Some would say he’s best know for his voice that has that rich, vibrating quality of a vintage cello played in a grand hall, and it wouldn’t be far from the truth. This Hollywood star, however, is also known as the heart and soul of the greatest sitcoms to have ever graced American television.
Today, at 71, he still stands as one of the most revered figures in the film industry, with six Emmy’s under his belt, and no plan of slowing down any time soon.
Kelsey Grammer was born in 1955 in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. When his parents divorces, which was something he didn’t take easy, he moved to New jersey with his maternal grandparents who raised him.
At the age of just twelve, Grammer lost his grandfather, whom he considered a father-figure and the most important person in his life.
Grammer’s grandfather died of cancer after years of heavy alcohol abuse, and towards the end of his life, he became less patient with Grammer, who once recalled, “And that begun the idea that there was something wrong with me.”
Just a year later, another tragedy struck when Grammer’s father was shot and killed outside their home by a complete stranger who was charged with the killing but was found no guilty by reason of insanity. As expected, this left young Grammer devastated.
During the time Grammer was studying theater at Juilliard in New York, seven years following his father’s murder, he experienced yet another shattering ordeal that changed his life forever.
His younger sister, Karen, was kidnapped by four man, sexually abused, and murdered in Colorado Springs.
For a long time, Grammer blamed himself for the tragedy. Speaking to Vanity Fair, he revealed, “It’s hard to explain. It’s not rational. But it happens anyway. I know a lot of people who’ve lost their siblings and blame themselves.”
One of the men involved in the murder of Karen, Freddie Glenn, was convicted of her murder and of two others. He was initially sentenced to death, but the sentence was later overturned.
Years later, the Emmy-winning star continued speaking out against Glenn’s multiple parole opportunities, writing to the board in 2009.
“I miss her in my bones, I was her big brother. I was supposed to protect her — I could not… It very nearly destroyed me.”
In 2014, the actor confronted his sister’s murderer via video link, responding with both honesty and grace.
“I accept that you actually live with remorse every day of your life, but I live with tragedy every day of mine… I accept your apology, I forgive you. However, I cannot give your release my endorsement. To give that a blessing would be a betrayal of my sister’s life.”
The staggering losses of his father and sister were followed by another family tragedy in 1980. Grammer’s two half-brothers, Stephen and Billy lost their lives in a scuba-diving accident. After Billy didn’t return to the surface, Stephen returned to rescue him, but suffered a fatal air embolism. Billy’s body was never found.
These dark moments of his life were the reason Grammer turned to substance abuse, something he spoke about openly. In attempt to overcome the overwhelming grief he experienced, he just “kept drinking.”
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the actor said, “That was the time when I could not forgive myself for my sister’s death.”
At the time, he turned away from God, but he now urges others who experience loss not to do the same.
“I would advise people to step away from that. If I could, I would say, rather than turn away from God, turn toward Him in these situations,” the actor told Fox News Digital. ”Because it isn’t like God’s out to get you. But it feels like that sometimes. And that was very hard.”