Sure, some fans know Kelsey Grammer for roles like that of Sideshow Bob on 'The Simpsons.' But his true masterpiece was the sitcom 'Frasier,' which spanned a whopping 11 seasons long before streaming shows were a 'thing.'
For some fans, though, Grammer wasn't the highlight of the show. Instead, a dog named Eddie stole plenty of the show's fan base. Viewers of the sitcom will recall that the dog belonged to Frasier's dad, Martin, and garnered a lot more attention than producers may have anticipated.
The dog behind the character "Eddie" was a pup named Moose. The Parson Russell Terrier (an offshoot of a standard Jack Russell Terrier) played Eddie for a few seasons, actually sharing the role with his son, Enzo. But the elder pup had a longer run on the show than some of his human co-stars, and probably made more money than them, too.
Moose often appeared in the closing of the 'Frasier' episodes, though he had some recurring gags throughout each episode as well. Most commonly, he'd appear to act out some play on a joke that arose during each respective episode.
But as his handler explained in an interview following Moose's passing in 2006, quoted BBC, the dog was a "consummate professional" who always worked hard to learn his tricks. Though the whole staring at Kelsey Grammer thing was part of his natural ability to act, Moose also learned to give kisses on-demand with the help of some liver pate. Tough gig, right?
Still, "Eddie" appeared on 192 episodes, starting in 1993, and didn't retire until 2003 (the year before the show concluded). That's a long run for a dog on a TV show, but Moose was paid handsomely for his work.
Readers Digest says that Moose earned a total of $3.2 million for his work on 'Frasier.' That's about $10K per episode. It's a staggering amount of cash for any dog to earn, but of course, the dog's owner would be the one to collect the checks.
It's unclear whether the trainer who was quoted by BBC was Moose's actual owner, but fans can assume as much. After all, the dog died at Mathilde Halberg's home, so fans can interpret that that's where he lived when he wasn't working.
As his handler explained, Moose was 16.5 when he passed away, but enjoyed the last few years of his life with his son Enzo. His retirement was a welcome break from the spotlight, though; Moose received tons of fan mail and had adoring audiences all over the world. In fact, his handler said, he got more fan mail than any of his human co-stars.
It's not surprising, though; despite the singing chops that nabbed him a 'Simpsons' role, Kelsey could never be as cute or cuddly as a terrier.