The 'Frasier' Revival Is Back: The 15 Best Guest Stars from the Original Series

Thirty years after Dr. Frasier Crane launched his new life and radio show in Seattle on the original Frasier—itself a spinoff of Cheers—the doctor is back in!

When the smash hit reboot debuted in 2023, the one-time radio psychologist had landed in Boston where he was again restarting his life and hoping to forge a better father-son relationship.

Starring Kelsey Grammer as the titular Dr. Frasier Crane, the original series ran for 11 seasons, from Sept. 16, 1993 to May 13, 2004.

The original show's cast also included David Hyde Pierce (Niles), Jane Leeves (Daphne Moon) and the late John Mahoney (Martin Crane) as the strikingly different yet still close-knit family along with Peri Gilpin, who played Frasier's boss Roz Doyle.

Related: See the Cast of Frasier Then and Now

Those series regulars were the beating heart of the series, but Frasier also boasted a stellar of lineup of incredibly talented guest stars who added wit and whimsy to a series already loaded with both.

As we look forward to seeing who drops by Season 2 of Frasier 2.0, here's a look back at the 15 best Frasier guest stars from the original series.

Best Frasier Guest Stars

Anthony LaPaglia (Simon Moon)

Viewers learned over the years that Daphne Moon had three brothers—Stephen, Simon and Michael—and fans were elated when they finally joined the show. The highlight was Anthony LaPaglia's Simon, who was pretty much Niles and Frasier Crane's opposite. While the Cranes were buttoned up and proper, Simon had no problem speaking openly about his many relationships and excessive drinking. Predictably, this made for some pretty funny television. In fact, LaPaglia picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2002 for Frasier.

Wendie Malick (Ronee Lawrence)

Martin Crane dated a few women over nine seasons but he finally found love when Ronee Lawrence (Malick) entered his life. The most interesting part of his romance was that Ronee was in his life for the second time. She had been Niles and Frasier's babysitter many years ago. The two were compatible in a number of ways, despite the fact that both Crane brothers openly admitted to harboring crushes.

Brian Stokes Mitchell (Cam Winston)

Cam Winston and Frasier Crane were equally snobbish, which made the pair's intellectual sparring highly fascinating and entertaining. There was something satisfying about watching Frasier lose his cool as Winston hit him with his best—and most Frasier-esque—shots. We can only imagine what would have happened if the budding relationship between Martin and Winston's mother had panned out.

Related: Inside Kelsey Grammer's Net Worth in 2024

Irene Olga López (Marta)

Marta made four appearances on Frasier, but each time Niles and Maris' maid appeared was a delight. Ever the comedic performer, López took a role that could have devolved into stereotype and made it brilliant, expertly navigating Marta's struggles with English and the customs of the Crane household.

Rita Wilson (Hester Crane and Mia Preston)

Rita Wilson is one of the only actresses who could have taken on the dual role of Frasier Crane's mother, Hester, and her present-day doppelganger, Mia Preston, who also briefly dated Frasier. The relationship between Mia and Frasier doesn't work out for fairly obvious reasons, but Wilson is very memorable, particularly as it pertains to the inner workings of Frasier's mind.

Michael Keaton (Blaine Sternin)

Through the years, several members of Frasier's extended family showed up in Seattle, including Blaine, the half-brother of his ex-wife, Lilith. Portrayed by Michael Keaton, the reformed con artist (who allegedly swindled Frasier several times over the years) wanted to prove that he'd changed his ways. Frasier didn't believe him, which led to an appalling scene that showed how far the radio doctor would go to prove a point.

Amy Brenneman (Faye)

The Crane men's failures with women was a recurring theme so it was no surprise when things didn't work out between Frasier and Faye, a lawyer who quit her practice to become a pastry chef. Watching her react as Frasier repeatedly calls her by another girlfriend's name is priceless.

Laura Linney (Charlotte Connor)

Laura Linney won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2004 for her turn as the matchmaker Frasier hired to help him find love. Spoiler alert: They fall in love and the pair seemed to be headed toward happiness when Frasier hopped a plane to follow her to Chicago the series finale. But as is often the case for the Crane men, we learned in the premiere of the Paramount+ reboot that things didn't work out between the two of them.

Related: Kelsey Grammer Has Plans for Shelly Long on New Frasier

Patrick Stewart (Alistair Burke)

Patrick Stewart rarely makes a wrong turn, and his portrayal of conductor Alistair Burke is predictably fantastic. Burke, an openly gay man, meets Frasier and mistakenly assumes that he's gay also. Ever the opportunist, Frasier goes along with Burke's impression until the end of the episode.

Victor Garber (Ferguson)

First of all, there is no role that Garber can't excel at, and he soared as Ferguson, the butler Frasier hires after Niles and Daphne begin dating. The actor somehow managed to be even snobbier than the Crane brothers, a feat that absolutely has to be seen to believe.

Related: How Does Frasier Reboot Pay Tribute to John Mahoney?

Tony Goldwyn (Roger)

Tony Goldwyn charms as Roger, a sanitation worker who meets and woos Roz Doyle. The pair are only in the show for one episode, though their relationship continued off-screen for quite some time.

Eric Idle (Chuck)

Idle's turn as Chuck, a man who calls into Frasier's talk show in the episode "High Crane Drifter," is pretty funny. Chuck wants to chat about a revenge plot he recently executed, sending another man a box of 100 scorpions after he's been done wrong.

Wolfgang Puck

Puck delighted fans when he appeared on the episode "The Proposal" as himself. Puck is hired to cook a meal the night that Niles proposes to Daphne, making this both a special cameo and a special episode in general.

David Ogden Stiers (Leland Barton)

Stiers showed up on the episode "Fathers and Sons" in 2003 as Leland Barton, a man that Marty Crane thinks had a relationship with his wife that was a little too close. Marty begins examining the similarities between Leland and his sons and eventually asks if Leland is actually their biological father. It's then that Leland admits he's gay and that Marty's wife is the only person he ever told.

Teri Hatcher (Marie)

The future Desperate Housewife was one of the show's earliest guest stars and the first in a long line of failed relationships for Frasier. The good doctor gets along well with Marie until he starts to suspect she's in their relationship for free psychiatric advice. Poor Fras.

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