Kelsey Grammer’s Turbulence: A Unique Acting Challenge In The Disaster Genre

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Kelsey Grammer, famous for his comedic roles in shows like Cheers, Frasier, and as Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, is now venturing into disaster movies with his new film, Turbulence. This role presented him with some acting challenges unlike anything he’d faced before, marking a departure from his typically lighthearted work. The six-time Emmy winner is well-known for making audiences laugh, and Turbulence allowed him to explore a different side of his talents.

Kelsey Grammer stars in Turbulence as Harry, a hot air balloon pilot tasked with helping a struggling married couple reconnect during a scenic flight over the Italian Dolomites. Their attempt at a romantic getaway is disrupted when a dangerous third passenger joins them, putting everyone on board in peril. The film also features Hera Hilmar (known from Mortal Engines), Jeremy Irvine (Return to Silent Hill), and Olga Kurylenko, who has appeared in Marvel films.

To celebrate the release of the film Turbulence, Ash Crossan from ScreenRant spoke with Kelsey Grammer. The Emmy-winning actor shared what drew him to the disaster thriller, how it offered him a different kind of acting challenge, and the particularly challenging aspects of making the movie.

Turbulence’s Gondola Setting Proved “Perfect” For Hiding Grammer’s Injury

Throughout his almost 50-year career, Kelsey Grammer has consistently taken on diverse roles that allow him to showcase a wide range of talent. He’s explored characters like the charmingly insecure Frasier Crane, the troubled and vulnerable mayor in Boss, and the complex, compassionate Dr. Hank McCoy (Beast) from the X-Men films, proving he’s an actor who avoids being typecast.

The actor explained what drew him to the film Turbulence, starting with the fact that it was filmed in England – a convenient location since his wife is from there, effectively turning the shoot into a “working vacation.” He happily noted, “I always bring the whole family along, and it’s always a great time.” They spent a week and a half in London before Christmas, which he described as a wonderful experience.

The actor also emphasized how much he enjoyed playing the character, specifically Henry’s strong, commanding presence as a captain. He liked that Henry was a retired military veteran, giving him a sense of worldliness and experience. Grammer explained that Henry truly understands what it means to lead a ship, and he finds it satisfying to portray capable leaders, especially in a genre often filled with more reckless characters.

It’s easy to label someone as reckless when people’s safety is at stake. But I appreciate that this person is dependable, warm, friendly, and skilled – those are qualities I enjoyed working with.

Kelsey Grammer found Turbulence to be a great project partly because he had a broken foot during filming. Most action movies demand a lot of physical activity from their lead actors, but the film’s setting – inside a hot air balloon gondola – actually worked to Grammer’s advantage. The director could only film him from the waist up, which perfectly accommodated his injury.

Kelsey Grammer says he usually picks roles that offer him something fresh. He looks for projects that let him try “something I haven’t done before.” While he enjoys revisiting familiar characters like Beast – a role he’s reprised for Marvel’s The Marvels and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday – he generally prefers to take on new challenges with characters he hasn’t played before.

The actor admitted he sometimes takes roles simply to make ends meet, joking about needing to earn a living. Despite this, he remains committed to finding projects and characters that push him creatively, even if those projects, like Turbulence, can be particularly challenging.

I usually ask myself, ‘Have I tackled this kind of role before?’ If it’s not a repeat, or at least has a fresh angle, I’m interested. What really drew me to this project was the confined setting – a small space with a lot of tension. Being trapped with four people, two of them unpredictable and two more grounded, felt like a fantastic setup for drama and excitement.

Turbulence is now in theaters.

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2025-12-20 04:58