Kelsey Grammer's Prison Experience Came In Handy On The Simpsons

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Kelsey Grammer might be known for playing one of the most clean-cut characters on TV, but the man himself doesn't quite match Frasier Crane in that regard. During the '80s in particular, the actor was arrested for a drug offense and a DUI. In the case of the former, as the Los Angeles Times reported back in 1990, Grammar was given 90 days house arrest, which remained in place while he was still starring as Dr. Crane on "Cheers." (He was given permission to leave his home for filming.) In the case of his DUI, however, Grammar was sentenced to 30 days in jail after failing to attend a court-ordered alcohol abuse program following his 1987 drunk-driving arrest. Grammer did indeed go to jail but according to the Times, was "released after 14 days because of jail overcrowding."

Hardly the kind of thing you could imagine Frasier Crane doing, then. But these episodes in Grammer's life actually did come in handy when it came to him playing another of his most beloved characters: Sideshow Bob on "The Simpsons."

Sideshow Bob episodes are among some of the best in "Simpsons" history, and Grammer quickly made the character his own; his booming baritone and clear annunciation make for an absurd juxtaposition with Bob's clownish appearance and refined manner. As it turns out, though, that stint in jail also helped Grammer when it came to a particular episode that saw the character being manhandled during a stint behind bars.

20th Television

Sideshow Bob is a staple of "The Simpsons" and has even shown up as recently as season 36 (during an episode in which he vacations with the titular family). But as with most things related to "The Simpsons," the character's best episodes are from the earlier seasons.

In his book "Springfield Confidential," writer and former showrunner Mike Reiss recalls one particular installment from those early seasons which included a scene in which Sideshow Bob was being shoved into a jail cell. During the recording session for the episode, he asked Grammer to make a particular noise that the actor seemed more than ready to provide. According to Reiss:

"Kelsey is every bit as smart as the characters he plays – we've never written a Sideshow Bob line so esoteric that he didn't get it. And although he's not as evil as Bob, Kelsey is a staunch Republican. And like Sideshow Bob, he did a little jail time in the eighties. I was directing him in a scene where Bob is being shoved into a prison cell and said, 'I need you to make a noise like you're being roughed up by cops.' 'Oh, I can do that,' he said with a grin."