LOS ANGELES -- Like the mutants in Brett Ratner's "X-Men: The Last Stand," Kelsey Grammer understands what it's like when people have preconceived notions about you.

The actor, best known as the snooty and brainy Dr. Frasier Crane on "Cheers" and "Frasier," wasn't the most popular choice to play Marvel superhero Beast, a brawny, blue-furred mutant known for his superhuman strength and agility.

"Actually this fellow Matthew Vaughn, who was originally slated to direct, he was the one who said, 'Kelsey Grammer is the only guy who can play this,'" recalls the actor. "There was some resistance, certainly at Fox, because I did that other show for 20 years. And it's not the most creative industry for interesting, creative people. So there was some consternation about the idea.

"But I think once I sat down and actually started to talk to people, they realized the man on TV they're used to seeing isn't the somewhat burly, strangely intelligent man that I am," he adds with a laugh. "I think it really allayed their fears and let them know, 'Oh, OK, he is an actor -- put some blue fur on him, he's gonna kick ass.'"

Even knowing that he'd have to undergo hours of makeup and prosthetics didn't prepare Grammer for the reality on set.

"I had a clue, but no real understanding of how physical a challenge that can be," he admits. "It's something -- we're children, right? We live to play memorable characters and different characters, and to explore what it's like to be inside the mind of someone else. This guy is arguably really fascinating, so I was thrilled to take the job."

The makeup application process took three hours alone. Beast's head consists of five pieces: the neck, skullcap and ears, cheeks and jaw, the forehead and lower lip. To allow the actor to be flexible enough to jump around during the action scenes, the body suit also had to be pieced together. And to top it all off, blue fur covered each piece.

"It was more of a challenge than I thought it would be just to kind of survive it. But I'm okay," says the actor. "It was not fun at all. Nonetheless it's very effective. And I was the only cast member who was warm when we were shooting outside."

Beast is much more than a blue muscleman, though. His alter ego is Dr. Hank McCoy, a geneticist and expert on mutations and evolutionary biology. He plays a key role in the latest "X-Men" film because the government has discovered a "cure" for mutancy that will eradicate the unusual traits that make mutants unique and therefore frightening to regular people.

This is where Grammer's reputation for speaking intelligently and eloquently fits into his character. Beast is really a nerd at heart whose own experiment turns him blue and fuzzy, making the mutancy "cure" an appealing solution to his distinctive appearance.

"Unlike the other X-Men, Beast's mutation isn't hidden. So it's not surprising that he may explore, however briefly, the idea of being a 'regular guy,'" muses the actor. "He realizes, of course, that being 'regular' is not his destiny. He's a very brave soul because true bravery means seizing your fate and doing good with it. And that's exactly what Beast does."

In the end, Grammer sees Beast's humanity as a function of his judgment, not his DNA.

"Beast is a man of great moral rectitude," he explains. "He's a man that stands on the fulcrum between action and intellect. When the scales tip in one direction or the other, that's the tip he follows. He's a man that's always poised, ready to do something extraordinary. That's why he's a superhero."

"X-Men: The Last Stand" opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, May 26.

Rick Porter contributed to this story