Kelsey Grammer Reveals Why David Hyde Pierce Won’t Return to ‘Frasier’ Sequel

Kelsey Grammer opens up about David Hyde Pierce’s decision not to return to the upcoming Frasier Revival series on Paramount+. Hyde Pierce played the younger brother of Grammer’s titular Frasier Crane in the Emmy-winning film cheers spin-off series.

“David actually decided he wasn’t really interested in repeating Niles’ actions,” Grammer said in an interview with People.

About FrasierHyde Pierce has had a successful theater career and most recently starred in the HBO Max series Julia.

Grammer said Hyde Pierce’s decision not to return actually worked well in terms of the new series’ plot.

“In a really fun way it just took us to a new place, which is what we originally wanted to do anyway, which is a Frasier third act,” Grammer said in an interview with People. “It’s a whole new life for him.”

Hyde Pierce previously told Vulture that it was not a given that he would return to the revival series.

“The whole time of my life, writing these shows, the actors I’ve worked with – all this is very important to me. And I’ll never despise it enough to casually say, ‘Oh, no thanks. I won’t do it again.’ It’s too valuable for me,” he told Vulture. “But still, because it’s so valuable to me, I wouldn’t do it either, just do it. And I think you can do it without me – finding new stories to tell, the same way Frasier made afterwards cheers. You have the cheers Go to create a new show. They stopped from time to time and it was great, but there was something else that needed to be said and it needed to be said in a different way. And maybe they like it and I’m in it, or maybe they like it and don’t need me for it.”

Grammer will reprise his signature character, psychiatrist and radio host Frasier Crane, in the sequel. Details about the new series will not be revealed, except that it will focus on the next chapter of Frasier Crane (Grammer) in another city. He will be surrounded by new characters, including several originals Frasier Cast members are not expected to become series regulars, but may make cameo appearances.

Frasier ran for eleven seasons from 1993 to 2004 on NBC and won five Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series. Created by the late David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee and produced by Grammers Grammnet Prods. and CBS Studios’ predecessor, Paramount Network Television, Frasier Starring Grammer, Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin and the late John Mahoney.

The new incarnation of Frasier comes from the authors Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristali (life in pieces), who is producing alongside Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions.