John Lithgow turned down chance to play Frasier Crane: “I wonder about the road not travelled”
nme.comCheers – and his refusal to portray Donald Trump.Radio Times asked the 79-year-old about the decision to turn down the chance to play Crane in the iconic 1980s sitcom Cheers.
The character first appeared in the third season of the show, and it was Kelsey Grammer who portrayed the psychiatrist. He started out as a recurring character before becoming part of the main cast, and subsequently spawned the spin-off Frasier, which ran from 1993 to 2004 with a revival series beginning last year.Lithgow replied: “Sometimes.
When it came up, it was my early years in Hollywood, and I’d had two Oscar nominations in two years. There was this chance to play a supporting role on Cheers and my agent and I agreed, ‘Let’s not think about episodic TV.’“I can’t help but wonder about the road not travelled.
But I have so few regrets. For one thing, I did do 3rd Rock from the Sun for six years, which was a glorious experience.”When asked if he made the deliberate decision not to do as much comedy as he used to, Lithgow explained, “Well, comedy doesn’t really come up!
Read more on nme.com
