Kelsey Grammer has been deeply involved with the entertainment industry since 1979, but where did he grow up?
Kelsey Grammer was born in the Caribbean paradise of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and spent his earliest years in the U.S., in New Jersey. However, when he was twelve years old, he was relocated to Florida.
Read on to learn more about Kelsey Grammer, and his tragedy-filled upbringing.
Tragic Start, Successful Result
Kelsey Grammer is known for a number of things. He’s a very successful and iconic actor, he’s a producer, director, writer, and activist. He’s also taken to the stage as a comedian on occasion and is a great singer. He’s made countless appearances on stage, television, and movie since his start in the industry, in 1979.
However, Grammar is also known for the deep tragedy that shocked his earlier life. He was impacted massively by several huge and traumatizing events as he grew up and transitioned into adulthood. When you learn the truth about his upbringing, his achievements in later life seem all that more incredible.
The first two years of his life were lived peacefully, in the Caribbean. He was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but this paradise would be shattered within just two years. His parents divorced, and Kelsey relocated with his mother and sister, to New Jersey.
When he was twelve years old, the family relocated once again, to Florida. It was around this time that sudden and repeat tragedy would befall the Grammer family. Soon after the relocation, Grammar’s maternal grandfather died of cancer. This would be the first event to totally shake the family.
In 1968, when Kelsey was around thirteen years of age, his father was brutally murdered. He had fallen victim to a home invasion gone wrong and was killed instantly. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the shock and horror would continue in earnest.
When 1975 came around, Grammer’s younger sister and only sibling were also murdered. This is a story that has been run through the press on numerous occasions, owing namely to the circumstances of her death. While in Colorado Springs, she was kidnapped, raped, and then murdered.
It doesn’t end there, unfortunately. It would be just five years later that more deaths would rock the family. Kelsey Grammer was once again set to grieve. This time, it was his two half-brothers, who had perished in a scuba diving accident.
Don’t Let It Define You
The only time these tragedies affected Grammer’s professional life was when he was in education. He was lucky enough to win a scholarship to the legendary Juilliard School, famous for its acting and performing alumni.
However, the trauma of his sister’s murder led to him skipping classes. He was ultimately expelled from the academy as a result. However, this didn’t slow his career at all, as he quickly dropped into an acting internship at a prestigious theatre.
He began acting on stage to kickstart his career. This would transition to television before long, and by 1984 he would be making history. Kelsey Grammer appeared as the character Dr. Frasier Crane in the sitcom, Cheers.
Like some other notable characters before him, Dr. Frasier Crane became so popular that he spawned a spin-off. This follows in the footsteps of the earlier Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., and the later Friends spin-off, Joey.
The spin-off, Frasier, would become one of the most successful shows of its kind, in history. It premiered in 1993 and would run past the millennium, up to 2004. Throughout its run, both Kelsey Grammer and the show itself was nominated for and won, many different awards. Grammer himself won a massive eleven Emmys for the show.
You can see a compilation of funny moments from Frasier in the video below.
In the later years of his career, Grammar preferred appearing on television, rather than in movies. He’s enjoyed a massive string of success on the small screen and has played some memorable characters. One of the iconic characters he’s played that many people won’t be aware of is Sideshow Bob, from The Simpsons.
By 2020, Grammer had worked extensively as both a producer and a director. He ran a production company, called Grammnet Productions. They’d contributed to many projects, with Grammer himself taking leading roles on multiple productions.
Although he’d struggled massively in his early life, there’s no question he came out on top. Kelsey Grammer is an actor with a tangible and very visible line of success, and by 2020 it showed no sign of stopping.