When Frasier returned to Paramount+ a few years ago, it fell far short of the original NBC series. Much of this was due to those missing supporting characters who we loved so much. It was fun to see Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) again, but he lost so much by not having his even more neurotic brother, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), by his side. Another character was also absent for a heartbreaking reason. With Pierce, he simply didn’t want to do it, but then there was John Mahoney, who played Frasier and Nile’s father, Martin Crane. Sadly, Mahoney passed away in 2018 at the age of 77. The Frasier reboot paid loving tributes to him, but it was just a reminder that Martin was the heart of one of the biggest sitcoms. He accomplished this by being the exact opposite of his kids, and he was never ashamed, no matter how often his sons made fun of him.
Martin Crane Was Introduced as a Tragic Character in ‘Frasier’
Audiences first met Frasier Crane on Cheers as one of the bar’s patrons. He appeared in Season 3 as a psychiatrist married to an overbearing woman named Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth), and with a small son named Frederick. When NBC created a Frasier spin-off, they made the smart decision to take the show as far away from Boston as possible. The show settled in Seattle, with Frasier getting a radio show gig and becoming closer to his eccentric and pretentious brother, Niles. Even more of a burden to Frasier was his cranky father, Martin.
Martin Crane is nothing like his aloof, pretentious sons. He’s an ordinary, stereotypical guy who loves to sit in his chair after a long day, watch TV, and drink a beer with his best friend, a dog named Eddie. Martin’s a likable everyman, but he’s also had a rough life. The elder Crane is already a widower, with the love of his life having passed away, but when he’s shot in the hip in the line of duty as a police officer, he struggles to take care of himself.
Needing a cane and walking so gingerly makes the single life impossible. Martin has to move in with Frasier, but this is no great act of love. He has to live with someone and Niles doesn’t want to do it, so Frasier feels stuck with him. He loves his life of solitude with all of his fancy, expensive items, and now here comes this guy to mess it all up with his ugly chair and weird dog. Frasier can’t stand it, and even at Christmastime, when Martin wants to dig out his old decorations, Frasier is disgusted by the kitsch. He and Niles both look at their father and see a man who isn’t as smart and cultured as they are.
Martin Crane’s Growth Was One of the Best Parts of ‘Frasier’
In 2018, Vanity Fair ran an article for Frasier‘s 25th anniversary titled “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs: An Oral History of Frasier.” It included interviews with the creators and producers of Frasier, and Kelsey Grammer himself. In the article, they spoke about the character of Martin Crane. Character actor John Mahoney, then probably best known for his fatherly supporting role in Say Anything, was the first choice to play Martin. They saw him as being this crusty ex-cop, and yes, although he can be grumpy, he has every right to be. Writer-producer Joe Keenan said:
“Martin Crane could have stepped out of an Arthur Miller play. The guy’s lost everything he’s loved—his wife, job, independence. He has nothing left but his dog, chair, and two sons he feels look down on him. Watching him warm up to them gave the show its sweetest, most hopeful long-term arc.”
No matter what he’s been through or how he’s treated, Martin Crane is a lovable person. He smiles and laughs, would do anything for anyone, and loves his in-home health aide, Daphne (Jane Leeves), like she’s part of his family. He’s far from being a miserable old man. His kids, who have money and clout, complain far more than he ever does, because no matter how often life has knocked him down, he gets back up. He and Frasier fight often, and he’s not afraid to stick up for himself, calling out his kids when they make fun of him. Those moments were played for both comedy and some rather intense drama for a sitcom.
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We Never Got To See Niles Crane’s Wife on ‘Frasier’ — Even Though One Actress Fought To Play the Character
“Maris is like the sun, except without the warmth.”
In certain ways, Martin never changed. He never tried to impress his sons by being someone he wasn’t. You either take him as he is — chair and dog included — or it’s your loss. All this being said, Martin still evolves. He resists finding love again because he’s so committed to someone who’s no longer alive, but in the end he lets himself be vulnerable and goes on several dates, before getting reacquainted with a woman from his past named Ronee (Wendie Malick). In Frasier‘s series finale, they get married, and he becomes a grandfather again on the same day. Martin Crane went through the hell of loneliness and not being accepted by his own family, only to gain everything at the end.
Kelsey Grammer Looked at Martin as the Father He Never Had
In the Vanity Fair article, writer-producer Christopher Lloyd spoke about how they went against the conventional wisdom of giving Frasier a father just like him, adding, “The genius was pairing him with a fussier, more erudite version of Frasier, which pushed Frasier more to the center.” He added that their language became, “the language of the show.”
It’s a risky choice to have the two leads of a sitcom being pompous jerks who treat their father so horribly at times. Why would we want to root for or watch someone so awful? But that was also the point. Frasier and Niles are meant to be highly imperfect overthinkers. They think they’re better than everyone, only to often be proven wrong. Best of all, they will realize they are wrong and learn from it. Martin Crane keeps them grounded when their thoughts and opinions fly off the rails. Even though they’re both grown men, they still need this man to take care of them. Over the years, he made his sons better men while also accepting them for who they are. For example, would Niles have found true love with Daphne without his father? Kelsey Grammer said it best with, “Martin’s in public service, into knowing what’s right and wrong. That’s exactly what his sons were. On the simplest level, he was a good man, and their hope was to become the same thing.”
Grammer also spoke about just how much the character of Martin Crane meant to him, saying, “Frasier and his dad had stuff to resolve. It was great to invent a father. I never really knew mine.” Grammer reminisced about the episode where it’s revealed that Frasier’s mom cheated on his dad. Martin kept it a secret to protect his boys, and stayed strong for so many years, leading to Frasier realizing how great of a man he truly was. Martin Crane wasn’t a flashy character. He didn’t draw attention to himself or speak about how great he was. Instead, he lived his simple life, and in the process, it brought his family closer together.
Frasier
- Release Date
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1993 – 2003
- Network
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NBC
