Over five decades, Cheers and Frasier star Kelsey Grammer has experienced the dizzy heights of success alongside private tragedy and loss. But – at 70 years old – today he has found peace, both within his happy marriage and a career that finds him busier than ever, currently starring in psychological thriller, Turbulence. The six-time Emmy winner and father-of-eight tells SENIOR PLANET what keeps him smiling.
Q: You’re a singer at heart both in Broadway musicals and singing the Frasier theme tune. And now you’re singing German opera in your new movie – in a hot air balloon no less!
KELSEY: Yes, the script called for me to only make a noise, but then I remembered a Schubert piece which I did in chorus at Julliard when I was 19 years old – such a beautiful piece. So I just thought, ‘Let’s do it’. And they all freaked out because they thought: Oh my god, we’ll have to pay for the rights. What is that piece? And I said: It’s 200 years old. I think you’ll be okay. So I was allowed to keep it in, and I was delighted because it’s a fun moment.
Q: For most of the film, you’re dangerously floating in the hot air balloon above the Dolomite mountains in Italy. We’re assuming it’s movie magic and you weren’t actually in the balloon?
KELSEY: The very first shot I’m actually inside the basket in the middle of a field and I was in a cast from mid-calf down. I’d had an operation on my foot, so we couldn’t reveal that. But the action of the film lent itself perfectly to my malady and it was great fun to keep this big secret.
Q: What happened to your foot?
KELSEY: It’s healing now. But I’ve had flat feet for a long time and, finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I had them operated on. I did the left foot just before the movie, and I did the right foot about two months ago.
Q: Have you been hot air ballooning in real life?
KELSEY: Yes, I went over the vineyards above Napa Valley and I enjoyed it. I don’t find it thrilling, but I understand the movement of the streams and how the air currents dictate the direction or how high you can go. It seems like sailing to me and I used to love to sail.
Here’s a sneak peek at Turbulence:
Q: Are you enjoying being a new dad again at 70 – your fourth child with British wife Kayte Walsh?
KELSEY: It’s fantastic – the greatest thing in the world. You forget how magnificent children are. And at this age, of course, I have the opportunity to really savor and remember each day as the gift that it is. I was a little more cluttered in my life when I was younger. I had a lot of concerns and career stuff and other things to address. And while none of those concerns really disappear, the focus on my kids is so important and I’m really enjoying the second chance.
Q: It must be wonderful having a house full of children?
KELSEY: Yeah, it’s fantastic. The house means something now. I don’t ramble around in a bunch of rooms because now there’s a station for each thing that’s in the house and it’s wonderful.
Q: Are you still in Los Angeles?
KELSEY: Yes, for now but we’ll see. I still have property in Hawaii and also in upstate New York where we spend a good chunk of time every year. I started a brewing company there that’s gone rather well – The Faith American Brewing Company. It’s named Faith for my daughter and America because I love America. So we have a real investment in upstate New York. We love it and look on that property as our garden of Eden.
Q: How else do you take care of yourself given your past health issues?
KELSEY: I had a heart attack almost 20 years ago and I’ve never had anything since, which is fantastic. That was honestly a turning point in my life where I had a chance to say: You know what? I’m stop doing that. I’m gonna do this. And so I changed a lot of things in the years after that, and it made all the difference in my life, and I’m here to attest to that.
Q: Talk us through your exercise and nutrition plan?
KELSEY: Carbs in the morning a little bit and then I stop at mid day. I do some intermittent fasting but I’m not religious about it. I eat what I feel like eating, because I work out quite a bit, and I’ve been doing some weight training lately so the body feels good. And since I’ve had my feet operated on, I’m really looking forward to getting back to playing tennis. In terms of nutrition, I’m not a devotee of any particular diet. I eat protein. I eat meat. I like raw meat like steak tartare. But I also eat my greens and try to eat a balanced diet and go to bed early after not eating too much.
Q: You’ve experienced a lot of tragedy in your life, this year publishing a memoir Karen: A Brother Remembers about your younger sister who was tragically murdered in 1975. Was that cathartic for you?
KELSEY: Yes, it was very challenging and also cathartic. My son, Gabriel, did a very funny thing at the time saying: Dad, I’m going to do an impression of you writing – and he put his hands on the table, mimicking me typing and sobbing at the same time. That was sort of what I was like for three years. It’s actually a pretty good book – a lot of insight into what we were about in the 60s and 70s. We had a blessed decade, my sister and I, until my grandfather died, and then, of course, then Karen died about eight years later, which was really sad.
Q: How did you survive so much personal tragedy? Was it your faith or therapy?
KELSEY: Well, I call it my “limping” faith in the book. Somewhere in the back of my head was still a sense that there was purpose and reason and God, and then there were times when I didn’t think so. But I got through those. It was 50 years later that I wrote it but obviously it was still in there. Every word is from my heart. I’m very proud of the book, but I’m also proud of Karen. I’m also glad to hear people talk about her on a first name basis, as if they knew her. That was really my mission, and so it was a success.
Q: You’ve been a part of our households for so long through Cheers and Frasier. Are you still in touch with your old co-stars?
KELSEY: Yes. Ted [Danson] and Woody [Harrelson], we talk and still connect. And, of course George Wendt just died. That was sad. He was a good fellow. And there was a time in his life when all of America was hanging on his entrance, wondering what he’d say tonight when he walked in the bar. That was an extraordinary performance he gave, and he was an amazing icon in American culture – just Norm walking into a bar. And I still see Rhea [Perlman] sometimes and I’ve connected with Shelley [Long] a few times. Of course, Kirstie’s gone now. That was pretty devastating. I loved Kirstie [Alley]. She was very helpful to me through the years.
Q: With your wife Kayte, it seems like you’ve finally got it all figured out after three previous marriages?
KELSEY: I think so – but you never really have it figured out because it’s my wife’s job to keep me guessing. Once in a while, I’m just looking for an ‘Atta boy’. And when I get one, it’s as if the clouds clear and the sun’s come out, and I bask in that for about five minutes and wait for another six months before I get another one.
Q: That’s funny. But, seriously, what makes this marriage work?
KELSEY: It’s patience – patience and love. But mostly love. I think, from the man’s perspective, you hold second position after the love, after the marriage. But your first position is in terms of leadership in the home. Point the kids, point the family in the direction of peace and prosperity and love and faith, if that’s where you’re at. These things are important, and fathers need to step up to the plate. I’m not enforcing the law, but set some rules. Live by them. You can’t ask people to do things you won’t do yourself, and so you’ve got to be a good guy.
Q: Well, it certainly sounds like you’re stepping up to the plate?
KELSEY: There’s folks who would disagree, but that’s 30 years ago, so . . .
Q: What’s on your bucket list?
KELSEY: I’ve had a decent career. I like being purposeful and busy and successful. I like making a decent living because I’ve got a lot of mouths to feed. And I’m proud of that. Being a good provider is important to me so that’s still one of my biggest goals. I would like to have a close relationship with all my kids. Sometimes that comes and goes, especially with the older ones, but with the four kids that are here now, it’s pretty ideal. I can’t point to anything that sounds more appealing than that.
Q: What is your secret to aging with attitude?
KELSEY: Well, I’ve never looked at age or a number as anything significant in my life. What I can still achieve is what matters to me. And there’s a considerable amount of stuff I can still achieve. And there’s a considerable amount of more stuff I can achieve than I did 40 years ago. So it’s a very interesting thing. I stay fit. I work out every day in the gym. My life is pretty good.
NB: TURBULENCE is in theaters and on demand and digital from December 12th
Gill Pringle began her career as a rock columnist for popular British newspapers, traveling the world with Madonna, U2 and Michael Jackson. Moving to Los Angeles 27 years ago, she interviews film and TV personalities for prestigious UK outlets, The Independent, The i-paper and The Sunday Times – and, of course, Senior Planet. A member of Critics Choice Association, BAFTA and AWFJ, she wrote the screenplay for 2016 Netflix family film, The 3 Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure. An award-winning writer, in 2021 she was honored by the Los Angeles Press Club with 1st prize at the NAEJ Awards.
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