David Hyde Pierce Explains His Decision Not to Join Frasier Revival: ‘They Don’t Actually Need Me’

David Hyde Pierce has no plans to reprise his role as Dr. Niles Crane in a new film Frasier revival despite the praise he received for his role on the original NBC sitcom.

Pierce, 64, who has won four Emmy Awards for his unique and comedic role, explained his reasons during an interview with Los Angeles Timessaying he “never really wanted to go back.”

“It’s not like I said, ‘Oh, I don’t ever want to do that again.’ I loved every moment of it. I wanted to do other things,” said Pierce, who is currently starring in Max’s film Julia as Paul Child, Julia Child’s husband.

“And when we got into real conversations about a reboot, I had just started with Julia TV show and I did a musical and I intend to do another musical, not this one. And I just thought, ‘I don’t want to be committed to the show and not be able to do things like this,'” he recalled. “And I also thought, ‘They don’t really need me.’ Frasier went to the new world. They have new characters. And I think I’m right. It’s going great. And the new people they have are great.”

Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier gets a cold reception from his grown son Frederick in the revival trailer

David Hyde Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth and Kelsey Grammer in NBC’s ‘Frasier.’ Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank

Pierce previously spoke about his experiences working on the original Frasier with PEOPLE 2022, describing that period of success in 1993 as a “complicated time.”

“We were in the midst of the AIDS crisis, and being gay, being out, being out, were questions I didn’t have to answer in New York, because nobody cared in the theater,” the seasoned theater actor explained. “It took me a while to figure out how to just be me with all this attention and fame. I’ve been trying to thread that needle for a long time in terms of wanting to live my life and live it openly and not be forced to say anything in particular.”

“I did an interview with tv guide, and they [asked], ‘Are you dating someone?’ I said, ‘My life is an open book. Just don’t expect me to read it to you,’ he continued. I thought that kind of said it all. I thought that was enough. Looking back now, I think I tried not to give speeches, but there are more important things than what I was trying to achieve. Ultimately, when I knew I was going back to the theater [after Frasier ended]I started talking about it very publicly [my partner] Brian.”

David Hyde Pierce with longtime husband and partner Brian Hargrove. David Crotty/Getty

Paramount+ Frasier The reboot, which arrives nearly 30 years after the show’s 1993 debut, returns Kelsey Grammer as beloved bougie psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, who moves from Seattle back to Boston to be closer to his grown son Frederick aka Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott ). The cast is rounded out with new additions including Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye and Jess Salgueiro.

Pierce aside, many of the original cast will not be returning, including John Mahoney, who played Frasier’s father Martin and who died at the age of 77 in 2018.

However, Bebe Neuwirth, who played Frasier’s ex Dr. Lilith Sternin Cheers and reprized her role several times in the original Frasieras well as Peri Gilpin, who portrayed Frasier’s radio show producer, have already appeared as guest stars this season.

Kelsey Grammer cries while speaking to a studio audience about her ‘love’ for Frasier (Exclusive)

Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth in Paramount+ revival of ‘Frasier’.

Chris Haston/Paramount+

Lilith, for her part, reconnected with Frasier for their son Freddy’s birthday party, leading to a tense but comedic reunion that reminded viewers that whenever Neuwirth and Grammer are on screen together, laughs follow.

“It’s always a pleasure and a great time to visit Lilith and Frasier,” Neuwirth exclusively told PEOPLE of the November reunion. “It’s so fun to be back in that wonderful character.”

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Frasier airs Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Source: HIS Education