Farewell to Frasier’s dad: The 77-year-old star was best known for playing Martin Crane the curmudgeonly ex-cop father of Frasier Crane in the hit 1990s comedy
John Mahoney, the veteran actor best know for playing the cantankerous father on the 90s NBC hit Frasier, has died at 77 on Sunday.
Mahoney’s longtime manager, Paul Martino, said Monday that Mahoney died in Chicago after a brief hospitalization.
The cause of death was not immediately announced.
The British-born actor starred as Martin Crane alongside his on-screen sons Kelsey Grammar, who played the titular Frasier, and David Hyde Pierce, who played Niles, in the sitcom for a whopping 11 seasons, from 1993 to 2004.
In 2000, he was awarded a SAG Award for his work on the show, and was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes.
Besides starring in the hugely popular sitcom, John also had a lucrative film career, with roles in productions including The American President, Say Anything… and Eight Men Out.
Most recently, John had a recurring role in TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland, where he appeared as Roy in six episodes between 2011 and 2014.
Success: Mahoney was part of the ensemble cast which featured star Kelsey Grammar (center) and David Hyde Pierce (far right) who played his fussy psychiatrist sons Frasier and Niles. Mahoney also starred alongside British actress Jane Leeves (second right) who played Daphne Moon his kooky physical therapist
Beloved: Mahoney was credited with providing an emotional core to the hit sitcom which garnered an incredible 37 Primetime Emmy Awards during its 11-year run
His last TV appearance was in Foyle’s War in 2015, where he played Andrew Del Mar.
Aside from his careers in film and television, John was also active in theatre, and won a Tony in 1986.
John was intensely private about his personal life, but is thought to have never married, despite previously claiming to have been in several relationships.
The unlikely father-son trio were famously backed-up by canine support in the form of Eddie the dog – played by Moose
Star of cinema: The actor appeared opposite Richard Gere in 1996’s Primal Fear
Well-remembered: Casting director Jeff Greenberg, who worked with Mahoney on Frazier, had kind words about the late actor
Well-regarded: Critic Terry Teachout noted the performer’s talents in a tweet