Affectations

[Fakeem]

Maybe it's because i'm watching more classic tv, but did the actor that played Frasier Crane always appear to be acting like Jack Benny? Did he do it on purpose or was it just a coincidence? Are there any other actors that favor a famous actor from previous generations?

 

[LKellerIII]

Maybe it's because i'm watching more classic tv, but did the actor that played Frasier Crane always appear to be acting like Jack Benny? Did he do it on purpose or was it just a coincidence? Are there any other actors that favor a famous actor from previous generations?

Huh? Kelsey Grammar? Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see any Jack Benny-style affectation in Grammar. He has that big baritone voice, and plays Frasier as kind of pompous, but Grammar is always good at pomposity - such as doing Side Show Bob for The Simpsons.

Benny was pompous in - IMO - a different way - not with voice and gestures, but affected a kind of conceited and un-self aware personality...for laughs of course. For instance, he was a penny-pincher, and didn't know his violin playing was awful. But I don't see a Frasier-Jack Benny connection.

Are you maybe talking about NILES Crane (David Hyde Pierce)? To me, Pierce is perhaps a bit closer to Benny in mannerisms.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Kelsey Grammer did a tribute special to Jack Benny in 1995 on NBC, and acknowledged Benny as an influence on him. Here is a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfy_i0fi2gU

During that time NBC also did some other tributes to classic comedy stars hosted by people from some of their Thursday night shows in the 90's. There was also a tribute to Abbott and Costello with Jerry Seinfeld and the Three Stooges with Woody Harrelson.