Frasier star reveals huge on-set clash which 'sparked early exit from show'

Hit Channel 4 show Frasier dealt with on-set tensions due to a rift between two stars.

The original series ran from 1993 to 2004 on NBC, spanning 11 seasons and 264 episodes. A Cheers spin-off, it starred Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist who moves back to Seattle as a radio show host and reconnect with family.

John Mahoney played his down-to-earth father, Martin, and David Hyde Pierce his neurotic brother, Niles. The main cast also included Jane Leeves as Daphne, Martin’s physical therapist, and Peri Gilpin as Roz, Frasier's witty radio producer.

The sitcom recently made a comeback to the screens in 2023, which saw Kelsey, now 69, reprise his iconic role. The revival is set in Boston and features a new cast alongside familiar faces.

READ MORE: Frasier episode that's banned in the UK has never been shown on Channel 4 [LATEST]

Frasier ran for more than a decade (Image: Getty)

However, during the original run, there were some behind-the-scenes conflicts.

Mercedes Ruehl made a brief appearance on Frasier as KACL station manager Kate Costas in five episodes and was reported to have clashed with Grammer.

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Used to stage and film work, Ruehl found adapting to a weekly sitcom challenging and resented Grammer’s strong influence with producers, which he used freely. At one point, she reportedly even remarked to him: “You know, I’ve decided if I could be anyone in the world, I would want to be you,” according to TV Tropes.

Some reports suggest that Ruehl’s on-set frustrations prompted her to leave the show sooner than producers had anticipated.

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Mercedes, 76, wasn't the only one to have had disagreements with the actor throughout his career. Last year, his Cheers co-star Ted Danson issued an apology for their past heated argument.

During a recent episode of the "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" podcast, Danson, 76, expressed regret after he kept his distance from Grammer, for decades after a heated argument.

"This isn’t self-deprecating, but it’s — I feel like I got stuck a little bit with you during the ‘Cheers’ years. I have a memory of getting angry at you once," Danson told Grammer. 

The "Frasier" star replied: "Yeah, you came and told me that one day." "And it’s stuck in both of our memories," Danson added. "But I feel like, f---, I don’t know. I missed out on the last 30 years of Kelsey Grammer. … I feel like it’s my bad, my doing.

"I apologize to you. And [to] me that I sat back. … I really do apologize."