NEWS'Frasier' Star Jane Leeves Reveals the One Storyline She Wishes Had Been Handled Differently
Jane Leeves revealed why she wished 'Frasier' had handled her first pregnancy differently.
Oct. 12 2026, Published 4:47 a.m. ET
Frasier star Jane Leeves revealed she wished the sitcom had handled her first pregnancy differently, as the show explored the character Daphne Moon and Niles Crane's new relationship.
"The only thing I wish had been handled differently was the hiding of my first pregnancy. But those were different times," she told The Guardian.
How 'Frasier' Handled Jane Leeves' Pregnancy
Jane Leeves played Daphne Moon throughout the sitcom’s run alongside David Hyde Pierce who played Niles Crane.
Leeves became pregnant with her daughter Isabella before filming Season 8.
Rather than include the pregnancy in the story, the show gave Daphne a weight-gain storyline and sent her to a so-called "fat camp."
The plot allowed Leeves to take maternity leave.
When she returned, Daphne announced she had lost "9 lbs. and 12 oz.," matching the weight of Leeves’ real-life baby.
Jane Leeves’ pregnancy inspired a storyline in which Daphne attended a weight-loss spa.
Looking back, the actress suggested the writers could have taken a different approach to Daphne and Niles' relationship.
"Daphne and Niles had just got together. I came back and I was pregnant — and they probably thought it was too early for Daphne to be pregnant and they wanted to explore this relationship. But then again, it might have been interesting if she was!" Leeves said.
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David Hyde Pierce Reacts To The Alternative Storyline
David Hyde Pierce discussed how Niles and Daphne’s relationship could have developed differently.
David Hyde Pierce, who played Niles, was intrigued by the idea of taking the couple’s story in a different direction.
His character, Niles, spent much of the sitcom secretly in love with the Leeves character, Daphne, before they finally became a couple.
Pierce, 67, admitted he had never considered how the storyline could have unfolded if the couple had returned from a break already expecting a child.
"I’ve never thought of that, Jane, that’s interesting, so off the rails: the idea that we see them run off together at the end of a season and when they come back they’re having a baby," he said.
Jane Leeves And David Hyde Pierce Felt Like 'Kindred Spirits'
David Hyde Pierce reflected on the close bond he shared with Jane Leeves on the set of the 'Frasier.'
Frasier ran for 11 seasons on NBC, bringing Leeves and Pierce together as the show's beloved characters.
Leeves recalled meeting Pierce on the first day of filming the pilot, admitting she was already a fan of his earlier work on The Powers That Be.
"I went racing up to him like a mad fan because I’d been watching [the Washington-DC-based sitcom] The Powers That Be, which was cancelled for some bizarre reason – it was brilliant and he played the most odd and fabulous character," she said.
Pierce remembered Leeves from her appearances on Seinfeld and Murphy Brown, and said they connected quickly.
"And we just felt like kindred spirits. It’s safe to say that was true of the whole cast. They put a real family together," he said.
