Kelsey Grammer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kelsey Grammer
Grammer in 2016
Born	Allen Kelsey Grammer (1955-02-21) February 21, 1955 (age 70) Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Education	Juilliard School
Occupation	Actor producer
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Doreen Alderman ​ ​ (m. 1982; div. 1990)​ Leigh-Anne Csuhany ​ ​ (m. 1992; annulled 1993)​ Camille Donatacci ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2011)​ Kayte Walsh ​ ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	7, including Spencer and Greer
Awards	Hollywood Walk of Fame

Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He is famous for playing Dr. Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist, in the TV shows Cheers (1984–1993) and its spin-off Frasier (1993–2004, and again from 2023 to 2024). This role lasted over 20 years, making it one of the longest-running characters played by one actor in primetime TV history.

Kelsey Grammer has won many awards, including six Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Tony Award. He studied acting at Juilliard and the Old Globe Theatre. He first appeared on Broadway in 1981 in Macbeth. He also starred in other musicals like Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and My Fair Lady.

In movies, he is known for playing Dr. Hank McCoy / Beast in the superhero films X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and The Marvels (2023). He has also lent his voice to characters in animated movies like Anastasia (1997) and Toy Story 2 (1999). Many people recognize his voice as Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons (1990–present). For his role as a mayor in the TV series Boss (2011–2012), he won a Golden Globe Award.

In 2010, Grammer returned to Broadway in the musical La Cage aux Folles. In 2016, he won a Tony Award as a producer for the musical The Color Purple. In 2019, he played Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha in London. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001.

Early Life and Family

Kelsey Grammer was born on Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. His mother, Sally Cranmer, was a dancer. His father, Frank Allen Grammer Jr., was a musician and owned a coffee shop. Kelsey had a younger sister, Karen, and four half-siblings.

Kelsey's childhood included some very difficult times. After his parents separated, he was raised by his mother and grandparents in New Jersey and later Florida. When he was twelve, his grandfather passed away. Later, his father was murdered. In 1975, his sister Karen was also tragically killed. In 1980, his two teenage half-brothers died in a scuba diving accident. These events deeply affected him.

Grammer went to Pine Crest School, where he started singing and performing. He later earned a scholarship to study drama at the Juilliard School. However, after his sister's death, he struggled and was eventually expelled. He describes himself as a "Caribbean kid" and enjoys visiting the islands.

Acting Journey

Starting in Theatre and Early Roles

After leaving Juilliard, Kelsey Grammer spent three years at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. In 1980, he worked at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. He made his first Broadway appearance in 1981 in Macbeth. He also played Michael Cassio in the 1982 Broadway show Othello, alongside famous actors James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer. In 1983, he performed in the musical Sunday in the Park with George.

Becoming Famous with Cheers

In 1984, Grammer joined the NBC sitcom Cheers as Dr. Frasier Crane. He was only supposed to be in six episodes, but he became a regular cast member. His character, Frasier, first appeared in the third season and stayed until the show ended in 1993. Frasier Crane even appeared in an episode of the show Wings in 1992.

Since 1990, Grammer has been the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons. He won an Emmy Award for his voice work in the episode "The Italian Bob". Sideshow Bob has appeared in many episodes of the show, including "The Yellow Lotus" in 2024.

Stardom with Frasier

Grammer as Frasier Crane in 1996

In September 1993, Frasier Crane got his own show called Frasier. In this show, Frasier moves to Seattle and works as a radio psychiatrist. Kelsey Grammer not only starred in the show but also directed over 30 episodes. He also sang the show's famous closing theme song, "Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs."

By 2001, Grammer was earning a very high salary per episode for Frasier. The show won many awards during its 11-year run, including five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. This is a record that Modern Family later tied. Grammer himself was nominated for 10 Emmy Awards for his role in Frasier, winning four times. His 20-year run as Dr. Frasier Crane (in both Cheers and Frasier) is one of the longest for a character played by a single actor. In February 2021, it was announced that Grammer would play Frasier again in a new series on Paramount+, which premiered in 2023 and was renewed for a second season.

Grammer has also done a lot of voice acting for animated films. He voiced Vladimir in Anastasia (1997) and Stinky Pete in Toy Story 2 (1999). He also voiced characters in Barbie of Swan Lake and Teacher's Pet (2004). In 2004, he played Ebenezer Scrooge in the TV musical A Christmas Carol.

His voice has been used in many commercials, including for Honey Nut Cheerios and Hyundai. In 2008, he even played Dr. Frasier Crane again in a commercial for Dr Pepper.

Continued Success

Kelsey Grammer at the Drama League Awards in 2010

In 2005, Grammer produced an American version of the British show The Sketch Show. He appeared in short segments in each episode. In 2007, he starred with Patricia Heaton in the sitcom Back to You, and later in Hank.

In 2010, Grammer made his Broadway musical debut in La Cage aux Folles. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance. From 2011 to 2012, Grammer starred in the drama series Boss as a fictional mayor of Chicago. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama for this role. He also made guest appearances as a funny version of himself in three episodes of 30 Rock.

Grammer in 2010

In 2014, Grammer returned to sitcoms in Partners with comedian Martin Lawrence. That same year, he appeared in films like The Expendables 3 and Transformers: Age of Extinction. He also narrated and played Herod the Great in the National Geographic TV film Killing Jesus. In 2015, he voiced William F. Buckley Jr. in the documentary Best of Enemies.

In March 2015, Grammer played Charles Frohman and Captain Hook in the Broadway musical Finding Neverland. In 2016, he won a Tony Award as a producer for The Color Purple. In 2019, he starred in Man of La Mancha in London. He also appeared in the Netflix film Like Father (2018) and Grand Isle (2019).

Kelsey Grammer reprised his role as Frasier Crane in the 2023 revival of Frasier on Paramount+. He also returned as Dr. Hank McCoy / Beast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film The Marvels (2023) and is expected to appear in the upcoming MCU film Avengers: Doomsday (2026).

Personal Life and Family

Kelsey Grammer has been married four times and has seven children and one grandchild. His first marriage was to Doreen Alderman, and they have a daughter named Spencer Grammer (born 1983), who is also an actress. Through Spencer, he has a grandson.

He also has a daughter, Kandace Greer Grammer (born 1992), with Barrie Buckner. Kandace was a cast member on MTV's show Awkward..

His second marriage was to Leigh-Anne Csuhany in 1992. In 1997, Grammer married dancer and model Camille Donatacci. They have a daughter, Mason (born 2001), and a son, Jude (born 2004). Their divorce was finalized in 2011.

On February 25, 2011, Grammer married Kayte Walsh, an English flight attendant. They have a daughter (born 2012) and two sons (born 2014 and 2016). In January 2023, it was reported that Grammer bought a house in his wife's hometown in England. In June 2025, it was shared that Kayte is expecting their fourth child together, which will be Grammer’s eighth child overall.

Grammer has spoken about his religious faith, saying he believes in God but doesn't follow a specific religion.

Remembering Karen Grammer

Kelsey Grammer's younger sister, Karen, was tragically killed in 1975 when she was 18. This event had a profound impact on his life. He has spoken about how important his sister was to him and how her death affected him deeply. He even named his daughter Spencer Karen Grammer partly in her memory. In 2025, Grammer released a book titled Karen: A Brother Remembers, which tells his sister's story and how it shaped his life.

Political Views

Grammer during Fleet Week in New York City, in May 2006

Kelsey Grammer has long supported the Republican Party. He believes in ideas like smaller government and lower taxes. He has been described as one of the few well-known Republicans in Hollywood.

He has shared his views on various topics, including supporting Brexit in 2019. Grammer has also criticized politicians in Washington, saying they haven't done enough for the country. He has shown interest in possibly running for office himself one day, including for United States Congress or Mayor of New York City. He supported Rudy Giuliani and John McCain in past presidential elections. He also supported Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections, and confirmed his continued support for Trump in interviews in 2023 and 2025.

Health and Well-being

Kelsey Grammer has faced some health challenges. In May 2008, he experienced a heart issue while paddleboarding in Hawaiʻi. He recovered well and was discharged from the hospital a few days later. He has mentioned that stressful times in his career may have contributed to his health issues.

Acting Roles

Key

C	Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Movies

Television Shows

Theatre Performances

Video Games

Production Work

Director

Producer

Awards and Recognitions

Kelsey Grammer has received many awards, especially for his work on Frasier. He was the first American actor to be nominated for multiple Emmy awards for playing the same character on three different TV shows: Cheers, Frasier, and Wings.

In 2010, Grammer was nominated for his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in La Cage Aux Folles. In 2016, he won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical as a producer for The Color Purple. In 2001, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his television work. He was also nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award in 1999 for directing an episode of Frasier. At the Golden Globes, he has received nine nominations and won three awards: two for Frasier and one for Boss.

Images for kids

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  Grammer in 2016

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  Grammer as Frasier Crane in 1996

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  Kelsey Grammer at the Drama League Awards in 2010

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  Grammer in mid-2010

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  Grammer during Fleet Week in New York City, in May 2006

See also

In Spanish: Kelsey Grammer para niños