Last week at the top of our first of the inevitable two episodes of Frasier we’ll be covering, I brought up a shocking fact about the critically acclaimed TV show: Moose, the Russell Terrier who played Eddie for the show’s first seven seasons, received more fan mail than any other cast member (hat tip to Mental Floss for that factoid). Van may not like this, or the concept of fan mail at all, but I can’t let something like that go without taking a deeper look.
Obviously Moose has long since departed our cruel, harsh, pandemic-engulfed world and transitioned to a peaceful existence on the Rainbow Bridge, but he lived a good life. He retired in 2000, leaving the role of Eddie to his son Enzo for the show’s final four seasons. When the cast took its final curtain call in 2004, they brought Moose back for one last round of applause, an experience David Hyde Pierce found especially moving. He died two years later — Moose, that is; David Hyde Pierce is still alive and well. We caught up just a few days ago.
Moose’s story is actually an interesting one. His initial owners actually gave him up at a young age, having been unprepared for the hyperactive behavior of a Russell Terrier. I once had a roommate who owned one and can attest to said behavior. In any case, professional dog trainer Mathilde de Cagne fell in love with him, scooped him right up, and turned him into a veritable dog celebrity.
How did he ultimately win the role of Eddie, you ask? Good question. It’s because he was really good at staring at Kelsey Grammer, and the writers were able to incorporate that bit into the show on multiple occasions.
The more I look into Moose’s career, the more humbled I am. He once graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly. He played an aged version of Skip in the Frankie Muniz masterpiece, the lazily named My Dog Skip. He even received a direct shoutout in Grammer’s Emmy acceptance speech in 1994!
I haven’t done any of those things. Neither have you. We’ve been bested by a dog. Maybe it’s time to get out your best pen, the quilled one you save for the most special occasions, and pen a fan letter to the late, great Moose. At the very least, he’s a lot more likable than Bulldog — a much worse, more annoying, creepier dog.
