Jane Leeves: In Your Dreams
As Daphne Moon on Frasier, Jane Leeves gets Niles hot under the collar. And now
you can see why!
Forever confused by the English accent, Americans understand. just two versions: the lovable “Cockney” and the plummy “Queen Elizabeth”. But now, thanks to hit US comedy Frasier, there’s a third-the odd “northern” accent spoken by Daphne Moon, Frasier’s dad’s slightly dowdy home-care worker. “We wanted something that was definitely working class, but also understandable,” explains Jane Leeves, who has played Daphne since the show made its debut five years ago.
Jane grew up in the sleepy Sussex town of East Grinstead, where she dreamed of being a dancer- but her promising career was cut short at 18 by an ankle injury. “I really wasn’t bothered,” she says of the accident. “I said to myself: ‘Okay then. I’ll act.””
She appeared in a Monty Python film and on TV with Benny Hill. Then, during a show on board the QE2, Jane was spotted and encouraged to relocate to America. “I had $1,000 to my name,” she recalls of her move. But her American stay led to more TV roles, including a part in the doomed pilot of a US version of Red Dwarf-she played Holly – and a smattering of movie work. Jane recently returned to England for a new film called Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, also starring Jenny Seagrove and ER’S Anthony Edwards; it opens in the UK on February 12.
But it is Frasier she is best known for, the show which began as an off- shoot of boozy Boston sitcom Cheers. In five years, it has won 16 Emmy awards and established itself as the number-two US comedy, constantly threatening to knock Friends off its perch. Frumpy Daphne is hardly a typical TV glamour-girl, but fleetingly her seductive charm – not lost on Frasier’s brother, Niles, who is besotted with her-rears its head. And if 25 million Americans’ weekly dose of Jane Leeves was as sexy as her exclusive FHM photo shoot, Frasier’s ratings would soar even higher…
“Photo shoots are always difficult for actors, because we’re more used to moving around and expressing ourselves, which doesn’t necessarily look good on camera,” Jane says. “But I guess I did feel sexy for the FHM shoot – because I was laughing a lot.”
In Frasier, Niles would die to bed you. Has anyone ever been so pathetically keen on you in real life?
I was once pursued rather hotly by a certain actor- we were going to become room mates. He moved in and declared himself. I said I was flattered, but I didn’t see it working. The next day he moved in with a friend of mine, and kept saying, “Do you think she’ll change her mind?” It was all fantasy in his head.
Poor Daphne seems to have gone without sex for ages – do you ever wish she’d get out more?
I think she’s going to this season. There’s a lot of comedy to be mined from sexual desperation – it seems that every character on Frasier is always desperate for a date. But I am going to have a relationship with Niles’ divorce attorney. Poor Niles.
Does Eddie, Fraster’s dad’s dog, have his own dressing room?
No, he has a little cutain area at the back of the stage. There are actually three Eddies now. The real Eddie’s got two sons: one of them stands in for him, and the other’s in training to be Eddie Number Three.
And have you ever caught the little bastard pissing in the corner?
No, but he’s not that well behaved. He’s a terrier, you know a terrorist. Through years of patience he’s been trained, but he does go on wild rampages on the set sometimes.
Were there any other future stars in your acting class?
Actually, there were, Jim Carrey, Ellen Degeneres, Brandon Lee, Winona Ryder-all in the same class. It was an amazing array of talent. I got to see Jim do his comedy routines, then I’d see him do these wonderful Jimmy Stewart scenes and think, “You should drop this comedy, it’s not for you.”I’m glad I didn’t say it to him.
Which Monty Python film were you in?
It was The Meaning Of Life. There’s a close up of me at the end coming down the stairs with big fake boobs on. It’s in the “Christmas In Heaven” scene. I remember director Terry Jones was amazing – we were all in love with him. We were very uncomfortable wearing nine inch heels and prosthetic boobs, but he went out of his way to look after us.
And you were a Benny Hill girl, too…
I did a week’s worth of sketches with Benny. Someone recommended me. He called me in to read, and said, “Can you start tomorrow?” We spent a week filming lots of sketches-all sorts of stuff, maids, holding up trays so my knickers were showing, saucy secretaries. I never did one of those running around scenes, though.
I bet you got to slap the little bald guy on the head…
No, I didn’t. But I did go in for a recording session, and they actually hit a melon to get that head slapping effect.
Ha! What are you like when you’re drunk?
I’m known to have a hollow leg. When I was in England and I’d been out on tour, dancing, people would try and get me drunk, but I’d just get a bit giggly and happy. The strangest drunken night of my life was in Paris shooting a French milk commercial. At night, we’d party till dawn with this French comedian we’d befriended. here was another guy with us who looked incredibly like Michael Jackson, and we were getting into all the clubs for free and being given champagne.
You were recently nominated for an Emmy-how miserable is it having the cameras on you when you find out you’ve not won?
I had no delusions that I was going to win, but the day before, a couple of newspapers said that I might, so that made me nervous I thought I’d be a mess, but a strange calm comes over you. In fact, part of you thinks: “Please don’t call my name out!”
Frasier is such a phenomenon that you’ve started your own production company with co-star Peri Gilpin, who plays Roz. What’s it called?
It’s called Bristol Cities. They have no idea of the meaning in the US. When Paramount said they’d give us the deal, they told us to come up with a name that signifies that we’re women – which pissed us off a little. So we thought of things like Feminine Protection and Them Things Got Wings, I suggested Bristol Cities. When I told Peri what it meant in England, she said we had to go for it!
What’s been the most laughable chat-up line anyone’s tried on you?
Well, I was in a record store when a guy said, “I know you.” I said, “I don’t think so,” and he said, “Yeah, you were in my dream last night- you’re the girl of my dreams.” It was quite original.
There’s a lot of “Jane Leeves – Nude” sites on the Internet. Bothered?
No, they’re hilarious. My husband and I went through them one day, and there were so many supposedly nude pictures that clearly weren’t me, One woman had huge knockers-I certainly don’t!
Ha! But as Daphne is a bit of a frump, do you like to be sexy off-set?
Well, yes, I get dolled up for awards shows and stuff like that. A lot of actresses struggle with the opposite – being cast as the sex vixen and trying to be dowdy in real life – but I do like to try something different with Daphne, Her sexiness comes from her earthiness. Every now and again I do think I should do a part that shows that side of myself a bit more, but it’s not really a burning desire. FHM