Biography for
Kelsey Grammer More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

21 February 1955, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Birth Name

Allen Kelsey Grammer

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography

A five-time Emmy Award winner, Grammer is the first actor in television history to receive multiple Emmy nominations for performing the same role on three series. He received two nominations for his original portrayal of Dr. Frasier Crane on "Cheers" (1982), another for his guest appearance in that role on "Wings" (1990), and nine nominations (earning four awards) as Outstanding Actor for his work on "Frasier" (1993). Over the years, Dr. Frasier Crane has become one of television's most endearing and enduring characters. In addition to his Emmys, Grammer has won two Golden Globe Awards, two American Comedy Awards and a People's Choice Award for his portrait. Grammer's distinctive voice has been heard in several hit animated features, including the voice of "Stinky Pete" in Disney's hit Toy Story 2 (1999) and a part in Anastasia (1997). On television, he has also been seen in several mini-series and movies. In 1996, he hosted an hour-long salute to Jack Benny for which he served as executive producer. He also starred in HBO's award-winning The Pentagon Wars (1998) (TV).

Born in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, Grammer was raised by his mother and grandfather in New Jersey and then Florida. After his grandfather's death, Grammer was drawn to the works of William Shakespeare and spent two years at the prestigious Juilliard School. He then dove into the world of regional theater, eventually making the leap to Broadway with roles in "Macbeth" and "Othello." He joined the cast of "Cheers" (1982) in 1984. His autobiography, "So Far", was published in fall 1995.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Catherine Grace

Spouse

Kayte Walsh	(25 February 2011 - present)
Camille Grammer	(2 August 1997 - 10 February 2011) (divorced) 2 children
Leigh-Anne Csuhany	(11 September 1992 - 1993) (divorced)
Doreen Alderman	(30 May 1982 - 1990) (divorced) 1 daughter

Trade Mark

Frequently portrays characters with pompous and/or pretentious tendencies

Deep, smooth voice

Trivia

He has filed a lawsuit against Hamptons real estate broker Bettie Wysor of Dunemere Real Estate who put him and his wife next door to a construction site. The couple rented a mansion next door to advertising executive Jay Chiat in the summer of 1998. Kelsey was uninformed of Chiat's extensive renovation, and is suing Wyson for $100,000 for failing to warn him but Wysor says that work on Chiat's house was finished by the time the Grammers moved in. She claims the couple only used their place for three of the four weeks they'd rented it for, and never complained to her about anything. [May 2000]

Spent a couple of weeks in the Betty Ford clinic for substance abuse. [October 1996]

His favorite episode of "Cheers" (1982) was "Cheers: Dinner at Eight-ish (#5.20)" (1987).

Served 30 days in jail for violating probation on D.U.I. [1990]

His father was murdered in the Virgin Islands. His sister was murdered while finishing a shift working at a Red Lobster in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Had two step brothers (from his Dad's second marriage) that were killed in a shark/scuba accident.

Signed a new 2 season deal for "Frasier" (1993). He will be getting about £1.1 million per episode. This makes him the highest paid TV star ever. [2001]

Is the only actor to be nominated for an Emmy for three TV shows, all for the same character (Frasier Crane in "Cheers" (1982), "Frasier" (1993) and a guest appearance on "Wings" (1990)).

His daughter, Spencer Grammer, was on the "Cheers" (1982) episode "Cheers: One Hugs, the Other Doesn't (#10.16)" (1992).

Had to have his appendix removed, only a few weeks after his Toy Story 2 (1999) co-star, Tim Allen, also had to have his appendix removed. Expected to make full recovery. [October 1999]

Wife Camille Grammer appeared on his sitcom "Frasier" (1993), in the episode "Frasier: Halloween (#5.3)" (1997).

He filed suit against his former talent agency, Artists Agency, in order to recover $1.8 million in commissions. The current lawsuit comes on the heels of a Screen Actors Guild arbitration that has ordered him to pay the agency commissions withheld since 1998. Artists Agency is claiming that it has a right to claim ongoing profit participation in "Frasier" (1993), which means several million dollars in commissions with the show in syndication. He is charging that Artists Agency, which has represented him since the '80s, didn't win him the role of Frasier Crane on either "Cheers" (1982) or "Frasier" (1993). In 1996, he switched agencies but continued to pay commission up to 1998, after which Artists Agency began arbitration. The arbitrator's ruling, which was handed down August 4, 2000, upholds a renewal agreement he says he was forced into signing and orders him to pay withheld commissions. [August 2000]

Daughter, Mason Olivia Grammer, was delivered by a surrogate mother October 24, 2001 in Los Angeles and weighed in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces.

Daughter, Spencer Grammer, was born October 9, 1983, with Doreen Alderman.

Daughter, Greer Grammer, born in 1992, with Barrie Buckner.

Provided the voice of the Narrator for the Guthrie Theatre production of "Christmas Carol" in 2000

When series production of "Frasier" (1993) ended, Kelsey Grammer tied the record for longest role (Frasier Crane) portrayed by at single actor on prime-time television ("Cheers" (1982) and "Frasier" (1993)), at 20 years (1984-2004) Grammer is tied with James Arness for "Marshall Matt Dillon" on "Gunsmoke" (1955) (1955-1975).

On the Fox News debate show "Hannity & Colmes" (1996), he said that he would like to run for public office someday, perhaps U.S. Senator from California.

In memory of his sister who was raped and murdered, he named his daughter Spencer Karen. (Karen was his sister's first name)

Attended high school at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one of the most prestigious high schools in the country.

Began his acting career at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.

Son, Jude Gordon Grammer (b. 28 August 2004) in Sacramento, California, via surrogate birth.

His son was named after his maternal grandfather, Gordon Cranmer, who helped raise him and his sister. He passed away when Kelsey was 11.

Has his own production company, Grammnet Productions, which has a distribution deal with Paramount Pictures. They are behind the UPN hit, "Girlfriends" (2000), of which Grammer is an executive producer, and his new comedy show on Fox-TV, debuting in March 2005.

Has appeared in episodes of three different series with Ted Danson: "Cheers" (1982), "Frasier" (1993) and "Becker" (1998).

On one episode of "The Simpsons" (1989), while he portrayed the recurring character "Sideshow Bob", David Hyde Pierce supplied the voice of Kelsey's brother, mimicking the relationship between the two on "Frasier" (1993). This joke was repeated and extended a decade later, when Pierce once again played Bob's brother, and John Mahoney once again played their father.

Took the role of Henry "Hank" McCoy/The Beast in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), two years after his former TV brother, David Hyde Pierce, provided the uncredited voice of "Abe Sapien" in Hellboy (2004).

When the producers of "Frasier" (1993) asked him about approaching Bebe Neuwirth about re-playing her character on "Frasier" (1993) as a regular, he said no. He claimed it was because "For this spin-off to work, Fraiser would have to be the only old, familiar thing there. Everything else would have to be brand-new".

Appears as "Beast" in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). George Buza, who was the voice of "Beast" in the animated television series, played a truck driver in the first X-Men (2000) film. Steve Bacic played a "Dr. Hank McCoy" in X2 (2003).

Was the original voice for the Geico Gecko.

A fictional place called "Kelsey Grammar School", which is in the comedy "Little Britain" (2003), is named after him.

Leigh McCloskey's roommate and Julliard classmate in New York City during the mid-1970s.

His favorite episode of "Frasier" (1993) was "Frasier: Ham Radio (#4.18)" (1997).

Suffered a mild heart attack in Hawaii on May 31, 2008.

Studied acting with Michael Howard in New York City.

Camille Grammer filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. [Early July 2010]

Engaged to Kayte Walsh, 29 [December 15, 2010].

Client of Stan Rosenfield & Associates.

He has played the same character (Dr. Frasier Crane) in four different television series: "Cheers" (1982), "Wings" (1990), "Frasier" (1993) and "The John Larroquette Show" (1993).

Personal Quotes

Life is supposed to get tough.

I lost a lot of stuff when Karen died. It took about a year to get back to even thinking that there might be a reason to go on.

I got fired when I was a dishwasher at Denny's. That set me back a little bit. You don't realize how important dishwashers are until you do the job.

Salary

"Frasier" (1993)

$38,000,000/year ($1.6m per episode thru 2003-2004: 24 episodes/season)