Frasier revival star Toks Olagundoye thought she’d lose her job following a breast cancer diagnosis. Olagundoye, who stars in the Paramount+ series as Olivia Finch, had to undergo a double mastectomy during production of the first season of the Frasier follow-up series. Before that, and before filming for the show commenced, the actress underwent several surgeries and chemotherapy, but doctors decided Olagundoye would need a double mastectomy to treat the aggressive stage 1 cancer.
During a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Olagundoye revealed that she assumed the diagnosis would indicate the end of her run on the series, given that the cast had only filmed three episodes. Olagundoye asked producers to make her a guest star if they had to fire her, but she was pleasantly surprised to learn that Frasier star and executive producer Kelsey Grammer had her back.
“I see Kelsey’s calling [later], and I was like, yep, this is it, getting fired, right this second. He was very emotional, he didn’t realize what I was going through, and he said, ‘I know how actors think, I want to let you know this is your family, you’re not getting fired, we’re going to do whatever we need to do to make you feel comfortable.’ I remember him so vividly saying, ‘You’re going to be so happy after this. Everything is going to be okay.'”
Praising the show’s entire team, Olagundoye shared:
“I’ve never had a TV family quite like the ‘Frasier’ cast, they’re really amazing human beings. To be around them was really nice.”
Toks Olagundoye Hopes Her Experience Inspires Faith in Employers
During her appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Olagundoye received a heartwarming video message from Grammer, who commended her breast cancer awareness efforts:
“I’m really proud of you for being on this show. I salute your efforts to raise awareness and money for breast cancer, and we’ve always loved you and loved being with you when you were going through your stint, and congratulations on coming out the other side. I’m deeply, personally grateful.”
Alongside Grammer and Olagundoye, Frasier stars Jack Cutmore-Scott, Jess Salgueiro, Anders Keith, and Nicholas Lyndhurst. Olagundoye’s Professor Finch is the head of Harvard University’s Psychology department and responsible for recruiting the show’s titular character to teach at the prestigious college. This time around, Dr. Frasier Crane is back in Boston (where audiences were introduced to the psychiatrist during the third season of Cheers) following his father’s death and reconnecting with his son, Freddy (Cutmore-Scott).
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Olagundoye has discussed her diagnosis and treatment with several outlets and has consistently commended her Frasier co-stars. During a conversation with Elle in September, the actress called the Frasier team “amazing” and said they had catered to “every single need” she had. She also hopes that her experience ignites confidence in people to understand that they can “still hire people who are sick.”
“People [at work] were constantly checking in, and no one was precious about it. It was almost like I had a cold, where they were like, ‘How are you doing?’—which was nice. That’s also why I like to be candid about it, because I don’t want people to be scared to talk about it. I would like for people to hear my experience and know, ‘
Hey, you could still hire people who are sick.’
They’re still going to show up and do a good job.”
The Frasier revival aired its first season in 2023, almost two decades after the original hit series concluded. The series is now in its second season, which airs new episodes on Thursdays until November 14, 2024. No word yet on whether Frasier will return for Season 3, but Grammer has been vocal about his hope for several more seasons.
- Release Date
- October 11, 2023
- Creator(s)
- Joe Cristalli , Chris Harris , Glen Charles , Les Charles
- Cast
- Kelsey Grammer , Jack Cutmore-Scott , Nicholas Lyndhurst , Toks Olagundoye , Jess Salgueiro , Anders Keith , Brittney Baxter , Jimmy Dunn , Kevin Daniels , Renee Pezzotta , Owen Lloyd , Amy L. Workman , John Bucy , Cheyenne Perez , Parvesh Cheena , Peri Gilpin , June Diane Raphael , Peter S. Kim , Danice Cabanela , Patrick Rafferty , Monique Edwards , Gogo Pandit , Chris Farah , Nora Yates , David Theune , Tangie Ambrose , Annette Shar , Shon Levi , Robert Barela , Eben Ham , David Dean Bottrell , Don Lake , Nike Doukas , Jacqueline Obradors , Annie Abbott , Jessica McKenna , Bebe Neuwirth , Vince Wilfork , Michael Saltzman , David Sargsyan , Stefanie Yunger , Amari McCoy , Patricia Heaton
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+
- Character(s)
- Frasier Crane , Freddy Crane , Alan Cornwall , Olivia , Eve , David Crane , Waitress , Moose , Tiny , Smokey , Brian , Sarah , Roger , Saara , Provost Sharma , Roz Doyle , June , Eliot , Jeneé , Gilby , Lauren , Chef , Arguing Mother , Arguing Daughter , Walt , Annie , Bar Patron #1 , Bar Patron #2 , Bar Patron #3 , TV Newscaster V / O , Kevin , Dean Melvin , Dr. Bowen , Siobhan , Ida , Kiki , Dr. Lilith Sternin , Vince Wilfork , Chip , Bowler , Kara , Violinist #1 , Holly