The Frasier Character You Likely Didn't Realize Stephen King Played

Stephen King is one of the most successful writers of all time, with hundreds of millions of books sold and dozens of titles to his credit since his 1974 debut novel "Carrie." Two years after publication, that book became a hit movie that starred Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie under the direction of Brian DePalma. King saw his work adapted for the first time for "Carrie," and he would later pen scripts for several of his book-to-film adaptations, though almost all of his versions of these — save the '89 "Pet Sematary" — would go unused. King has more than two dozen acting credits as well, including quick cameos in the films "Pet Sematary" and "Maximum Overdrive," and on the TV miniseries adaptations of "The Stand" and "The Shining." Although he's also made two voice appearances as himself on "The Simpsons," King silently turned down an offer to appear in the Season 34 "Treehouse of Horror" special.

Sharp-eared fans of "Frasier," the hit "Cheers" spin-off that ran for 11 seasons, might have also picked up on another brief voice acting appearance from the author. On Season 8, Episode 8, "Mary Christmas," Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) takes two phone calls before going to a news break, and both callers ask to be heard after the break so they can get the doctor's full attention. The first caller is a man named Tom and is voiced by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. The next caller is identified as Brian, calling in on a car phone, and he speaks just a few words. That's King bringing a grumpy impatience to his quick line read.

Stephen King's appearance on "Frasier" didn't make our list of that show's most secret and surprising call-in cameos, but it may have put him back in the minds of casting directors. More than half of King's 31 IMDb acting credits came after that quick role. These would include an appearance on "Sons of Anarchy" and several more voice gigs, including as himself on a 2021 episode of "Duncanville." King's cameo on the canceled show is his most recent acting credit, although the 78-year old has kept up with his rigorous writing routine. His latest novel, "Never Flinch," was released on May of 2025. Meanwhile, his books continue to build interest in his worlds. "The Long Walk" is available for streaming as of October 21, and Edgar Wright's full-action take on "The Running Man" is just ahead. 

In a post to his website discussing his "Sons of Anarchy" appearance, King said he jumped at both the chance to work with the accomplished cast, and ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. "I was particularly pleased to meet Charlie Hunnam (Jax) and Ron Perlman," King wrote. "I got signed 'Hellboy' photos for my three grandsons; pretty nice ... I also got to act with Katey Sagal, who plays Gemma, the scary matriarch of the Sons clan, and Kim Coates, who plays Tig. They treated me like a professional, which I most assuredly am not." 

His filmography would suggest otherwise, even if none of his acting performances have been particularly Emmy or Oscar-worthy. He does have two Primetime Emmy nominations for writing the miniseries adaptations of "The Shining" and "The Stand," but fans of King's writing always get a kick out of his live-action and voice appearances, even if award committees don't.