Moose (dog actor)
Encyclopedia
Moose was a veteran canine
actor. He was a Jack Russell Terrier
and is most famous for his portrayal of Eddie Crane on the television
sitcom
Frasier
.
, 1990 in Florida
, the youngest littermate
. He was the largest puppy in the litter. Like Pal, the original Lassie
, the obstreperous puppy was too much for his original owner. According to an article by Lori Golden:
with a long hard stare; this became a running sight gag
on the show. When Moose had to lick his co-stars, however, sardine oil was applied upon the actors' faces. To make Moose nuzzle the actors, liver pâté
was dabbed behind their ears to achieve the required response, John Mahoney
once revealed.
During the height of Frasier's popularity, Moose received more fan mail than any of his human counterparts.
Moose has numerous television appearances and several magazine covers to his credit. There is an official Moose calendar and an "autobiography", My Life as a Dog, which was written by Brian Hargrove
, husband of Frasier
actor David Hyde Pierce
.
. He died of natural causes at home at the age of 15 and a half years, on June 22, 2006.
. Enzo was the son of Moose, the original Eddie Crane on the US sitcom
Frasier
. Enzo was one of a few puppies bred
specifically as possible replacements for Eddie as it became clear that Frasier was a hit and would enjoy a long run. The longevity of Frasier necessitated the breeding
of puppies as possible replacements for Moose. A daughter, Miko, was considered but never grew large enough (she was given to a technician); a son, Moosie, now lives with Peri Gilpin
, the actress who played Roz Doyle
. Moose's son Enzo, born to mother Chelsea Marvin - also a Jack Russell - was a closer match and turned out to have unusually similar facial markings to his father; later in the series he was used as a stunt double
to perform the more physically challenging tricks for his aging sire. Enzo took over the role after eight years. Enzo was also used as one of the puppies that "Eddie" had fathered during the show.
Enzo was cast as Skip in the feature film My Dog Skip
; Moose played the older Skip in a few scenes. His trainer and several actors have commented on Enzo’s skill and trainability; he performed tricks and portrayed a wide variety of emotions. A 1999 interview http://www.thepoop.com/mediahounds/mydogskip/default.asp quotes the director of My Dog Skip:
"Skip never failed us. I wish I worked with actors who were as well prepared as Skip," admits Mark Johnson. "There was not a trick or a piece of business we asked the dog to do that he wasn't able to do; it was uncanny. The trainers were so good, they could stop him on a mark, he could lift his leg, he could do a somersault. I expected to see him reading The New York Times
any day."
Enzo died on June 23, 2010, of cancer at the age of 15.http://www.petdogtrainer.com/blog/2010/06/enzo-from-frasier-passes-away-at-16/
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
actor. He was a Jack Russell Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
and is most famous for his portrayal of Eddie Crane on the television
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
.
Early life
Moose was born on Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, 1990 in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, the youngest littermate
Litter (animal)
A litter is the offspring at one birth of animals from the same mother and usually from one set of parents. The word is most often used for the offspring of mammals, but can be used for any animal that gives birth to multiple young. In comparison, a group of eggs and the offspring that hatch from...
. He was the largest puppy in the litter. Like Pal, the original Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
, the obstreperous puppy was too much for his original owner. According to an article by Lori Golden:
Career
DeCagny described Moose as very highly trainable; he won the role on Frasier after only six months of training. Moose had the ability to fix Kelsey GrammerKelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
with a long hard stare; this became a running sight gag
Visual gag
In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humor visually, often without words being used at all.There are numerous examples in cinema history of directors who based most of the humour in their films on visual gags, even to the point of using no or minimal dialogue...
on the show. When Moose had to lick his co-stars, however, sardine oil was applied upon the actors' faces. To make Moose nuzzle the actors, liver pâté
Pâté
Pâté is a mixture of ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or cognac, armagnac or brandy...
was dabbed behind their ears to achieve the required response, John Mahoney
John Mahoney
John Mahoney is a British born American actor, known for playing Martin "Marty" Crane, the retired police officer, father of Kelsey Grammer's Dr...
once revealed.
During the height of Frasier's popularity, Moose received more fan mail than any of his human counterparts.
Moose has numerous television appearances and several magazine covers to his credit. There is an official Moose calendar and an "autobiography", My Life as a Dog, which was written by Brian Hargrove
Brian Hargrove
David Brian Hargrove is an American television writer and producer.He earned his BFA degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and studied acting at the Juilliard School...
, husband of Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
actor David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian best known for playing psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received many accolades including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.-Early life:Pierce, the youngest of four siblings,...
.
After retirement
Moose spent the last 6½ years of his life in retirement in West Los Angeles with son Enzo, Mathilde DeCagny (their trainer), her husband Michael Halberg and Jill, the dog from As Good as It GetsAs Good as It Gets
As Good as It Gets is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks and produced by Laura Ziskin. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, obsessive-compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt as a single mother with an asthmatic son, and Greg Kinnear as a gay artist. The screenplay was...
. He died of natural causes at home at the age of 15 and a half years, on June 22, 2006.
Selected credits
- Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
Animal Actors’ Showcase - Coach print advertisements (National campaign)
- Rold GoldRold GoldRold Gold refers to first a company and then a remaining brand of pretzels, now owned by Frito-Lay. The company, originally named the American Cone and Pretzel Company, was founded in 1917 by prominent Philadelphia businessman L.J. Schumaker....
Pretzel TV commercials - FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
- "Eddie" (1993–2000) - My Dog SkipMy Dog Skip (film)My Dog Skip is a 2000 film, directed by Jay Russell. It is based on the autobiographical book My Dog Skip by Willie Morris. The movie was released January 14, 2000....
- Skip (2000)
Enzo
Enzo (July 1995 – June 23, 2010) was a canine actor. He was a Jack Russell TerrierJack Russell Terrier
The Jack Russell terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting. It is principally white-bodied smooth, rough or broken-coated which is commonly confused with the Parson Russell terrier and the Russell terrier with the term "Jack Russell" commonly misapplied to other small white...
. Enzo was the son of Moose, the original Eddie Crane on the US sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
. Enzo was one of a few puppies bred
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
specifically as possible replacements for Eddie as it became clear that Frasier was a hit and would enjoy a long run. The longevity of Frasier necessitated the breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
of puppies as possible replacements for Moose. A daughter, Miko, was considered but never grew large enough (she was given to a technician); a son, Moosie, now lives with Peri Gilpin
Peri Gilpin
Peri Gilpin is an American actress known for her role as Roz Doyle in the U.S. television series Frasier from 1993 until 2004. Along with the principal cast, Gilpin won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2000...
, the actress who played Roz Doyle
Roz Doyle
Rosalinda "Roz" Doyle is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Frasier. She is played by Peri Gilpin. Roz is the producer of Frasier Crane's Dr. Frasier Crane Show on KACL 780AM...
. Moose's son Enzo, born to mother Chelsea Marvin - also a Jack Russell - was a closer match and turned out to have unusually similar facial markings to his father; later in the series he was used as a stunt double
Stunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
to perform the more physically challenging tricks for his aging sire. Enzo took over the role after eight years. Enzo was also used as one of the puppies that "Eddie" had fathered during the show.
Enzo was cast as Skip in the feature film My Dog Skip
My Dog Skip (film)
My Dog Skip is a 2000 film, directed by Jay Russell. It is based on the autobiographical book My Dog Skip by Willie Morris. The movie was released January 14, 2000....
; Moose played the older Skip in a few scenes. His trainer and several actors have commented on Enzo’s skill and trainability; he performed tricks and portrayed a wide variety of emotions. A 1999 interview http://www.thepoop.com/mediahounds/mydogskip/default.asp quotes the director of My Dog Skip:
"Skip never failed us. I wish I worked with actors who were as well prepared as Skip," admits Mark Johnson. "There was not a trick or a piece of business we asked the dog to do that he wasn't able to do; it was uncanny. The trainers were so good, they could stop him on a mark, he could lift his leg, he could do a somersault. I expected to see him reading The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
any day."
Enzo died on June 23, 2010, of cancer at the age of 15.http://www.petdogtrainer.com/blog/2010/06/enzo-from-frasier-passes-away-at-16/
Partial credits
- FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
- "Eddie" (2000–2004) - My Dog SkipMy Dog Skip (film)My Dog Skip is a 2000 film, directed by Jay Russell. It is based on the autobiographical book My Dog Skip by Willie Morris. The movie was released January 14, 2000....
- "Skip" - See Spot RunSee Spot RunSee Spot Run is a 2001 comedy film about a mailman who takes in a stray bullmastiff only to learn that it is a trained FBI dog that has escaped from a witness protection program and is targeted for killing by a crime boss...
- "Boodles" (supporting)