Episode notes

(Photo: Maximum Fun / Daniel Speer)

Kelsey Grammer joins us on the latest episode of Bullseye. He doesn’t need much introduction: Of course, there’s Dr. Frasier Crane from Cheers and Frasier. He played Beast in a few of the X-Men movies. Perhaps one of his most beloved roles is Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons.

Before the fame Grammer led a life defined by tragedy. He lost his grandfather to cancer, his father and sister to separate murders – all before he was old enough to drink. 

When he was at the height of his fame – the peak of Cheers and of Frasier – Grammar was frequently beset by substance abuse issues. Multiple times, police arrested Frasier for cocaine possession, for drunk driving. He’s been sober since 1996. 

He’s an incredibly talented actor and a fascinating, complicated person. 

These days, Grammer’s been working in film more lately. He recently starred in the movie Wish You Were Here. It’s directed by Julia Stiles, the actor who previously starred in 10 Things I Hate About You, among many others.

Grammer talks about why he enjoys taking direction from fellow actors and how that experience played out on the set of Wish You Were Here. He also gets into his time working on Cheers while struggling with substance abuse – and how he learned to forgive himself. Don’t worry there’s plenty of time for some laughs, too. He talks about the inspiration for the voice of Sideshow Bob.