I was sad to hear news of the death of the actor John Mahoney last night.
It goes without
saying - though I’ll say it anyway - what a wonderful characterization he brought to Martin Crane in the pitch-perfect sitcom Frasier. While each script is packed with gags, it’s the relationship between the show's central characters - and their individual traits - that make it work so well,
and the role of Frasier’s dad is perfectly drawn by Mahoney. He brings a
gentleness to the character that may have been missed by a lesser actor; the
elder Crane may be brash and cantankerous, and prefer watching a gator devour a raw
chicken to going to the opera, but there’s a soft, wise kindness behind his eyes
too that’s thanks wholly to Mahoney’s performance.
A pleasant byproduct of Frasier being aired on UK TV almost daily is it freezes the characters (and
consequently the actors) in time so they never age, so you’d be forgiven for
thinking Mahoney couldn’t possibly be 77; but that’s still no age to go. At
least his memory will be kept alive by the show being so ever-present; he’ll
continue to inspire laughter for years to come, which is a fitting
tribute.
One point that
kept being mentioned in the various articles and tweets about Mahoney yesterday
was the fact he didn’t start acting until he was 37; what a fantastic career he
managed to forge from such late beginnings. On that basis, I needn't do anything for another three months; I can’t work out if that puts me
at an advantage or a disadvantage.