One of the best parts of the Kelsey Grammer-led sitcom “Frasier” that debuted in 1993 was Peri Gilpin’s Rose Doyle. Unlike Frasier, Doyle was an entirely new character separate from the show’s original series, “Cheers”, so the writers had complete freedom as to what to do with him. They made him Frasier’s satirical radio show producer, gradually becoming one of his best friends.
Some fans have complaints about Peri Gilpin’s performance in the role, making it hard to imagine that the role of Rose Doyle was originally meant to be played by Lisa Kudrow. Kudrow was cast for the role of Doyle, but was fired before filming of the pilot, an event the actress described as “devastating”. Recent Interview on Smartless PodcastShe talked about how, during early tours of the pilot, director James Burrows told Kudrow, “This isn’t working,” and that was it.
Kudrow believed it was all due to a casting mix-up: “They made a mistake in casting because I went to the network with Perry Gilpin,” she said. “I think they were just correcting a mistake. Because Perry was always supposed to be Rose.”
one in 2023 interviewJames Burrows shed some light on why he fired Kudrow, describing an early scene in the pilot that didn’t work with him at all:
“Frasier’s speech before he confronts his father, Lupe Velez’s speech, which is the story of Lupe Velez, who she wanted [die by] Suicide, so she put on a really nice robe and went to the bathroom to take her pills and she slipped, hit her head on the tub and died. She had to give her speech, but Kelsey has such a strong personality and Lisa, what she does well is phenomenal and it just didn’t work in that moment.”
Lisa Kudrow cast in Friends exactly one year later
Just as Amanda Walsh’s performance as the early version of Penny in the original pilot of “The Big Bang Theory” didn’t quite work, Kudrow’s performance wasn’t quite the right fit for a character like Rose Doyle. It’s easy to imagine Kudrow’s heartbreak after losing such a promising role — not only did “Frasier” run for 11 seasons, but after the massive hit of “Cheers,” the show garnered rave reviews from day one. Kudrow was not a big star at the time, and she knew she might end up like many unlucky actors who don’t get a life-changing big lead role. (For example, Walsh never got a big break after being fired from “The Big Bang Theory.”)
Luckily, the otherworldly quality of Ludrow’s acting turned out to be exactly what the “Friends” writers were looking for with Phoebe Buffay, possibly the silliest and most unpredictable member of the six-person friend group. The first season of “Friends” aired in 1994; Thanks partly to its time slot being right after the hit show “Seinfeld”, and also thanks to the distinctively strong chemistry between all the main cast members, “Friends” became an instant hit, and remained a hit for a full 10 years. season’s. The show’s ratings were consistently high enough that Kudrow remained until Season 9. $1 million per episode, As sad as it must have been for Kudrow to be fired from “Frasier” a year before “Friends,” at least we can all agree that things worked out well for her in the end.
