David Hyde Pierce says he’d have returned for Frasier reboot on one condition-Rishma Dosani-Entertainment – Metro

David Hyde Pierce stole the show as Niles Crane in Frasier (Picture: CBS)

David Hyde Pierce has opened up about his decision to bow out from the Frasier reboot, and named his one condition to return.

The series – a spin-off of Cheers – premiered in 1993 and ran for 11 seasons until 2004, with a revival debuting on Paramount+ in 2023.

The original sitcom followed stuffy radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as he relocated back to his hometown of Seattle and reconnected with his brother, Niles (David) and their dad, Martin (John Mahoney).

While a few iconic characters have made cameos in the new episodes, including Peri Gilpin and Bebe Neuwirth as Roz Doyle and Lilith Sternin respectively, David confirmed he would not be following suit, with fans begging him to reconsider.

Unpacking his decision in a chat with Larushka Ivan-Zadeh for Metro’s 60 Seconds, the Exorcism actor shared what it would take to get Niles back on our screens.

Discussing why he didn’t reprise his role, he quipped: ‘Because I knew how many Google hits I would get if I didn’t!

The iconic series ran for 11 seasons between 1993 – 2004 (Picture: NBC)

David starred alongside Kelsey Grammer as his on-screen brother, Frasier (Picture: NBC)

‘No, I think right from the beginning, when we talked about it, if the idea of had we been we were going to do, like, a one-off special episode, or something that would have been very easy to commit to.

‘It isn’t so much about not doing that show, it’s about the other opportunities that I have that I don’t want to turn down.’

He clearly has no hard feelings about his time on the show, with the word ‘family’ being the first that came to mind about his experience.

‘I think that word resonates for a lot of reasons,’ he continued. ‘We were, as obviously many successful shows are, a family on that show.

Niles was last seen on our screens in the 2004 finale (Picture: NBC)

David has since starred in The Exorcist and Julia (Picture: Getty)

‘We were all very close. We were at each other’s weddings and birthings and passings and everything in between.

‘But also, even though it’s been about 100 years since Frasier was on, people still come up to me and tell me how much the show means to them, what it did to get them through Covid, for example.’

Over the 11 years that the original Frasier series was on our screens – and the countless re-runs ever since – Niles has grown to become a firm fan favorite, thanks to the expert way that David took on the role.

Although he was strikingly similar to his on-screen sibling, he was slightly more fussy, particular and snobby, with the star playing the role to perfection.

He explained that he was not that similar to his beloved character (Picture: Getty)

When asked how similar he is to the character, he added: ‘I’ve lived with me long enough to feel that I’m not. But in our business, we draw from ourselves and exaggerate parts of ourselves to create whatever part we’re playing.

‘When Frasier was first on the air, I ran into a friend from elementary school. He said, “Oh, it’s so amazing that you’re playing that character. It’s just like you, I can still picture you walking to school with your briefcase”. And I thought, “What?!” I didn’t remember I had a briefcase.

‘I do certainly share certain things with Niles. I got an education like him – we both went to Yale. He likes and understands wine way more than I do. And although I have a very loving relationship with my own brother, we were many years apart, so we didn’t grow up together with the fantastic sibling rivalry that Frasier and Niles have.

‘And I’m such a slob. That’s the biggest difference. My normal life is just very low key and Niles would be horrified by my wardrobe.’

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More