seamus wrote: » It's funny what white hair and pretending to walk with a cane, can do to change your perspective on a character/person. Mahoney was only 54 when he started on Frasier, just 16 years older than Grammer, yet you'd be forgiven for thinking he was a retired man in his late 60's. Ditch the cane and lightly dye his hair a bit darker and it could easily have been a sitcom about 3 40-something single men trying to make it in life; a male Golden Girls.
When we pitched the character of Martin, we said to picture John Mahoney. Warren [Littlefield, NBC President] said if we could get John, he was also pre-approved. ... About halfway through writing the pilot script, Kerry McCluggage, the new President of Paramount Television, told us that he had spoken with John Mahoney regarding playing Frasier’s father. Kerry had a relationship with John dating back to Kerry’s days at Universal Studios where John had done a dramatic series called “The Human Factor.” John said he would like to meet with us and discuss FRASIER. We said that was great and could Kerry set up a meeting. He told us he had, but there was a catch. John wasn’t coming to meet us. We were going to meet John and that meant the three of us were flying to Chicago because that’s where John lived. The plan was we’d fly in the morning, arrive in the afternoon, have dinner with John, then return to LA the next morning. We were on a roll with the script so we weren’t thrilled about having to break our momentum. On the other hand, dinner in Chicago with John Mahoney sounded pretty cool so we went. It was late January or early February, cold, with snow on the ground, but what did we care? Paramount put us up at The Four Seasons and had provided us with a car and driver. We met John and Kerry at a restaurant called Shaw’s Crab House. Being a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, John was quite a local celebrity, so restaurant patrons were constantly stopping by the table or waving across the room. John was absolutely charming with everyone. Over dinner we pitched John the series concept, went into the character of Martin and his relationship with Frasier, and outlined the plot of the pilot episode. John was definitely interested, but he wouldn’t commit until he had read the pilot. Fair enough. We returned to LA the next morning and resumed writing with renewed enthusiasm picturing John Mahoney as Martin Crane. It took us another week to finish the script, so two weeks total. I have to say it was one of the easiest scripts I’ve ever written. Everything seemed to flow naturally. This gave us a very good feeling about the project, but of course you never know how others are going to react to it. We sent it over to the Paramount executive offices and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Kerry McCluggage immediately FedEx’d it to John Mahoney. The next day we received an enthusiastic “yes” from John. Months later in LA, John told me he’d read through a two foot stack of pilots before the FRASIER script arrived and our script was so superior that it was the only project he wanted to do.
Water John wrote: » Am I right in thinking he was from, The Chicago School of Acting? Heard and interview with him on radio some years ago, very interesting guy. Think he did a play at the Abbey, at the time. RIP. In Frasier, good writing, makes good acting easier, and they were all good actors, and the rest takes care of itself.
ncmc wrote: » One of my favourite ‘Martin’ episodes in Frasier was the one where he pretended to be gay so that Frasier could spend more time with a woman he liked. It was hilarious of course, but had that lovely heart warming core where Martin was willing to do something he was so uncomfortable with just to try and help his son.
Metric Tensor wrote: » What straight man remembers Renata Tibaldi!
Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: » Here’s a great piece from the New Stateman about how the theme of the show was really the relationship between Martin and Frasier, which was pretty hostile to begin with. And what is gained or lost by moving social classes. The famous chair stands at the centre of their relationship. Worth a read.https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/08/martin-cranes-hideous-chair-was-true-star-frasier?amp
silverharp wrote: » just noticed Eddie passed away in 2006
razorblunt wrote: » Eddie and Martin, what a double act.
jmayo wrote: » Actually there were a couple of Eddies if I remember correctly hearing John Mahoney in an interview talk about them. Eddie (Moose) son Enzo started doubling for him doing stunts as he was getting older. Actually I am not sure if he always got on with Eddie. I think I recall him saying that Eddie (or son of eddie) blew hot and cold, he was different when the cameras rolled. They used to dab pate or sardine oil on them so that the dog would lick them. Anyway another great memorial actor departs the scene. By all accounts he was a nice guy to boot.
Wise Old Elf wrote: » Saw him in a play in the Abbey ages ago called "The drawer boy". Always loved him in Frasier too, he had a great way of mixing comedy with pathos. RIP
briany wrote: » Funny thing is that outside of the show it was really Mahoney who enjoyed going to the Opera. He used to school Grammer and Hyde-Pierce about it.
Fizzlesque wrote: » I am heartened to see how many people love Frasier. More than ten years ago I bought myself the entire set of DVDs and accidentally kick started an enduring and somewhat peculiar addiction. I genuinely am addicted to watching it, over and over and over. It's like comfort food to me. In fact, a while ago there was a thread on here called "What are you addicted to" and I was going to post about my addiction to watching Frasier. I do watch other things, but I put Frasier on the same way I'd put on music and there just isn't any limit to how often I can have it playing. I live alone but in 2016 someone lived with me for eight months and I didn't watch it even once while he was here. The day he moved out one of the first things I did was put season one on to play and just like that I was back to watching it over and over and over. Well, I say watching but sometimes it's just background noise or something to help me sleep - like the sounds of the rainforest Niles insists on playing when he's between homes and staying in Frasier's for a while I reckon I've watched (and listened to) it five, six maybe even seven hundred times and it still makes me laugh. Occasionally I've worried about myself, because, well, it is a little weird but after reading this thread I feel better about my little secret. So, although I was sad to hear the news John Mahoney had passed away, I am delighted to see how much the show is loved by so many others too. I'd probably fit in well with that weird little fan club Frasier discovered existed in the Good Grief episode...:)
skylight1987 wrote: » you are not alone I also watch Frasier over and over .I love it on in the back round while im cooking and I watch a few episode in bed every night to wind down .its my comfort blanket and I love it
