Kelsey Grammer Had This Heartwarming Message for FRAISER Co-Star Battling Cancer
Movieguide® Contributor
FRASIER star Toks Olagundoye recently recalled how her co-star and Teddy Bear Award® Winner Kelsey Grammer made her feel supported during her battle with breast cancer.
“During an appearance on THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW, the 49-year-old actress recalled that she was diagnosed with stage 0 triple negative breast cancer at age 46 and the cancer had progressed to stage 1 by the time of her first surgery,” Fox News reported Oct. 30. “Olagundoye underwent two additional surgeries and began working on FRASIER two weeks after completing chemotherapy.”
Shortly afterward, Olagundoye’s doctor recommended that she have an urgent double mastectomy immediately. Olagundoye feared that she would lose her role.
“I was like, ‘Well, they’re going to write me out of it. This is it, but my life is my life,’” she told Elle in September.
“I went to my showrunners and I said, ‘Listen, if you have to fire me, I’ve only been on three episodes so far, make me a guest star or whatever,’” Olagundoye said. “And they were like, ‘No, we’ll do whatever you need to do, you know, it’s fine.’ I was like, ‘Great.’”
She didn’t fully trust their word and remembers telling her husband, “I am sure I’m getting fired any second. Because, you know, they talk in Hollywood and say one thing, another thing happens.”
Grammer, who also served as an executive producer on the show, called Olagundoye.
“I see Kelsey’s calling and I was like, ‘Yep, this is it, getting fired, right this second,’” she remembered.
Earlier this month, Kelsey Grammer discussed the FRASIER reboot, explaining how he approached bringing back a show that has been loved for 30 years…
READ MORE: KELSEY GRAMMER DISCUSSES TRIALS AND TRIUMPHS OF FRASIER REBOOT
She recalled, “He was very emotional, he didn’t realize what I was going through, and he said, ‘I know how actors think, I want to let you know this is your family, you’re not getting fired, we’re going to do whatever we need to do to make you feel comfortable.’ I remember him so vividly saying, ‘You’re going to be so happy after this. Everything is going to be OK.'”
Olagundoye kept her role and continued to the second season of the show.
She previously told Essence, “Thankfully, I didn’t have to work every day, and they were really good about working around my schedule because I had three surgeries while I was on the show. I’m lucky because I love what I do.”
“I’ve never had a TV family quite like the FRASIER cast, they’re really amazing human beings,” the actress said. “To be around them was really nice.”
Clarkson surprised Olagundoye by sharing a recorded video message from Grammer.
“I’m really proud of you for being on this show and I salute your efforts to raise awareness and money for breast cancer, and we’ve always loved you and loved being with you when you were going through your stint, and congratulations on coming out the other side,” the FRASIER star said. “I’m deeply, personally grateful that you did.”
