Lady Jane
After years of struggle, FRASIER’s gorgeous, witty JANE LEEVES is living the Hollywood dream
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL FOR JANE LEEVES. A DOZEN YEARS AGO, AT THE TENDER AGE of 23, the charming Frasier co-star moved to Los Angeles from her native England with little professional experience and even less cash. She studied hard, starved a little and soon landed the recurring role of Audrey, Miles Silverberg’s flighty girlfriend on Murphy Brown. Next came her memorable turn as Marla, Seinfeld’s sweet virgin who rejects Jerry. Making the shift from Miles to Niles, she then signed on as Frasier’s daffy physical ther- apist, Daphne Moon. To cement the deal, she married the boss, and has been blissfully wed to matinée idol-handsome Paramount executive Marshall Coben since 1996.
Five seasons later, with both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations under her belt, Leeves has become a seasoned pro with her own production company and a major motion picture in the can – starring opposite her childhood idol, Meryl Streep, in Wes Craven’s soon-to-be-released The Music of My Heart. Recently, the lass from East Grinstead sat down with TV GUIDE to chat about everything from Benny Hill to, um, Bristol Cities.
TV GUIDE: Is it true that at age five you already knew you would become a performer?
Jane Leeves: Absolutely. I can’t honestly remember ever wanting to do anything else but be in the spotlight. Which is really so strange, because my family have always accused me of being too shy.
TVG: Early on, in England, you got to work with some pretty heavy hitters, starting with Benny Hill.
JL: I remember our first meeting. He asked me to audition at his home, which sounds very strange, but really wasn’t. He answered the door in his pyjamas with a can of air freshener in his hand. Apparently, he’d had a few of his work buddies over the night before and he was frantically running around spraying everything to get rid of the smell of all the smoke. I proceeded to audition and he kept running into another room to bring out more skits for us to try. It was very bizarre, but he was a very charming, lovely man.
TVG: Then there were the Monty Python guys…
JL: That was a real treat. I was one of the dancers in The Meaning of Life and got to work with pretty much all of them. Every single girl dancer had a crush on Terry Jones, which is kind of strange because he’s the one who always dressed up like a woman. But we all found him terribly sexy. Graham Chapman, I remember, was extremely sweet and kind, because we wore these extremely uncomfortable costumes and he would run around saying, “They need a rest!” He really took care of us.
TVG: Looking back, do you think your decision to move to the States so early in your career was a sign of determination or just naiveté?
JL: Oh, definitely a bit of both. I certainly could never imagine myself doing something like that now. But youth is blind. So much of what you don’t know works in your favor. You have these romantic dreams of making it, and nothing is going to stand in your way. In hindsight, it was the best thing I ever did, but it was very scary. My first year here was most horrifying and frightening.
TVG: Your first acting class in L.A. had a pretty impressive list of students.
JL: That class was quite something. Jim Carrey and Ellen DeGeneres and Paula Poundstone were there, and so was Adam Sandler. Winona Ryder was there at some point, and so were Brandon Lee and Molly Ringwald. It was a truly extraordinary group of people.
TVG: Despite your success on Murphy Brown and now Frasier, people will always remember you as the virgin on Seinfeld.
JL: It’s wonderful to have been part of something so memorable. Nothing but good came from that. I’m sure it was what brought me to the attention of NBC, who insisted that they see me for Frasier. I was fortunate enough to be invited back for the final Seinfeld episode and it was such an honor to be included in that group, because they’re all so talented. I’ve always considered Julia Louis-Dreyfus the funniest woman on television.
TVG: When you started on Frasier, how much input did you have in Daphne’s history?
JL: A lot of the details came from me. I created much of her background before we shot the pilot. I tried to imagine where this woman was coming from and what kind of family life she’d had. The writers were asking ques- tions like, “Does she have any brothers or sisters?” And I said, straight away, “Oh, yes, eight brothers. She’s the only girl in a family of eight boys and they used to rough-house with her and push her around.” To me, that helped explain why she was so comfortable with the Cranes, because she was used to dealing with a bunch of guys. She knows how to handle them and whack them across the head when necessary.
TVG: Do the writers still encourage your input?
JL: Absolutely. Chris Lloyd is the constant genius of our show. He’s been there since Day 1 and really is the power behind it. I certainly wouldn’t take away anything from him or the writers, but their brilliance is sometimes spurred on by a suggestion from one of us. On most shows the usual response to the actors is, “If you don’t want to say the lines, we’ll find somebody else to say them.” But [on Frasier] there’s tremendous respect on both sides, which makes for a wonderfully creative atmosphere.
TVG: Are you tired of people asking about what’s going to happen with Daphne and Niles?
JL: No, because it proves that people are invested in it. I’m dying to know myself, but I do believe we will see some action in that area. I don’t think there will be any more teasing. I sense that, by the end of next season, they will somehow be together.
TVG: The Frasier set is rumored to be one of the happiest in Hollywood.
JL: They are just the dearest people. You just want to be their friend because they’re all so much fun. We have a blast together, and that comes directly from Kelsey. He’s created that atmosphere. On other shows, I understand, it’s made quite clear that the star is the star. But Kelsey is constantly saying, “Give me less to do and give everyone else more to do.” He just loves it when the rest of us are out in front getting a big laugh. And David [Hyde Pierce] is a magnificent human being. He’s so decent and kind and hysterically funny. You just want him around all the time.
TVG: So, no oversized Hollywood egos to deal with…
JL: No, none of that. You wouldn’t stand a chance on our set with any ego. For one thing, John Mahoney [Martin] would put you right in your place!
TVG: Speaking of co-stars, I hear that you and Peri Gilpin [Roz] have set up a production company with a rather unusual name.
JE: When we decided to form the company, Peri and I were told that it would be smart to pick a name that suggested it was run by two women. Well, we couldn’t think of a thing, so as a joke I suggested “Bristol Cities,” and she said, “Oh, that certainly sounds like an independent movie company; what does it mean?” And I explained that it’s actually Cockney rhyming slang for “titties.”
TVG: For a long time, neither you nor Daphne seemed to have much romantic luck, but things seem to be getting better.
JL: Yes, they are. Daphne’s engaged, though it’s hard to see where they’re going to go with that. Right now, I think she’s just wrapped up in the whole “I’m engaged, let’s plan a wedding” thing. As for me, I am very, very, very, very happily married!
TVG: So, that fairy-tale life you envisioned for yourself at age five has come true.
JL: Yeah, it kinda did. It’s pretty scary. It’s really tough when you’re so happy, because you keep thinking, “Please don’t let anybody disturb this or take it away from me!”