Award-winning American actor Kelsey Grammer was born on February 21, 1955 in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. He studied at the Juilliard School in New York City, but he left to become an intern at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, and later at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. He first appeared on stage, making his debut in 1981 as Lennox in Macbeth. At around the same time, he started his television career, first starting as Stephen Smith in the NBC biographical miniseries Kennedy.
However, it was his role as psychiatrist Frasier Crane that gained him popularity. He first played the character on the sitcom Cheers, which ran from 1982 to 1993. He also appeared on an episode of Wings, which was produced by the same people behind Cheers. After both sitcoms ended, his character was given its own sitcom, simply titled Frasier; it ran from 1993 to 2004. His performance as the well-to-do psychiatrist with an uptight, if not snobbish, demeanor endeared him to audiences and critics alike. Grammer is the only actor to get nominated for Emmy awards for the same character in three different programs, and he ties the record for the longest time a single actor played a single character. He also won seven awards—four Emmys, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award—for Frasier.
Grammer is also known for his voice work. Aside from stints in Toy Story 2, Anastacia and Bartok the Magnificent, he is best known for providing the voice of Sideshow Bob in The Simpsons. The recurring character is a former sidekick of Krusty the Clown who later became a villainous homicidal maniac, always out to kill Bart after implicating him for a robbery. Grammer won another Emmy for his voice work in a 2005 episode, “The Italian Bob.”
His then played a regular role in the short-lived sitcom Back to You, as news anchor Chuck Darling, alongside Patricia Heaton. He also starred in the films Swing Vote and An American Carol, both politically-themed. In 2009, he starred in the sitcom Hank. It was cancelled after a while and he moved on to play a Chicago mayor in the series Boss. He was also nominated for a Tony Award in 2010 for his Broadway musical debut, playing the character Georges in a revival of the Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical La Cage aux Folles.
2006: Emmy Awards - Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for: "The Simpsons"
2004: Emmy Awards - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
2002" People's Choice Awards - Favorite Male Television Performer
2002: Satellite Awards - Golden Satellite Award - Best Performance by an Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical for: "Frasier"
2001: Banff Television Festival - Sir Peter Ustinov Award
2001: Golden Globe Awards - Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical for: "Frasier"
2001: Walk of Fame - Star on the Walk of Fame
2000: Screen Actors Guild Awards - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
for: "Frasier"
1998: Viewers for Quality Television Awards - Q Award - Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
1998: Satellite Awards - Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
for: "Frasier"
1998: Emmy Awards - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
1996: Viewers for Quality Television Awards - Q Award - Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
1996: Golden Globe Awards - Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical for: "Frasier"
1996: American Comedy Awards - Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication for: "Frasier"
1995: Viewers for Quality Television Awards - Q Award - Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
1995: Emmy Awards - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
1994: Emmy Awards - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for: "Frasier"
1995: American Comedy Awards - Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication for: "Frasier"
1994: People's Choice Awards - Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Series