Frasier's Jane Leeves Was A Recurring Guest Star On Another Iconic '90s Sitcom

Depending on your age, if you know British actor Jane Leeves from anything, it's most likely her role as Daphne Moon on the beloved NBC sitcom "Frasier." Daphne was a major player in all 11 seasons of the show, from 1993 to 2004, originally being introduced as a live-in housekeeper for the titular protagonist, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), and eventually developing a fan-favorite romance with his lovable brother, Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce). However, in addition to her star-making turn on "Frasier," Leeves also had a semi-recurring role in another iconic sitcom that was dominating the airwaves on the exact same network, at the exact same time.

"Seinfeld" originally premiered on NBC in 1989, though Leeves' history with the show began in 1992, during Season 4. She appeared in three episodes that season as Marla Penny, a woman who dated lead character Jerry Seinfeld (who hates watching his self-titled sitcom) for a short while. But although Leeves' time on the "show about nothing" was brief, it definitely made an impact. While speaking to the Sun Sentinel in 1994, the actor shared a humorous anecdote about how a fellow patient at her doctor's office had recognized her as Marla, but not Daphne.

Notably, Leeves later reprised her role for the "Seinfeld" series finale in 1998, by which point "Frasier" had already made its own mark on the TV landscape. But while Daphne and Niles ultimately got their happy ending, Leeves' career most certainly did not end with the Grammer-led "Cheers" spinoff.

Jane Leeves stayed booked and busy after "Frasier" came to an end in 2004, landing a slew of one-off and recurring parts in various TV shows before finally scoring her next leading role in the hit sitcom "Hot in Cleveland," opposite "One Day at a Time" alum Valerie Bertinelli, "BoJack Horseman" star Wendie Malick, and "Golden Girls" legend Betty White. The show ran until 2015, with Leeves subsequently landing as a series regular on the Fox medical drama "The Resident." Interestingly enough, though, it was her role on that show that seemingly prevented her return as Daphne Moon when "Frasier" made a comeback.

In 2023, a "Frasier" revival series premiered on Paramount Plus, with Kelsey Grammer reprising his iconic role as Frasier Crane. And while a number of original stars returned alongside him, there were some pretty big omissions. For instance, David Hyde Pierce declined to return, as he felt that Niles Crane didn't really have a place in the "Frasier" revival, opting to focus on new projects instead. Evidently, Leeves passed on it for similar reasons. In February 2021, mere days before the long-gestating reboot was finally given the green light by Paramount, the British actor asserted to Entertainment Weekly that she would not be leaving "The Resident" if the project went forward — a promise she kept. 

Leeves remained a key part of the Fox medical drama up until its own conclusion in early 2023. That being said, the 2023-2024 iteration of "Frasier" did co-star Anders Keith as David Crane, Niles and Daphne's adult son, who was born in the original series' 2004 finale.