Frasier: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Niles And Daphne's Relationship - Screen Rant

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For 11 seasons, the will-they won't-they nature of Niles and Daphne's relationship captivated fans of Frasier, where the stuffy psychiatrist and his father's salt-of-the-earth physiotherapist sent sparks flying. Despite coming from starkly divergent backgrounds and possessing very different personalities, the pair's romantic inklings sent hilarious ripples through every episode of the series.

With such a long period of unrequited love and courtship, it would seem that fans had gotten to know the pair very well, but through interviews with performers David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves, writers of the show, and Saul Rubinek who played Daphne's other serious boyfriend Donny, there are still things that not even Daphne's psychic powers could have revealed!

10 It All Started With A Hair Sniff

Watch almost any episode featuring Daphne and Niles and fans will find Niles sniffing Daphne's hair as she walks by, just one of the many signals that he harbored a deep affection for the Manchester maiden. In an interview for The Writer's Guild Foundation, writers Ken Levine and David Isaacs broke down the relationship between the pair from its earliest stages, explaining that the idea for the unrequited romance began with an acting decision by David Hyde Pierce.

They explained that during the first episode they shared together in the series, Daphne walked by and Niles sniffed her hair "as though it had a sweet aroma", and that inspired them to work a romantic subplot into any episode they shared together.

9 The Writers Thought Daphne Was Oblivious To Niles' Feelings

Over the years there has been some division about whether or not Daphne was or wasn't aware of Niles pining after her. In the same interview with The Writer's Guild Foundation, the writers maintained that the feelings built gradually because "there was no grand plan."

According to her FVC interview, Jane Leeves said that she always felt Daphne "held a candle" for Niles even if she didn't realize it consciously, but the writers felt that conclusion could only be arrived at in retrospect.

8 Jane Leeves Had A Very Specific Vision For It

Daphne and Niles laughing together in Frasier

In order to create such an iconic and enduring bond between such opposite personalities, actress Jane Leeves felt that there needed to be a driving force behind the relationship an "earthy woman would have with an effete man." In an interview for FVC, she explained that she had a very particular image in her mind that served as an artistic guiding star.

She imagined Niles "standing in the doorway and Daphne bent over fixing the plumbing [while] he sipped a martini", clearly admiring her handiwork. It's definitely not a typical relationship, but that's also what makes it so special. Knowing that the actors involved took it so seriously is another reason that it didn't seem disingenuous.

7 There Were Specific Reasons Why They Worked

Despite being very disparate, Niles and Daphne have always been couple goals. Though he was sophisticated and she was working class, they connected in authentic ways that transcended class distinction. In the same interview, Leeves went on to clarify that one of the reasons they bonded was because "he was someone [Daphne] could take care of and he loved her unconditionally."

It's clear that from Niles' big romantic gestures to his thoughtful moments with Daphne, he always put her first. Daphne didn't mind that Niles got sick easily or fainted at the sight of blood -- she liked taking care of him. In fact, they both liked to be needed by someone and considered useful, so their consideration for one another was always at the forefront of their interactions.

6 Daphne Never Thought She Was Good Enough For Niles

When trying to get the attention of someone who spends hundreds of dollars on caviar and Himalayan sweaters, it's not difficult to see why Daphne might have felt insecure around Niles. To conclude the interview, Leeves mentioned that in fact, Daphne always had her eye on Niles, but "never felt good enough for him", which was one of the primary reasons why their relationship wasn't made official much sooner.

Classism was just one of the many deep issues Frasier tackled, and their inability to be transparent meant Niles would have had no idea about Daphne's insecurities surrounding their difference in status. In many ways, much of the fun of their interactions came from the tension involved with their hidden anxieties, so it was better for fans that Daphne's perspective was concealed while Niles' was opaque (at least to Frasier).

5 Throwing Donny Into The Mix Was Intentional

Donny became an important supporting cast member in Frasier during its ninth season, acting as not only Niles' divorce lawyer but featuring prominently as Daphne's new boyfriend. His unforgettable entrance eating a corn beef sandwich made him instantly stand out among a cast of established actors on a well-known series.

In an interview with Red Carpet News TV at the MCM London Comic Con, actor Saul Rubinek expanded on the relationship/love triangle between Donny, Daphne, and Niles, stating that he was specifically offered the part of the boyfriend "Niles had to take seriously." He claimed that because Daphne's other boyfriends had been "big hunky guys", he thought it was interesting to be the person Niles should feel the most threatened by. Daphne being with Donny showed she was capable of seeing beyond superficiality, which allowed Niles to see that she would do the same for him.

4 Saul Rubinek Never Felt Betrayed

One of the worst things Daphne ever did was leave Donny on their wedding day to be with Niles, an uncharacteristically selfish move for a character known for her kindness. Many fans were rooting for their marriage to work and felt as betrayed as he did by her decision. In the same YouTube interview, Saul Rubinek couldn't find fault with the way his character got left at the altar.

"It was just good writing," he said. "Because it was inevitable but surprising." Other fans couldn't wait to see Daphne and Niles end up together, so in that sense it was inevitable, but the manner in which it was handled was shocking, in what Rubinek declared as, "one of the best two-parters on the show."

3 A Lot Of The Affection Came From The Actors' Real Chemistry

Daphne and Niles bantered like an old married couple from the very beginning, and it's not hard to see why after watching the featurette Behind The Couch. David Hyde Pierce maintained that from the beginning, he had terrific chemistry with all of the cast, particularly Jane Leeves, and that translated to them having a relationship with true sparks.

If two actors don't get along well off-camera, it can be difficult to convince audiences that they have a growing attraction on camera. Thankfully, Pierce and Leeves spent time together between takes and outside of work, making their on-camera relationship that much more meaningful and loving.

2 David Hyde Pierce Was Actually Harassed About It

When viewers were tuning into Frasier during the season when Daphne was supposed to get married to Donny, the special two-part episode was must-see TV. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, David Hyde Pierce explained that he couldn't go anywhere without being asked when he was going to get together with Daphne.

"I went to an Italian restaurant with some of the cast a few years ago," he explained, "and the maitre 'd said 'When you gonna get that Daphne?'" It seemed that fans had all sorts of advice to give the actor, and he took their remarks in stride. That sort of public reaction was a testament to just how much that relationship resonated with viewers, and how much they were invested in it.

1 The Relationship Helped Niles Appear More Human

Neither Niles nor Frasier were considered "regular guys", with Niles being the more pretentious and fastidious of the two brothers. But as David Hyde Pierce told the Orlando Sentinel, the relationship with Daphne softened the character's edges and exposed "his humanity."

"I think Niles probably means a lot to guys who always worshiped the cheerleader or the prom queen," the actor explained. "Also, I think he just represents that love, the vulnerability of being in love, and what it means to just adore someone." Someone like Niles "getting the girl" definitely made him have more dimension, and being lucky in love also finally gave him one up on his brother!

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Kayleena Pierce-Bohen (1274 Articles Published)

Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. A film buff, she has a Western collection of 250+ titles and counting that she's particularly proud of. When she isn't writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she's working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can.