David Hyde Pierce

Truth is, most actors are kind of boring, and David Hyde Pierce is not the glorious exception to that rule. He's standoffish, aloof and a trifle snooty. He may have been born to play Niles Crane, fussbudgety brother of Frasier Crane, on NBC's "Frasier," and fortunately, he does. He plays Niles very, very well, so well that he recently won a Screen Actors Guild award for the portrayal and earned an Emmy last fall. And though he may resemble Niles in some ways, they're hardly twins.

STOP the world, he wants to get on: A mishap at a performance of "Curtains" at the Ahmanson Theatre last weekend left David Hyde Pierce stuck in the air, literally, for a few breathless minutes. At one point in the Kander and Ebb whodunit, set during a musical's pre-Broadway tryout, the actor -- as a stage-struck detective circa 1959 -- is supposed to "ride" a large globe down to the stage from a height of about 40 feet. But before that could happen at the Aug.

"Down With Love," which opens Friday, pays homage to the Doris Day-Rock Hudson sex comedies of the 1960s. The movie stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, with "Frasier's" David Hyde Pierce as the eternal sidekick -- a role Tony Randall played to perfection in such frothy Day-Hudson vehicles as "Pillow Talk" (1959), "Lover Come Back" (1962) and "Send Me No Flowers" (1964). In the new movie, Randall appears in a cameo as a chauvinistic boss.

"Down With Love," which opens Friday, pays homage to the Doris Day-Rock Hudson sex comedies of the 1960s. The movie stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, with "Frasier's" David Hyde Pierce as the eternal sidekick -- a role Tony Randall played to perfection in such frothy Day-Hudson vehicles as "Pillow Talk" (1959), "Lover Come Back" (1962) and "Send Me No Flowers" (1964). In the new movie, Randall appears in a cameo as a chauvinistic boss.

David Hyde Pierce looks enough like "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer to be his brother. In fact, some viewers wonder if the two men, who play brothers on the NBC Thursday-night sitcom, really are related. "Fortunately, there is a physical resemblance between us," says Pierce from his Los Angeles-area apartment. In the show's development stages there weren't plans for radio psychologist Frasier Crane to have a brother.

Will Niles and Daphne finally trip the light fantastic? Fans of NBC's Emmy Award-winning sitcom "Frasier" may learn the answer on Thursday's episode. Or maybe they won't. . . . The cast and producers of the NBC hit are keeping mum about the plot twists and turns of the hourlong season finale. But after seven years of watching the uptight Dr.

NBC's hit comedy "Frasier" won three of the first four honors at Sunday's 47th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. David Hyde Pierce, who plays the show's wobbly psychiatrist, won best supporting actor in a comedy series. The show also won for comedy series directing and best writing in a comedy series. Christine Baranski, the sardonic divorcee on "Cybill," led off the evening with the Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.

"I'm still in love with Daphne," David Hyde Pierce says during his first day back on the set of "Frasier" after the summer hiatus. "But I realize I have to let that go because she's engaged to be married, so I'm trying to date other people." How sensible, and to anyone who watches the show, probably not news, but this informal character update does carry some added authority coming, of course, from Dr. Niles Crane himself.

David Hyde Pierce will be honored for his "diligent work" in the fight against Alzheimer's disease during the Los Angeles Alzheimer's Assn.'s seventh annual Night at Sardi's fund-raiser, March 10 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel. Actress Shelley Fabares will present the award, and Hyde Pierce's "Frasier" co-star, John Mahoney, will introduce video clips from the honoree's career.

STOP the world, he wants to get on: A mishap at a performance of "Curtains" at the Ahmanson Theatre last weekend left David Hyde Pierce stuck in the air, literally, for a few breathless minutes. At one point in the Kander and Ebb whodunit, set during a musical's pre-Broadway tryout, the actor -- as a stage-struck detective circa 1959 -- is supposed to "ride" a large globe down to the stage from a height of about 40 feet. But before that could happen at the Aug.

I have renewed respect this morning for the woman who wrote "Respect for Acting." I have the same for her co-star in "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks," Richard Alfieri's new heart warmer--"new" and "warm" being relative--making its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Uta Hagen and David Hyde Pierce are far, far better than this thing deserves.

She made her 1938 Broadway debut with Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne in "The Seagull," won a 1963 Tony as the original Martha in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," wrote the now-classic "Respect for Acting" in 1973 and, in the course of five decades, taught her craft to everyone from Jason Robards to Matthew Broderick. But none of that much mattered when Uta Hagen arrived in Los Angeles this spring to begin rehearsals with David Hyde Pierce on a new play.

Springtime slots that have remained vacant in the Ahmanson Theatre and Geffen Playhouse seasons are about to be filled. The Ahmanson will announce today that it will present "3hree," a trio of short musicals, while the Geffen is expected to name as its fifth show "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks," pending the completion of negotiations with potential stars Uta Hagen and David Hyde Pierce. "3hree" replaces "Flower Drum Song," which was canceled in December.

Will Niles and Daphne finally trip the light fantastic? Fans of NBC's Emmy Award-winning sitcom "Frasier" may learn the answer on Thursday's episode. Or maybe they won't. . . . The cast and producers of the NBC hit are keeping mum about the plot twists and turns of the hourlong season finale. But after seven years of watching the uptight Dr.

"I'm still in love with Daphne," David Hyde Pierce says during his first day back on the set of "Frasier" after the summer hiatus. "But I realize I have to let that go because she's engaged to be married, so I'm trying to date other people." How sensible, and to anyone who watches the show, probably not news, but this informal character update does carry some added authority coming, of course, from Dr. Niles Crane himself.

Oct. 2, to benefit Alzheimer's Assn. The event: Luncheon with actor David Hyde Pierce, best known for his role as Niles Crane on the popular "Frasier" sitcom, at a kickoff party for team leaders of the upcoming 1999 Memory Walk. Pierce showed up at the Twin Palms Restaurant in Newport Beach recently to help promote the Oct. 2 walk, a fund-raiser for the Alzheimer's Assn., Orange County Chapter.

Oct. 2, to benefit Alzheimer's Assn. The event: Luncheon with actor David Hyde Pierce, best known for his role as Niles Crane on the popular "Frasier" sitcom, at a kickoff party for team leaders of the upcoming 1999 Memory Walk. Pierce showed up at the Twin Palms Restaurant in Newport Beach recently to help promote the Oct. 2 walk, a fund-raiser for the Alzheimer's Assn., Orange County Chapter.

I have renewed respect this morning for the woman who wrote "Respect for Acting." I have the same for her co-star in "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks," Richard Alfieri's new heart warmer--"new" and "warm" being relative--making its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse. Uta Hagen and David Hyde Pierce are far, far better than this thing deserves.

David Hyde Pierce will be honored for his "diligent work" in the fight against Alzheimer's disease during the Los Angeles Alzheimer's Assn.'s seventh annual Night at Sardi's fund-raiser, March 10 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel. Actress Shelley Fabares will present the award, and Hyde Pierce's "Frasier" co-star, John Mahoney, will introduce video clips from the honoree's career.

Truth is, most actors are kind of boring, and David Hyde Pierce is not the glorious exception to that rule. He's standoffish, aloof and a trifle snooty. He may have been born to play Niles Crane, fussbudgety brother of Frasier Crane, on NBC's "Frasier," and fortunately, he does. He plays Niles very, very well, so well that he recently won a Screen Actors Guild award for the portrayal and earned an Emmy last fall. And though he may resemble Niles in some ways, they're hardly twins.