Kelsey Grammer Movies
For better or worse, leading actor Kelsey Grammer's name will probably forever be associated with the pompous, garrulous, and self-absorbed but lovable psychiatrist Frasier Crane, a character Grammer has played on television since he first appeared on the NBC sitcom Cheers, in 1984, as a love interest for Shelley Long. Though Frasier was not intended to become a series regular, Grammer's performance of the blowhard neurotic charmed audiences and he remained with Cheers through its 1993 demise. At the beginning of the 1993-1994 television season, Grammer's character was resurrected in his own show and moved from Boston to Seattle, where he became a radio psychologist and faced a whole slew of folks just waiting to poke metaphorical pins in his hot air balloon. Thanks to excellent performances and top-notch writing, Frasier became as big a hit as its predecessor. Grammer won three Emmy awards and has been nominated for an unprecedented seven more (twice for Cheers, once for his guest appearance on a 1992 episode of Wings, four times for Frasier).Born on St. Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Grammer knew extreme tragedy in youth. Following the shooting death of his father when he was a boy, he was raised in New Jersey and then Florida, by his mother and grandfather. His grandfather died before Grammer became a teen. When he was 20, his sister was abducted and violently murdered. Five years later, he lost two half brothers in a diving accident. As a young man, Grammer found comfort in Shakespeare; with his acting debut in a high school production of The Little Foxes came an interest in pursuing drama as a career. He enrolled in Juilliard, but dropped out after two years to work at San Diego's Old Globe Theater, where he gained three years' invaluable experience performing in Shakespearean and classical dramas; afterward, Grammer performed in productions across the country. He eventually made it to Broadway, where he appeared in various productions, including Othello.
Prior to playing Frasier, Grammer appeared occasionally on television and had regular roles in three soap operas, including One Life to Live. He continues to occasionally guest star on other series. Fans of the animated satire The Simpsons will recognize his periodic voice characterization as the venomous Sideshow Bob. Miniseries and telemovies in which he has appeared include London Suite and Beyond Suspicion. Grammer made his feature film debut with a small role in Top of the Hill (1989) and had his first starring role in the much-panned comedy Down Periscope (1996). In addition to his Emmy kudos, Grammer has received an American Comedy Award, two Golden Globes, and a People's Choice Award. In 1995, he published his autobiography So Far. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
An ex-con (Tim Allen) realizes that prison life is a lot less tough than the outside world in this comedy that finds the Home Improvement star in his feature-film-directing debut. Ray Liotta, Carrie-Anne Moss, Julie Bowen, and Kelsey Grammer co-star in the indie production, written by Judd Pillot and John Peaslee. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Ray Liotta, (more)
- Starring:
- Kelsey Grammer, Melinda McGraw, (more)
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Kelsey Grammer, (more)

- 2009
- PG
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This remake of the '80s classic focuses on a group of young students attending a high school for the performing arts. Classmates study various aspects of performance, from dance to songwriting to acting, all of them hoping for the chance to one day become stars. Debbie Allen, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, and Bebe Neuwirth portray the instructors, with a host of newcomers toplining the production as the students. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Flores, Asher Book, (more)
Ebenezer Scrooge gets the parody treatment from veteran writer/director David Zucker (Airplane!, Scary Movie 4) with this comedy starring Kevin Farley as a derisive documentarian (à la Michael Moore) who's visited by three ghosts intent on instilling the American spirit in the disillusioned filmmaker. Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, Leslie Nielsen, James Woods, and Dennis Hopper co-star in the Vivendi Entertainment production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, (more)
When the mischievous antics of a precocious 12-year-old girl result in the outcome of the United States presidential election hinging on the vote of her apathetic, likable loser of a father, the man who thought that life had long since passed him by is reluctantly thrust into the national spotlight in this political-themed comedy starring Kevin Costner. Bud Johnson (Costner) is your typical American -- a simple man and loving father who never would have thought he had the power to change the world. Though when election day finally arrives and Bud prepares to cast his ballot, his overachieving daughter Molly proves to be the catalyst for a stunning series of events that place the fate of the free world in the hands of a man more comfortable slinging cases of beer -- her father. The two candidates are portrayed by Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer, with Nathan Lane and Stanley Tucci as their campaign managers. George Lopez also stars as a local TV-station manager who has to deal with the political factions as they set up camp in the small town. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Madeline Carroll, (more)
Forest Whitaker, Kim Basinger, Jay Mohr, Danny DeVito, Nick Cannon, and Carla Gugino star in director Mark Rydell's ensemble addiction drama detailing the manner in which gambling and drugs affect a variety of people's lives during the weeks leading up to a championship college basketball game. Carolyn (Basinger) is a struggling novelist whose addiction to the slots drives her to deceive her husband Tom (Liotta). Though Carloyn claims to be working on her latest manuscript at a nearby coffee shop, the reality of her situation is decidedly more desperate. Meanwhile, local maintenance worker Clyde (Whitaker) stands at the sidelines of the basketball court cheering for his little brother Godfrey (Cannon) while keeping his lingering gambling debts a well-guarded secret. In another part of town, the ageing Detective Bruner (Kelsey Grammer) methodically trails malevolent bookie Victor (Tim Roth) as Victor's small-time counterpart Augie (Mohr) patiently waits for his ship to come in. As the big game draws near and casino magician Walter (DeVito) befriends gambling-addicted novelist Carolyn, all of these disparate characters slowly come together on a tragic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Basinger, Nick Cannon, (more)
Fox's Back to You was a tailor-made vehicle for two sitcom favorites, Frasier's Kelly Grammer and Everybody Loves Raymond's Patricia Heaton. Grammer was cast as vainglorious TV news anchor Chuck Darling, who after publicly humiliating himself with an internet tirade lost his job with a prestigious big-market station, and found himself right back where he started at Pittsburgh's WURG-TV. While Chuck had been away from Pittsburgh, his former co-anchor Kelly Carr (Heaton) had become a star and "news diva" in her own right. Now Chuck and Kelly were forcibly teamed again by the WURG management, and neither was happy over the arrangement. Much of the series' humor arose from the backstage squabbling between these two giant egos, which often focused on Chuck's reputation as a womanizer and Kelly's habit of playing "Ms. Know-It-All". Like most sitcoms of this nature, Back to You boasted a large supporting ensemble: Josh Gad as neurotic news director Ryan Church, Fred Willard as dunderhead sports anchor Marsh McGinley, Ayda Field as well-endowed weatherperson Montana Stevens, Ty Burrell as accident-prone field reporter Gary Crezyewski (pronounced Kre-Shoov-Ski), and Laura Marano as Kelly's 10-year-old daughter Gracie. Originally titled Action News, Back to You made its network bow on September 19, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, (more)
One of two football-themed series of the 2006-2007 TV season (the other was Friday Night Lights, CW's The Game was a spinoff of the old WB network's long-running Girlfriends. Tia Mowry starred as Melanie Barnett, a Johns Hopkins med student who transferred to a smaller college in San Diego, California, the better to be near her football-player boyfriend Derwin Davis (Pooch Hall), a member of the "San Diego Sabers." Though not technically a "football wife", Melanie soon became an honorary member of that hardy sorority, quickly learning the ins and outs of NFL protocol and intrigue. Refreshingly, she refused to be merely Derwin's "arm ornament", remaining her own person with her own ambitions and dealing with the other football players on her level rather than theirs. Melanie's best friend was Tasha Mack (Wendy Raquel Robinson, the single mother and self-appointed business manager of her irresponsible quarterback son Malick Wright (Hosea Chanchez). Also on deck were interracial couple Kelly and Jason Pitts (Brittany Daniel, Coby Bell); as the white "trophy wife" of a black player, Kelly spent much of her time overcoming the prejudice of certain other Sabers and coping with her cheapskate (and possibly unfaithful) husband. Getting off to a rocky start with an unsatisfactory pilot film which had to be completely scrapped, The Game finally debuted on October 1, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The explosive X-Men motion picture trilogy officially draws to a close with this release that finds Rush Hour director Brett Ratner stepping in for Bryan Singer to tell the tale of a newly discovered mutant "cure," and the polarizing effect it has on mutant/man relations. With the pressure on mutants to give up their powers and pledge alliance with the human race reaching a critical turning point, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) urges tolerance and understanding as his nemesis Magneto (Ian McKellen) gathers a powerful resistance in preparation for the ultimate war against humankind. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and James Marsden return to reprise the roles they played in the previous two X-Men films, with Kelsey Grammer and Vinnie Jones joining the cast as Beast and Juggernaut respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, (more)
Lost's Jorje Garcia stars alongside Nathan Stevens and Cameron Richardson in this comedy about a rebellious high school sophomore whose life crumbles into chaos after his best friend is accused of murder. The year is 1976, and high school sophomore Jay Skibness is perfectly content to hang out with good friends, listen to good music, and smoke good reefer. But when Jay's best friend is linked to the murder of a kid from a rival clique, the laid back teen finds his conscience in direct conflict with his sense of character. His best friend consumed by guilt, Jay gradually begins forms a bond with free spirited beauty Wendy. Wendy sees Jay as dangerous, and as the two grow closer Jay quickly realizes that both his loyalties and lifestyle are rapidly shifting. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Stevens, Cameron Richardson, (more)
Differentiating this TV-movie version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol from the hundreds of other adaptations of the same Yuletide classic is its tongue-in-cheek ambience and a bundle of memorable tunes by perennial Disney composer Alan Menken and former Schoolhouse Rock lyricist Lynn Ahrens. Inspired by a stage musical which used to be presented annually at New York's Madison Square Garden, this Christmas Carol stars Kelsey Grammer as tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge, who sees the errors of his ways just in time to oversee the "best Christmas ever" for his long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit (Edward Gower) and "God Bless Us Everyone" Tiny Tim (Jacob Moriarty). On this occasion, the spirits materializing for Scrooge's benefit include Jason Alexander as a neurotic Jacob Marley, Jesse L. Martin as a laid-back Ghost of Christmas Present, Jane Krakowski as a sexy Ghost of Christmas Past, and Geraldine Chaplin as a spooky Ghost of Christmas Future (in Wizard of Oz tradition, three of these four actors also appear as "real" people in Scrooge's everyday life). Highlights include the song "Link by Link," wherein the ghostly Marley and a chorus of wraiths perform a lively ball-and-chain dance number, and the outsized Christmas celebration in the home of Scrooge's first boss, Mr. Fezziwig (Brian Bedford), which features among other things a "pole dance" by the Ghost of Christmas Past! Filmed on-location in Budapest (which sort of looks like Dickensian London if you squint real hard), A Christmas Carol: The Musical won an Emmy award for musical director Michael Kosarin -- and, alas, tanked in the ratings when first telecast by NBC on November 28, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelsey Grammer, Jesse L. Martin, (more)
Bidding goodbye to Charlotte as she prepares to take a train to an out-of-town convention, Frasier is heartbroken when she reveals her intention to break off their relationship and return to Chicago. Events take an unexpected turn as Charlotte repeatedly misses her train at a succession of stations. Ultimately, the couple ends up in the remote farmhouse of a strange but likeable family who is preparing for their mother's wake -- with "mom" still very much in attendance. And back in Seattle, a case of mistaken identity involving a striptease artist and a physical therapist wreaks havoc on the lives of Niles (David Hyde Pierce), Martin (John Mahoney), and Daphne (Jane Leeves). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In flashback, a terrified Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) tells Niles (David Hyde Pierce) that he may have committed a crime. It all begins when Roz (Peri Gilpin) fields a call from a listener who suffers from kleptomania. The ensuing chain of events leads to Frasier's elderly neighbor, Opal (Estelle Parsons), a purloined box, and a truly surprising surprise party. Bernadette Birkit, the wife of Kelsey Grammer's former Cheers co-star George Wendt, appears as Janelle, while another well-known performer delivers the series' very last "guest" phone call. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This episode marks the return of Frasier's first wife (even before Lilith!), children's entertainer Nanny G, a role played by Emma Thompson on Cheers, and Dina Waters in an earlier Frasier but herein essayed by Laurie Metcalf of Roseanne fame. Having arranged for Roz (Peri Gilpin) and her daughter Alice (Ashley Thomas) to get tickets for one of Nanny G's sold-out concerts, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) tags along, wondering if he will be able to romantically reconnect with his former wife. The results are surprising -- and not a little unsettling. Meanwhile, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) comes to grief trying to conceal an expensive purchase from his frugal spouse Daphne (Jane Leeves). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Felicity Huffman makes her first series appearance as Julia Wilcox, KACL's new financial analyst. The abrasive, condescending Julia rubs everyone the wrong way, but Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) -- who can be pretty abrasive and condescending himself -- believes she's merely insecure. He extends the hand of friendship, only to have the nasty Julia nearly bite it off. Thus spruned, Frasier expresses his outrage to everyone -- which merely confirms their belief that he had a crush on Julia. The situation culminates with threats of a harrassment suit and a remarkable revelation. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Felicity Huffman, Dan Butler, (more)
When Niles (David Hyde Pierce) partners up with someone other than Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) for their club's squash tournament, Frasier teams with Chelsea Gray (Jeanne Tripplehorn), a sexy phys-ed teacher. At the end of the tournament, Martin is delighted that at last one of his sons has won a trophy -- but the other son, Niles, is not. As for Chelsea, Frasier wonders if his lifelong terror of P.E. instructors will ruin his chances at romance. This is the classic episode in which actor Bob Hoskins repeatedly materializes on the shoulders of guest star Jeanne Tripplehorn. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Jeanne Tripplehorn, (more)
Worried over financial difficulties, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) heads to his favorite hangout, the Café Nervosa, only to have his teeth set on edge by a bizarre folksinger named Ben (Elvis Costello!). Vowing never to return to the café until Ben is fired -- and dragging Niles (David Hyde Pierce) along with him -- Frasier seeks out another out-of-the-way spot he can call his own. In the process he spots his co-worker Julia (Felicity Huffman) in a passionate embrace with his accountant Avery McManus (John Hannah) -- who happens to be married. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Costello, Felicity Huffman, (more)
Roz (Peri Gilpin) cannot help but be amazed how much Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) has in common with his late mother's research assistant Leland Barton (David Ogden Stiers). Can it possibly be that Leland and not Martin (John Mahoney) is Frasier's father? Roz investigates and gets some unsettling information from Martin that seems to confirm her suspicions. But as things turn out, Leland has a different surprise for everyone. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Ogden Stiers, Linden Chiles, (more)
Though she has decided to leave Seattle for a better job out of town, Roz (Peri Gilpin) begins having second thoughts about bidding farewell to Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) -- especially since he is drawing ever closer to the mercurial Julia Wilcox (Felicity Huffman). This state of affairs leads to two different showdowns, while a third is in the offing as Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) square off against Daphne's meddlesome mother (Millicent Martin). This was the final episode of Frasier's tenth season. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Felicity Huffman, Millicent Martin, (more)
Barbie of Swan Lake is the third direct-to video computer-animated feature starring a CGI Barbie, following Barbie in the Nutcracker and Barbie as Rapunzel. In this loose adaptation of the Tchaikovsky ballet, Barbie appears as Odette, a young girl who follows a unicorn into a forest. Kelsey Grammer voices the evil wizard Rothbart, the London Symphony Orchestra provides the music and the New York City Ballet is responsible for the choreography. Recommended for kids ages three to eight. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly Sheridan, Kelsey Grammer, (more)
Established in 1905 for the encouragement and nurturing of young talent, the New York-based conservatory Juilliard has boasted such stellar alumni as Kevin Kline, Wynton Marsalis, Robin Williams, Christopher Reeve, Christine Baranski, Laura Linney, and Kelsey Grammer -- not to mention such distinguished instructors as Walter Damrosch and John Houseman. Produced in conjunction with a book about the celebrated conservatory, this two-hour TV documentary focuses on four contemporary Juilliard students: Jeffrey Carlson (acting), Abdur-Rahim Jackson (dance), Elizabeth Morgan (piano), and Sarah Wolfson (voice). In fine PBS tradition, the footage of the chosen foursome studying, practicing, succeeding, and sometimes falling short of their goals is counterbalanced with interviews of famous Juilliard grads (as well as some current celebrities who were unceremoniously invited to leave the conservatory). Juilliard was originally telecast as an episode of PBS' American Masters anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A guy looking for easy money gets a lot more than he bargained for in this noir-flavored independent comedy. John Person (Jon Favreau) is a struggling actor living in Los Angeles who is starting to buckle under the pressure of his own failures. With no acting jobs coming in and a massive credit card debt to pay off, John works part-time as a courier but needs a big payday if he's ever going to get back on his feet. Out of the blue, a strange man in the neighborhood makes John an offer that seems too good to be true -- in exchange for delivering a suitcase to a man in Baker, CA (midway between L.A. and Las Vegas), John will receive $27,000 in cash. John's first tip off that something odd is going on comes when, along with the suitcase, he's given a loaded gun and instructions to defend the package with his life if necessary, but he's just desperate enough to go along. However, things become more complicated when John misses his connection in Baker; he's suddenly followed by a number of threatening eccentrics, is informed by an FBI agent that his benefactor in L.A. has become the victim of a grisly murder, and incurs the wrath of Cowboy (Sean Bean), the ominous trucker who was supposed to pick up the suitcase. The Big Empty features a stellar supporting cast, including Kelsey Grammer, Melora Walters, Daryl Hannah, Joey Lauren Adams, and Rachael Leigh Cook. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Favreau, Joey Lauren Adams, (more)






















