Pratik Handore
‘Frasier‘ is one of television’s most beloved sitcoms, and the 2023 revival commissioned by Paramount+ reunites viewers with Frasier Crane and his hysterical interpersonal relationships. While the original show heavily focuses on the Crane men, the charming and sensitive Daphne Moon quickly won the audience’s heart, thanks to actress Jane Leeves’ performance. Given the overall importance of Daphne in the Crane men’s lives, viewers must be curious to learn if Leeves will reprise her role for the revival. In that case, here is everything you need to know about the possibility of Jane Leeves’ Daphne Moon appearing in 2023’s ‘Frasier.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
What Happened to Daphne Moon?
Daphne Moon is one of the main characters in the original series, first appearing in the series premiere episode. Daphne is an English immigrant from Manchester hired as a live-in housekeeper by Frasier Crane to look after his ailing father, Martin Crane. Her working-class ideologies often complement Martin’s personality and act as a foil to the upper-class views of the Crane brothers. Daphne’s relationship with Frasier’s younger brother, Niles Crane, is a fan-favorite element of the original series. Niles and Daphne’s relationship starts with Niles’ secret one-sided affection for Daphne. After Niles confesses his feelings, he and Daphne start dating.
In the ninth season, Niles proposes to Daphne, and they get married later. The eleventh and final season of the original series deals with Daphne’s pregnancy and the impending arrival of her and Niles’ baby. In the season eleven finale, which also serves as the series finale, Daphne and Niles’ son, David (named after series co-creator David Angell, who passed away in 2001), is born, leading to the start of a new chapter in Daphne’s life. The eleventh-season finale marks Daphne’s final appearance, as the character does not appear in the first season of the 2023 revival. Instead, her son, David, is a major character in the series, with actor Anders Keith in the role. Frasier mentions Daphne on several occasions, especially in reference to his nephew, but her exact whereabouts are not stated.
Is Jane Leeves in the Frasier Revival?
In ‘Frasier,’ actress Jane Leeves plays the role of Daphne Moon starting in the first season. Leeves rose to prominence with recurring roles in sitcoms such as ‘Murphy Brown’ and ‘Seinfeld.’ She gained widespread recognition for her role as Daphne Moon, earning her first Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Despite being a series regular for all eleven seasons of the original series, Leeves opted not to return for the 2023 revival.
After the end of ‘ Frasier,’ Leeves has had a successful career starring in a string of popular films and television shows. She is known for playing Dr. Kitt Voss in the medical drama series ‘The Resident‘ and has been a series regular on the show since 2018. In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Leeves expressed enthusiasm about returning for the ‘ Frasier’ revival but did not wish to exit ‘The Resident’ for it to materialize. “I have no idea, but I won’t be leaving The Resident to do that if it happens. There’s a lot of pieces that have to come together to make (the revival) happen,” Leeves said while the revival was still in the development stage.
In the same interview, Leeves stated she would like to reprise her role as Daphne Moon as a guest star instead of a series regular. However, such an appearance does not seem to have materialized, as the actress is not expected to appear in the revival’s first season. Since Leeves’ comments, ‘The Resident’ has been canceled after the sixth season. Therefore, the door is open for Leeves to return as Daphne in future installments of the revival should it be renewed at Paramount+. However, concerning the initial batch of episodes of the revival, viewers should not get their hopes high about seeing Leeves return to her iconic role.
Read More: What Happened to Frasier’s Brother Niles Crane? Is David Hyde Pierce in Frasier (2023)?
