Overview
- Jane Leeves told the Still Hot in Cleveland podcast this week that Cynthia Nixon auditioned for Daphne and was already in the room before Leeves read for producers.
- Leeves said producers asked her to return the next day to read with Kelsey Grammer, who initially objected to casting an English actress for the part.
- After reading with Grammer, Leeves said producers offered her the role and Grammer left in a Corvette, an anecdote she used to illustrate the audition’s abrupt turn.
- The account is a first-person recollection reported by multiple outlets and there is no public correction or dispute; The Independent noted it sought comment from Grammer.
- Frasier ran for 11 seasons and won 37 Emmys, and Leeves’ story has renewed interest in how lead-actor influence and casting choices shaped the show and its later 2023–2024 revival casting decisions.