Kelsey Grammer told reporters this week that he is not actively planning a run for public office, walking back comments he made earlier that suggested he might seek elected office someday.
According to The Wrap, Grammer was in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to promote his new film Young Washington and to meet with President Donald Trump when the subject of his political ambitions came up. Earlier in the week, he had spoken with Us Weekly in terms that generated considerable coverage.
"It would possibly tick that box for me, in terms of the service I feel I should have given to my fellow man — to my fellow countrymen — that I missed in the military," Grammer said to Us Weekly. "Maybe that would be the way to do it. I have wrestled with it."
He also told Us Weekly that he was not concerned about his age. Grammer is 71. "I'm vital and prepared to stay that way for quite a while," he said. "And yes, it's likely I will at least throw my hat in the ring in some way."
Those comments spread quickly. Shortly after, Grammer spoke with TMZ and offered a different tone.
"I have thought about it in the past," he said. "It's not something I'm hatching as we speak. No."
He did not fully close the door. He told TMZ that he still feels he is meant to "serve my country in some way," adding, "So, who knows." When pressed for any concrete plans, he said he had "nothing" to share "yet."
Grammer noted in the Us Weekly interview that he might wait until his youngest children are older before making any move toward a campaign. He did not specify a timeline.
The actor is best known for playing the psychiatrist Frasier Crane across two long-running television series. Young Washington marks his latest film project.
