Back in October, the popular sitcom Frasier returned to our screens, almost 20 years after the finale of the original series.
However, Frasier Crane’s little brother Niles, previously portrayed on screen by actor David Hyde Pierce, was notably not part of the cast.
While the show has an all-new group of actors alongside Kelsey Grammar as Frasier, many fans of the show were left with questions about exactly where Niles and wife Daphne are now.
However, it turns out that David, quite simply, didn’t want to return.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times about his upcoming role in the new series Julia, he said: “I never really wanted to go back [to Frasier]. It’s not like I said ‘Oh, I don’t ever want to do that again’, I loved every moment. It was that I wanted to do other things.”
He also added that the show doesn’t “actually need me” which, in terms of the plot of the new show is actually quite true.
“Frasier has moved on to a new world,” he added. “They have new characters. And I think I’m right. It’s doing great. And the new people they have are great.”
What David Hyde Pierce is doing now
While we won’t be seeing him on Frasier anytime soon, David Hyde Pierce has been featured both on stage and screen.
Fans of the actor can see him in Julia, a TV series based on Julia Child’s life, now available on Prime Video.
He’s also appearing in Here We Are, the final musical of late composer Stephen Sondheim which is at The Shed, NYC until 21 January 2024.