Jane Leeves says she won't leave The Resident if there's a Frasier revival
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The Resident star Jane Leeves' character Kit Voss is the new CEO of Chastain Memorial Hospital, and both star and protagonist are taking the promotion very seriously.
Leeves, who famously portrayed physical therapist Daphne Moon on Frasier for 11 seasons, has heard the reports of a possible revival of the Kelsey Grammer-led comedy being in the works. But she tells EW no matter what happens with that, she's committed to her work on The Resident and has no plans to depart.
"I have no idea, but I won't be leaving The Resident to do that if it happens," Leeves tells EW on Wednesday when asked if the Frasier revival has been greenlit. "There's a lot of pieces that have to come together to make [the revival] happen."
Asked about a confirmed reunion being a long ways away, she says, "I would think, yeah."
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It may be less than stellar news for Frasier fans but celebrations all around for those hooked on the Fox medical drama, which aired episode 6, titled "Requiems & Revivals," on Tuesday night.
It's worth noting that the CEO job didn't fall into Kit's lap. She's been laying the foundation for some time now by holding the Red Rock bosses and Governor Nichelle Randall (Nichelle Hines) accountable, the latter of whom was only interviewing male applicants for the vacant position.
"I loved that scene because it really got under her skin that everybody was being interviewed for the position, even Nolan [Michael Hogan], that noodle," she says with a laugh. "But I do believe that certain women in positions of power bring compassion. This is such a great move for someone like Kit because her passion is going to be better served by this new version of the hospital. Similarly, this will also suit the passion of the hospital staff members. I couldn't imagine telling someone, 'Sorry, you don't have the insurance for that, so we can't help you.' To not have that wall ahead is going to be a great thing. Kit's going to get creative and make the hospital a much more exciting place to work. It's going to be challenging for her but that's the exciting part of it, trying to figure out how to make this hospital work."
Adds series executive producer Andrew Chapman, "In a lot of ways, Kit is the moral center of the show. When there's a problem dealing with right or wrong, we often go to her as the arbiter. She's very much the consigliere and she's great at it. We want to upset as many apple carts in healthcare as we can. I'm a guy, so what do I know? But it seems to me that women running the world would not be a bad thing. Men and women view problems differently, but more importantly, they see solutions differently. I think this is something we can inject into Chastain through Kit Voss."
Guy D'Alema/FOX
Kit has proven her dedication to her patients since joining the show in season 2, but there's no better example than her handling of her nemesis Cain (Morris Chestnut) as his life and career lay in the balance after a terrible accident.
"Gosh, I love that relationship," she says of Kit and Cain. "I think redemption is possible. Wouldn't it be nice to know why Cain is the way he is? I think something happened to him that made him that ruthless because you're not just born that way. I love watching Morris chew that character up because Morris is one of the nicest guys on the planet. I do find it a bit heartbreaking to see all of Cain's pain. I'm looking forward to exploring that a bit more. Kit is a professional and she knows he's a damn good surgeon."
Kit has played a pivotal role in helping Bell (Bruce Greenwood) soften and evolve as a character in a positive way. In fact, since meeting Kit, Bell is practically unrecognizable from the character fans met during the show's debut season.
"Yeah, she's sort of brought out the human being in him," Leeves explains. "I think it's because she never judged him. She never labeled him a bad guy. She saw there was a wall up, a wall of pain, and she thought it would be interesting to break through that. The friendship between them has humanized him, which I think is lovely."
As the colleagues grow closer, could love be on the horizon?
"Yeah, that's certainly on the horizon. I think the interesting part of their relationship is that they've gotten to know each other so well that it's already like they're almost married," the English actress shares. "I love the familiarity between them. Who knows what [the writers] have coming up for us but I'm certainly enjoying my time with Bell and with Bruce. I have to tell you, Bruce and I are the naughtiest people on the set. We're the most childish and we love messing around. We're the oldest castmembers and also the most childish."
Adds Chapman, "One of the wonderful things we've seen evolving over the course of the season is how Jane and Bruce have this easy, caring banter between them. So the Kit/Bell relationship is one that we love. Right now, it's a really professional friendship between these two seasoned doctors but we're playing with that."
With the addition of Bell's stepson Jake Wong (Conrad Ricamora) to Chastain's long list of employees thanks to Kit, could she also help the duo get past the past for a better future?
"The wonderful thing about Kit and Jane Leeves is that she's the kind of person that you naturally want to tell stuff to," says Chapman. "She is the glue for so many people in the show, she's like a mother figure. So yes, she will help Jake and Bell, for sure."
Teases Leeves, "Kit is very good at facilitating. You know, she's an orthopedic surgeon and she's used to fixing things and putting them back together. Hopefully, she'll have a positive effect on that relationship."
The Resident airs Tuesday nights on Fox.