Why Frasier's Son Freddy Crane Looks So Familiar
F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, "There are no second acts in American life." But now, Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) is about to embark on his third act with a revival series on Paramount+. The new show, simply titled "Frasier," sees the former talk radio host return to Boston, Massachusetts. Based on the first couple of episodes that debuted on the streamer on October 12, it seems like a major plot point of the new season will center around Frasier reconnecting with his son, Freddy Crane, played by Jack Cutmore-Scott.
Frederick Gaylord Crane has been around as a character for a while now. He was first introduced in "Cheers" when he was the newborn baby son of Frasier and Lilith Sternin (Bebe Neuwirth). He appeared periodically during the first run of "Frasier." While he lived with his mother in Boston, he'd travel to Seattle every so often to see his father. During this time, he was still a kid, but as demonstrated in the revival, he's all grown up now and working as a Boston firefighter.
Cutmore-Scott will surely offer a new take on a character people have seen before, bringing a new layer to Freddy's relationship with Frasier since he spent a good portion of his life without seeing him. Now, they live in the same apartment building. The actor has the chops to come into this sitcom world, as he has a wide array of projects in different genres in his resume. Here's where you may have seen him before.
Jack Cutmore-Scott was a fresh-faced recruit in Kingsman: The Secret Service
Like many actors, Jack Cutmore-Scott has been passionate about the art form for a while. Before breaking into film and television, he got his start in the world of theater, as he explained during a quick interview with Issue Magazine in 2016. While he's from London, he mentioned how he did theater regionally as well as in New York. But that London pedigree surely helped him land his first big break in "Kingsman: The Secret Service."
He plays Rufus, one of the other potential recruits for the Kingsman organization. He goes head-to-head with Eggsy (Taron Egerton) in various challenges, but he's eventually sent home along with everyone else until it's just down to Eggsy and Roxy (Sophie Cookson). It was a small role, and seeing how Rufus didn't actually end up getting hired, it's unlikely he'll appear in any future installments should "Kingsman 3" ever happen. But even without becoming a regular in the franchise, Cutmore-Scott hasn't been hurting for work.
He got into even more high jinks with the lead role in Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life
Jack Cutmore-Scott may not have had the biggest role in "Kingsman: The Secret Service," but he upgraded to a titular role for "Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life" on Fox. The sitcom, which was canceled after only one season, follows a group of 20-somethings trying to make their way through life. The gang gets into ridiculous shenanigans while undertaking relatable experiences, like money problems and getting invited to a wedding.
That reliability is what drew Cutmore-Scott to the part, as he explained in an interview with DuJour. "Cooper's just trying to figure out his life," Cutmore-Scott noted. "It's one of those coming-of-age stories for the modern day, really. We all get stuff ourselves out into the world and expect everything to fall into place, and of course, it doesn't. That spoke to me."
"Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life" made the most of its 13-episode run. Numerous guest stars appeared, including Paula Abdul as a hallucination of herself, as well as Jane Kaczmarek of "Malcolm in the Middle" fame. But it was mainly a showcase for Cutmore-Scott, who apparently caught the attention of one of the best directors of the modern era.
Jack Cutmore-Scott has been a fixture in Christopher Nolan's movies
When most people think of regulars in Christopher Nolan movies, they probably first think of the likes of Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy. However, another name is rapidly rising on that list: Jack Cutmore-Scott. He's appeared in three Nolan movies to date in relatively minor roles, but he's shared scenes with some major stars.
His first foray into Nolan's Rolodex was for 2017's "Dunkirk," where he plays a soldier in a lifeboat. He got an upgrade for his next venture — 2020's "Tenet." He plays Klaus, an employee at the freeport, and he even has a scene where he leads the Protagonist (John David Washington) and Neil (Robert Pattinson) through a building. Most recently, he took on the role of Lyall Johnson in "Oppenheimer." He's the security officer who's present during one of the most anxiety-inducing scenes in the entire film, which sees Boris Pash (Casey Affleck) give his big testimony.
They may not be the largest roles, but getting to work with Christopher Nolan in any capacity is a huge honor for any actor.
Cutmore-Scott went back to television with 2018's Deception
Jack Cutmore-Scott had the chance to lead another TV series with 2018's "Deception." He plays illusionist Cameron Black, who works alongside the FBI to help solve crimes. He also portrays Cameron's twin brother, Jonathan Black, allowing the actor to really show off his range. Unfortunately, "Deception" would befall a similar fate to "Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life," being canceled after one season.
"Deception" may not have lasted long, but it wasn't all for naught for Cutmore-Scott. He spoke with Entertainment Weekly about having to learn magic to adequately play the role of a Las Vegas illusionist. "[Magicians David Kwong and Francis Menotti] really kind of slow-fed me as much as I need to work my way through each trick in each episode so that I could at least feel comfortable pretending to be as comfortable as Cameron would be," Cutmore-Scott said.
Cutmore-Scott has played many different types of characters over the years, making him well-adept to portray Freddy Crane in the "Frasier" revival. Hopefully, this is one TV show for him that lasts longer than a season.