In part due to his close physical resemblance to Kelsey Grammer, the producers of the "Cheers" spin-off "Frasier" created the role of Niles Crane (Frasier Crane's younger brother) for him. Although prior to "Frasier" going into production, Pierce had petitioned the Screen Actors Guild to change his billing to David Pierce, the name he had used on the stage, the use of his middle name in the show's credits helped reinforce the actor's and the character's "snooty" image. For his work on "Frasier", Pierce was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy a record eleven consecutive years, winning in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2004.