Who Does Felicity Huffman Play On Frasier & How Many Episodes Is She In?

Toward the end of "Frasier," some of the show's defining tensions had begun to slacken. Niles' (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne's (Jane Leeves) longstanding will-they-won't-they had finally resolved to a happy conclusion. Even Martin (John Mahoney) found a partner in Ronee (Wendie Malick). In Season 10, "Frasier" found some much-needed new blood in the form of Julia Wilcox, played by Felicity Huffman.

She might be more famous nowadays because of her role in a college admissions scandal, but in 2003, up-and-coming actress Huffman made her "Frasier" debut. Julia was introduced in Season 10, Episode 12 as the new financial reporter for KACL and ultimately appeared in eight episodes through the beginning of Season 11. She is also one of the more controversial characters in the "Frasier" universe, beginning with the title of her book — "Day Trade Your Way Out of Debt" — that got her sacked from CNBC. It takes a matter of moments for Julia to develop an uneasy rapport with Roz (Peri Gilpin), whom she refers to as "Rizzo." Indeed, Julia is abrasive with nearly everyone she meets.

Julia's relationship with Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is prickly from the jump, with Frasier simultaneously repelled by and attracted to his new colleague. When the pair rattles off insults at each other, he borrows a line from his old "Cheers" colleague Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and asks, "Are you as turned on as I am?" (The come-on doesn't exactly land, leading to a sexual harassment seminar). Frasier and Julia eventually soften toward one another, even if they're still bothered by one another's arrogance. At the end of Season 10, they strike up a romance.

Julia and Frasier's relationship lasts all of three episodes, and it's a largely contentious affair. For one, Julia drives a wedge between Frasier and Roz. The final straw comes in Season 11, Episode 2, in which Julia joins the Crane clan for dinner. She is impossibly rude and has the gumption to sit in Martin's chair. Worse still, she breaks the news of Daphne's pregnancy. Frasier, however, draws the line when she attacks his hand towels. 

Redditors agree that Julia was among Frasier's worst love interests. "I could never ever stand her," wrote u/LindaBelchie69 on the r/Frasier subreddit. "I know Frasier likes a challenge, but she was downright horrible to everyone around her." Another user, u/chairpilot, at least found a silver lining: "She is a terrible person of course but I did really enjoy how having her around opened up the writers to drop some solid roasts."

Behind the scenes, things were much more amicable. In an interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Felicity Huffman recalled her time on "Frasier." "I remember it being a really nice group of people," she said. "I remember Jane [Leeves] turning to me and going, 'You know what I love about you?' And I went, 'What?' And she goes, 'You're just not afraid to play a total b****.'"  Huffman was cast in the 2005 film "Transamerica" based on the strength of her work in "Frasier," which earned her an Oscar nomination. She continued, "I'm very grateful for all the work I've had that seems to sometimes lead to my next job."