Who Plays Chelsea On Frasier?
Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) could never quite find the perfect match. Even his relationship with Charlotte (Laura Linney) — for whom he decamped to Chicago in the series finale — fizzled by the time "Frasier" returned in 2023. What Frasier's flames lacked in romantic compatibility they made up for in actorly pedigree. Indeed, of the dozens of women that Frasier dated from 1993 to 2004, many were played by award-winning actresses, including Jean Smart, Allison Janney, and the aforementioned Laura Linney, who won one of her Emmy awards for "Frasier."
Jeanne Tripplehorn is a similarly acclaimed performer, having earned an Emmy nomination in 2009, among other recognitions. Tripplehorn made her "Frasier" debut in Season 10's "Trophy Girlfriend." The 2003 episode sees the Crane brothers enter a squash tournament at their gym. When Niles (David Hyde Pierce) jilts Frasier for a more athletic teammate, he finds a mixed doubles partner in Tripplehorn's Chelsea.
The squash partnership blossoms into a romance, and things are going swimmingly until Frasier visits Chelsea at work. A middle school gym teacher, Chelsea is a little harsh on her students — especially when it comes to the rope climb. Upon hearing her chastise a student, Frasier is transported back to adolescence and his own gym class ineptitude. From that point on, Chelsea appears as Frasier's abusive gym teacher, played by Bob Hoskins. The visual punchlines are hard to beat, such as when Hoskins — whistle in tow — washes Frasier's back in the tub. The relationship, as you might imagine, doesn't last more than an episode.
Jeanne Tripplehorn played Alex Blake on Criminal Minds
Jeanne Tripplehorn began her acting career on stage before making her film debut in 1992's "Basic Instinct." More films followed, including "The Firm," "Waterworld," and "Sliding Doors."
Tripplehorn secured her biggest television role to date with HBO's "Big Love" in 2006, which ran for five seasons until 2011. The series follows a fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah led by Bill Paxton and his wives, played by Tripplehorn, Chloë Sevigny, and Ginnifer Goodwin. For her role as Barb Henrickson, Tripplehorn was nominated for two Satellite Awards.
One of the roles for which Tripplehorn is best known is her turn as Agent Alex Blake on "Criminal Minds." In 2012, Tripplehorn had the unenviable task of replacing Paget Brewster following her Season 7 departure. A forensics linguistics expert, Blake already had a relationship with the similarly brainy Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) upon joining the BAU, and the pair can be seen nerding out over crossword puzzles.
For Tripplehorn, "Criminal Minds" was an ideal follow-up to "Big Love." Even though it was the greatest experience I've ever had, and while it was really sad to let go, I was looking for creatively something as opposite, as completely different as I could find," the actress told TVLine. "I like to call 'Criminal Minds' "the right job at the right time."
Tripplehorn left "Criminal Minds" at the end of Season 9 in 2014, and she had stayed busy since, appearing in "Mrs. America," "The Gilded Age," and "The Terminal List."