Let’s get right to it. Kelsey Grammer has finally spilled the tea on the infamous feud between him and his Cheers costar Ted Danson, which kept them at odds for an incredible 30 years. Now, before you jump to conclusions, Kelsey is here to clear the air. This wasn’t some dramatic blowout or bitter rivalry. Instead, it was a misunderstanding that somehow spiraled out of control. And honestly, who hasn’t been there, right?
What Really Caused the Feud?
During a recent chat with the New York Post, Kelsey, now 69, opened up about the root of the issue. "It got a little blown out of proportion," he admitted. "There really wasn’t an argument. It was at a time in my life when I was actually going through a lot of self-doubt, self-loathing, honestly." Picture this: Kelsey was in a tough spot, battling personal demons while trying to keep up with the demands of one of TV’s biggest shows. And then, Ted dropped a comment that, well, didn’t land the way it was intended.
"It was when I was drinking a lot," Kelsey continued. "Ted had just come up and said, ‘You know, I’m kind of mad at you that sometimes you don’t show up ready to go.’ And I said, ‘OK, I respect that.’ And that actually was sort of it." Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? But as we all know, things can get complicated in the world of showbiz.
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How Did Things Escalate?
The Frasier star went on to explain, "Now, maybe what happened for Ted was he stepped away from what might have been a better friendship. Maybe he just had to protect himself. I don’t really know. But, I said, ‘Thanks.’ We were fine with that." It’s clear Kelsey wasn’t holding a grudge, but sometimes, these little moments can snowball into something much bigger than they need to be. Life moves on, and before you know it, decades have passed without so much as a hello.
The Cheers Connection
Ted, now 77, played bartender Sam Malone for all 11 seasons of the beloved NBC comedy Cheers, which first hit the airwaves in 1982. Kelsey came aboard in season 3 as Dr. Frasier Crane, a character so popular that he eventually got his own spinoff show the same year Cheers wrapped up in 1993. But behind the scenes, things weren’t always smooth sailing.
Fast forward to 1996, and Kelsey has been sober ever since, overcoming years of battling cocaine and alcohol addictions that coincided with his time on Cheers. Yet, even with all that personal growth, the rift with Ted remained unaddressed for far too long.
Finally Breaking the Silence
It wasn’t until October 2024, during Ted and Cheers costar Woody Harrelson’s "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" podcast, that the two finally addressed their issues publicly. Kelsey joined the conversation, and Ted was the first to acknowledge the tension. "This isn’t self-deprecating, but it’s — I feel like I got stuck a little bit with you during the Cheers years. I have a memory of getting angry at you once," Ted confessed, though he didn’t elaborate on the specifics.
Kelsey nodded in agreement, acknowledging there was indeed a moment of friction. "Yeah, you came and told me that one day," he replied. But here’s the thing—Ted clearly regretted letting that moment define their relationship. "And it’s stuck in both of our memories. But I feel like, f–k, I don’t know. I missed out on the last 30 years of Kelsey Grammer and I feel like it’s my bad, my doing, and I almost feel like apologizing to you … I apologize to you and me that I sat back, you know, and didn’t … and I really do apologize," Ted said, his sincerity evident.
Kelsey graciously accepted the apology, saying, "I truly wish we’d spent some more time together." And Ted chimed in, admitting, "I know squat about you really, compared to the body of your work." Despite their lack of personal connection over the years, Ted couldn’t help but praise Kelsey’s impressive career. "It’s just astounding. Theater, film, books, the works," he marveled.
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A Heartwarming Moment
Of course, Kelsey couldn’t resist sharing a sweet memory of Ted. "You said something wonderful to me, though, too, that I’ve always, I quote to other people. When I turned 40, you came up and you said, ‘You know what it means, don’t you? Now that you’re 40, it means you’re finally worth having a conversation with.’" That’s a line that’ll stick with you, isn’t it?
