Who Plays Monica On Frasier?
Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) and his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) are nothing if not cultured. It stands to reason, then, that cultural references abound on "Frasier." Usually, this manifests as shout-outs to Rachmaninoff and "Candide," but every once in a while, some contemporary allusions slip in. Who would have thought that a Gwyneth Paltrow movie would make the cut?
The Season 8 episode "Sliding Frasiers" is a Frasierified version of the Paltrow-starring "Sliding Doors" from 1998. In the movie, Paltrow's life is split into two vastly different timelines, based on whether or not she catches her train. "Sliding Frasiers" follows the same formula, with the timeline fracturing when Frasier chooses between a sweater and a suit for his upcoming Valentine's Day speed dating event.
The Frasier who dons a sweater makes it to the event without a hitch, where he sits through 12 dreadful dates. The suit-wearing Frasier, meanwhile, collides with a woman named Monica (Charlotte Ross) at Café Nervosa, who insists on taking him to the hospital. The two hit it off, but Frasier comes on a little too strong, gifting her a nonstop deluge of flowers and chocolate. His heavy-handed romancing is too much for Monica, and Frasier ends up alone in both timelines.
Charlotte Ross was already a television veteran by the time she made her "Frasier" debut, having been a series regular on shows like "Days of Our Lives" and industry sendup "Beggars and Choosers." Her TV career continued to take off after "Frasier."
Charlotte Ross had roles on NYPD Blue and Arrow
The same year that Charlotte Ross played Monica on "Frasier," she began portraying Detective Connie McDowell on "NYPD Blue." Ross played McDowell from 2001 to 2004, making it her longest-running role to date. The part dredged up some controversy, too. On a Season 10 episode titled "Nude Awakening," Ross was filmed naked from behind, resulting in over $1 million in FCC fines for various ABC stations. In 2011, a federal appeals court revoked the fine, ruling that the indecency policy was "unconstitutionally vague" (via TV Guide).
In an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman," Ross described shooting the nude scene as an "NYPD Blue" rite of passage, noting that a number of her castmates had already shown their buttocks. "They're semi-famous for this contact," she said. "They just don't want you to show up and say, 'I don't think so.'"
Between 2009 and 2012, she had a recurring role as Judy Fabray, the mother of Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron), on "Glee." In 2013, she had a starring role on the sports drama series "Hit the Floor."
Most recently, Ross had a recurring role as Felicity Smoak's mother, Donna, on the CW series "Arrow." Known for her bubbly personality, Donna appeared in 12 episodes during the series. "This role is so fun and so layered that some of my favorite scenes have been these entrances that Donna makes, in the middle of a serious scene," Ross told Collider. "It's like she's walking on the catwalk with a spotlight on her."