After John Lithgow turned down the role of Frasier Crane on “Cheers,” the part went to Kelsey Grammer. What was intended as a six-episode arc turned into consistent work as a series regular on the most beloved show on TV at the time. But it wasn’t until Grammer was offered the leading role in his own series that he started raking in the big bucks and breaking financial records. During the final two seasons of “Frasier,” Grammer made $1.6 million for each of the 24 episodes he shot per season, earning him the title of highest paid actor in TV history. And that total doesn’t factor in the residuals the actor has earned from both shows over the last three decades.
Another actor might have regretted turning down such a lucrative gig, but Lithgow’s career has been more than successful as it is. After passing on the Frasier role in the ’80s, Lithgow proceeded to accept a different sitcom part in the ’90s, portraying Dr. Dick Solomon on NBC’s “3rd Rock From the Sun.”
Over the course of his 50 plus years as an actor, Lithgow has portrayed some of the world’s most influential men, including Roger Ailes in 2019’s “Bombshell” and Winston Churchill in Netflix’s TV series, “The Crown.” He is currently appearing in Martin Scorsese’s most recent film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” where he plays Prosecutor Peter Leaward. And he did end up lending his voice to a 1995 episode of “Frasier.” It all comes full circle.
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