February 1991
Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth
By Rod Lurie
Forget whatever Freud may have had to say on the subject. For the must au courant psychobabble on sexual mores, America turns every Thursday night to the words of Frasier Crane and Lilith Sternin, the anal-retentive husband-and-wife shrinks who occupy the southernmost stools at Cheers. Actors Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth have been at their roles for seven and four years respectively. (Neuwirth won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy last year.) Along with Roseanne and Dan and Michael and Hope, they have become one of TV's most famous married couples. In fact, their banter continues offstage--they even finish each other's sentences. So, who better to turn to this Valentine's month for some wit and wisdom on the state of modern romance?
So what would Lilith and Frasier give each other for Valentine's Day?
BN: [Laughing] Nothing that you could print.
KG: Frasier is a romantic sort of chap. Maybe it would be a trip to the islands...with a suitcase full of sex toys.
BN: Right. He'd bring this huge trunk and tell people all he had in it was his toothbrush. On second thought, Lilith would give Frasier something along the same lines, like a weekend in a beautiful hotel room.
If you were Frasier and Lilith's marriage counselor, what advice would you give to them?
KG: I don't know if they need advice. They have a good marriage. After all, Frasier is hot for her.
BN: In fact, if I have any complaints about some of the scripts its that we haven't been able to manifest that "heat."
KG: Right, it would be nice to have a script where we could explore that. On reflection, maybe that marriage counselor would advise Lilith that its okay for Frasier to want to be part of "the boys," that men like to be membered with their own sex.
BN: [Laughing] Men enjoy traveling like a pack of dogs.
If Lilith and Frasier were to cheat on each other, what kind of lovers would they pick?
BN: Well, Lilith got really drunk at her bachelorette party and wanted to take the male stripper home.
KG: Yeah, they both have a kind of sleazy alter ego that they might vent if they fooled around. I think Frasier might also go for a stripper...
BN: Or a biker chick on a Harley.
What's the sexiest thing about Lilith?
KG: Oh, her ass.
BN: No, no...not about me. He's asking about Lilith.
KG: But it's all in the same package!
What do you think is the sexiest thing about Frasier?
BN: He can get this look in his eye that drives Lilith crazy. Very sexy, that.
Everyone knows that Frasier orders either beer or Scotch on Cheers. What is Kelsey Grammer's favorite drink?
KG: Gin.
BN: Whoa...a drinker! Kelsey, we'll have to talk about that.
What's your favorite drink, Bebe?
BN: I don't drink, other than champagne at an opening, anniversary, or a birthday party. But Lilith is a Scotch drinker, and if I were a drinker, I'd love to walk into a bar and say, "I'll have a Scotch on the rocks."
When the two of you are walking down the street, what name do your fans refer to you by?
BN: Nothing. I rarely get recognized. I like to think that I disappear into my character. I look and behave differently in real life. But sometimes people recognize me when I start talking.
KG: People always call me Frasier.
BN: That's because Kelsey is not acting.
Okay, last question. Was sex for Frasier better with Diane?
KG: God, no. It's much better with Lilith. I think Frasier and Diane very rarely had sex. I'm not sure they even loved each other. Lilith and Frasier have sex...
BN: All the time.
