GRAMMER DELIVERS
As a Crane or a Stork, TV and film veteran loves to make us laugh
LOS ANGELES Kelsey Grammer is popular in two different worlds.
In animation, he’s known for the distinctive voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons and for doing Toy Story 2’s crotchety Stinky Pete.
On TV, he will always be remembered as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane — first on beloved sitcom Cheers and then on its spinoff, Frasier. Since then he’s dabbled in many live-action movies and TV shows, and returns to animation in Storks, voicing bird boss Hunter. In the family-friendly comedy animated by Vancouver’s Sony Pictures Imageworks, storks have stopped delivering babies until a rogue bird (Andy Samberg) decides to fulfil one last shipment of a newborn. The winged one has to do it without Hunter discovering his disruptive move, so naturally the trip sets off a series of unexpected events.
Grammer chats with Postmedia News at a Beverly Hills hotel about Storks and his career:
Q Are you an easy sell when it comes to animated movies? A Oh, yes. I always do kids movies and I always have. They called and said, ‘We have this new animated movie about storks,’ and I just said, “Yes.”
Q Where did you find that distinctive boss voice? A It’s my homage to (actor) Rip Torn. I did a film with him years ago called Down Periscope and I had such fun with him. He’s a rough and tough old-school guy.
Q Are you ever concerned that one of your voices will sound like Sideshow Bob or Stinky Pete? A I’m pretty confident in my vocal ability to present a new character each time.
Q What do you think of your Storks boss? A He’s proof that power corrupts. But I like my boss.
Q Is it difficult to create a character in a recording studio? A It’s really more of a game you play. You aren’t really in charge of the performance, but you have to embody it.
Q What’s one of your favourite scenes from Storks? A The don’t-wake-up-the-baby sequence while they are trying to kidnap the baby. I thought that was brilliant.
Q Does it ring true? A Absolutely, it does. As a parent, you are always thinking, “This baby cannot wake up.” I understand completely.
Q How are things personally and professionally these days? A Things are very good in my life in every phase of my life. I am engaged and happy.
Q What’s your secret? A I am doing fewer things and devoting less of my time to my career.
Q But you still seem to be active with your production company. True? A When I was doing the show Boss, I found I was really invested in it because I developed it.
Q What do you think of the new TV landscape? A Cable has definitely brought new life to comedies and dramas.
It’s probably the best thing to happen to television.
Q Is it easier or more difficult to get something made? A I still have to keep agitating people’s imagination. It’s like saying, “Hey, I’m over here.”
Q Are you aware your sitcom Frasier might be more popular now in reruns than when it aired? A Yes, I have 12-year-olds telling me it’s their favourite show all the time.
Q Why do you think Frasier has aged so well? A We quite consciously decided we weren’t going to do anything pop-culture based, so the episodes can luxuriate in an eternal audience.
Q Would you be prepared to update the series? A We can’t duplicate it. I’m very happy to have it where it is.
Q What about a reunion of some kind? A There might be some callback to it.
Q Is that a Frasier tease? A (smiles) It is. But that’s all I’m saying.