Kelsey Grammer was dating Matthew Perry when Friends was 'picked up' ｜ BANG Showbiz English

Kelsey Grammer was playing pool with Matthew Perry when the series “Friends” was picked up.

The “Cheers” actor recalls spending time with the late star, who died 11 months ago at the age of 54, when he learned about the popular sitcom. This came at a time when Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay) was in the running for the role of Roz Doyle in “Frasier,” but the role ultimately went to Peri Gilpin.

In a joint interview with Peri, Kelsey told the Daily Beast's Obsessed, “I remember playing pool with Matthew Perry at my house when they announced that they were actually going to take over the show.”

“It was only a week or two before we started. So that was what she was supposed to do. And they were able to cater to her special skills.

“I mean, she's a little quirky and unpredictable. We needed someone a little more down to earth. Frasier needed a guide, not someone as crazy as he was.”

The 69-year-old star admitted that Lisa was “amazing on that other show,” and it wasn't long before Peri – who reprised the role of Roz in the “Frasier” reboot – was linked to the character.

He recalled: “Peri's name came up when we just didn't know how to help Lisa pull off this role. It just wasn't a good fit.”

“And that was partly our fault and really not her fault. We were a little confused about what this character was supposed to be.

“And then Peri's name came up and it was like, 'Oh yeah, she's good. She'll bring a certain depth and dignity to the whole thing that we couldn't find.'”

Kelsey knew Peri from her guest appearance as a reporter on “Cheers,” the cult sitcom that gave rise to the character Frasier Crane.

When he first saw her as Roz, he said, “Boom, she was fantastic. So we missed the luxury of the first reading because we just didn't have it.”

“Peri came, and it was the day before. It was a Friday. Was it Monday? So she had a day of rehearsal, and boom, off we went. It was great.”

Peri – who stressed that she “came on Friday” and thus gave her three days to prepare – was so convinced that Lisa was suitable for the role that she even invited her to lunch.

She said: “I didn't feel like it was mine. But you know, I was at that age where you just audition, audition, audition. 99 percent of them you don't get.”

“So it was like, 'OK, Lisa got it.' We went to lunch because she got the part. I said, 'Oh, I'm paying and congratulations!' She said, 'I'm paying, I'm working.' It was very normal not to get something.”