magna Hotel in Madrid this Tuesday before starting his interview day. Alvaro García
Q When an actor is so strongly connected to a character, the audience may think that one and the other look the same. How are you and Frasier different?
R. Frasier is part of my imagination, you could say I created him, but he's not really who I am. I don't live in the same way, I'm much less sensitive, I live more loosely. I spend less time worrying about myself, he's a little self-obsessed. But he wants to make the world a better place and so do I because we are similar.
Q The new Frasier follows the traditional sitcom format, with a live audience, laughter… Is it a type of series that suits today's audience?
R. Yes, I believe it. Is it common in today's culture? Not anymore, but the biggest shows we've seen in decades have been multi-camera sitcoms. From “Cheers” to “The Bill Cosby Hour”, “Roseanne”, dozens of series, “Friends”, “Will & Grace”… And they are the ones that last. Even further back: The Dick Van Dicke Show was actually filmed with a single camera, but presented in the same way, as a sitcom. And they are the series that we all remember.
Toks Olagundoye, Kelsey Grammer and Nicholas Lyndhurst in the first episode of Frasier's return. Chris Haston (Chris Haston/Paramount+)
Q I've already asked you about the changes in Frasier Crane over the years, but how have you changed as an actor over the years?
R. It is interesting. John Gielgud [legendario actor y director de teatro británico] He said it takes 17 years to become an actor. When I started playing Frasier on Cheers, I had already been playing for five or six years. I think he was somewhat right. There's something that gives you the life experience that fleshes out the characters. If you don't have it in your own life, your character won't have it, so a young character is honestly a little less interesting. That's how life works. I have more life experience and I think that impacts the characters a little more. I also have a great sense of humor and I lent that to Frasier.
The crazier the world gets, the more important humor becomes. If you can't laugh, you're screwed
Q Is it more complicated to make comedy and humor today than it was 20 or 30 years ago?
R. I think it's harder to stop people from playing the victim. Making yourself a victim is now very popular. Everyone has a reason to say, “Oh, I suffer from this” or “I have suffered from this” or “Look at me, look at me the way I am.” Ok, look, we're human, we all suffer, we have all been victims at some point. We have all experienced a situation where we were not treated well. What is different today than perhaps 30 years ago? People had a better sense of humor. These days we all take ourselves so seriously that almost anything that comes out of one person's mouth can offend another. We need to relax a little.
Kelsey Grammer (left), in a picture from the series “Cheers” (1982-1993).
Q You have always been very clear about your political views. Did you have any problems in Hollywood because of that?
R. No, I've never felt that before and to be honest it doesn't worry me too much. I am a conservative, and for me being conservative means that the individual is the greatest treasure. And that is what I strive for, to ensure that every person in the world is as important as the next.
Q What function does comedy have in a world like today, where there are so many wars and so many problems?
R. The crazier the world gets, the more important humor becomes. If you can't laugh, you're screwed.
I am a conservative, and for me being conservative means that the individual is the greatest treasure
Q And what role does an actor play in today's world?
R. Basically, it's always about changing the world, right? Once we find our purpose, we always believe that we can do better because we want to save the world, or at least our part of the world, and make it a better place. Whether you are a warrior, a poet, an actor or a writer, we do everything we can to make our part of the world a better place.
Kelsey Grammer, in an image from the original “Frasier.”
Q And how does an actor achieve this?
R. An actor, as Shakespeare said, holds up a mirror to life. And it helps others navigate life, look at it, give them a perspective they may not have had, or make them realize that we are one and interconnected and that the human experience is universal.
Q We also saw him in dramas, for example on TV I remember Boss, a completely different character. Where do you feel most comfortable, comedy or drama?
R. Boss is really my favorite character, Tom Kane, he was wonderful. He was great to play because he was so bad and tough, sometimes even funny because he had no limits. Tom Kane would do anything, he would kill anyone.
Q It's more fun to play a villain, an anti-hero.
R. Yes, we actors love playing villains. They have no moral compass. When you play a villain, there are no limits to your imagination.
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