Kelsey Grammer

Interview By: Stephen Snart
StephenSnart@TheCinemaSource.com

When Frasier Crane signed off the air for the final time on May 13th 2004, there was much speculation as to what Kelsey Grammer's next move would be. After playing the memorable Frasier Crane for 9 years on Cheers (1984-1993) and a subsequent 11 years on its spin-off Frasier (1993-2004), Kelsey Grammer became emblematized in his role as the refined, radio psychiatrist. Few actors are given the opportunity to play the same role for twenty consecutive years and Grammer took great advantage of his blessing, creating an unforgettable icon of high-class situational comedy.

So when Frasier crooned 'Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs' for the supposed final time on May 13th, fans were left to wonder if they had really seen the last of the loveable Dr. Crane. Given his background in theater, it seemed logical that Grammer might settle down on the stage or else make another return to network television, be it in the form of Dr. Crane or otherwise. Instead, Grammer eschewed expectation and signed on to play a comic book character in the third installment of the X-Men series, X-Men: The Last Stand.

'Certainly Beast doesn't look like Frasier,' the actor states with a chuckle - a quality that makes this adventurous choice all the more inspired. Grammer recounts the general perception of his decision, 'People were surprised and yet after a moment thought' perfect!' He continues with modest reservation, 'Now, I don't know what they're going to think after the film but I hope it's somewhere along those lines.' If pre-release buzz is any indication, Grammer has nothing to be worried about.

Although remarkably different on the surface, the character of Beast/Dr. Hank McCoy is somewhat akin to Dr. Crane on the inside. 'He's obviously a thinker and Beast has made his choice as a man or a mutant to lead with his head,' explains Grammer. Beast, a former member of the X-Men, left the team in the pursuit of politics, becoming an official for the Department of Mutant Affairs. As stated, Beast is primarily a thinker, but it cannot be ignored that he also possesses a physical strength of considerable power. Never one to use his power recklessly, Beast is a calculating presence and that's what Grammer loves about him the most, 'Slow to action, severe in its application.'

Saddled with the application of a mane of fur and a healthy coating of blue paint every day, the make-up process was both a source of desperation and inspiration for Grammer. 'It does become daunting. There are moments of great despair about getting in the car and getting picked up and going to that place where they put that crap on you again. It's usually pretty early depending on the call. It's a very challenging thing to do - physically and emotionally, there's a kind of thing that happens where you do get depressed about it.'

At the same time, the resilient actor acknowledges the benefit of being forced to stay in character: 'You become enveloped by this material that feels like a second skin of sorts' you spend the rest of your day locked inside this character. It's a powerful tool for creating a memorable character that isn't one you've done before. It's an advantageous position to be in.' He further elaborates, 'If it's good makeup, it will influence your body language, it will affect the way you move. You take on physical manifestations of a look that's different; it's just an interesting part of what we do.'

Grammer doesn't shy away from admitting that the process also has a fanciful quality of make-believe that he finds irrepressibly tantalizing. 'You somehow find a way as an adult to still play Cowboys and Indians. Beast is cool looking, he's blue, he's got great hair, I haven't had great hair since I was 16' It's playing dress up!' Ever the devoted thespian, he qualifies this admission with, 'It's a profound way of playing dress up. He's also a great character; his arc in the film is lovely.' The delight of theater is still very predominant in Grammer's life, evident as he gushes over the film's impressive ensemble cast, 'There's a lot of theater people in this film and theater people are great people!' During his downtime, he found much enjoyment chatting with co-star Sir Ian McKellen about theater and their favorite roles, 'We're a couple of old queens sitting around talking. Theater guys, you know, there's this kind of' we're all partially gay I guess' we celebrate thought and stylish delivery. It's always fun to celebrate a love of language, a love of ideas and a love of artifice.'

The allure of make-believe has been an integral factor for Grammer ever since he was an adolescent. 'You learn when you're a tortured, introverted kid that acting is a mask that frees you. It was a great gift for me; it made all the difference in my life. I still look for good masks. Every character is a mask, every single one, Frasier especially, he just looks like me,' Grammer declares with a chuckle.

Despite having a stunt double for some of the major action sequences, the role of Beast still required Grammer to do a lot of his own stunt work, 'When I would jump off the ceiling, that's me. If it looks like me, it is.' The physicality of the role was another aspect that interested Grammer, 'All actors, if you have the classical training, you do fight class, you learn to fight. So it's just fun to get to use it' you know Frasier didn't fight a lot.'

While the film boasts extensive action spectacles, there is also a tender, humane side to the film that deals with the issue of what it means to be normal and Beast is one of the characters who this applies to the most. Grammer becomes hesitant when asked to discuss the film's message, 'I think it's a bit dodgy when anybody in the film industry starts to say how important their message is. We are entertainment based and we should be. Those questions are to be answered at home in one's own head. But for me, I wouldn't change anything in my past that got me to this place. We've all been tortured. Everybody goes through whatever it is that challenges them, or makes them feel small, or makes them lose faith or sense of self. My series of incidents that got me there were different than yours but we all get to experience them and if we have a chance to make a movie that reenergizes the question, then we're doing a good thing.'