“Frasier” and “Cheers” star Kelsey Grammer will play a key role in an upcoming biblical project for TV. The Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker reports that National Geographic Channel’s “Killing Jesus” has cast Grammer as King Herod, the king of Judea who tries to kill Jesus at his birth.

The project has also cast Stephen Moyer of “True Blood” as Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who ordered Jesus to be crucified. The project is based on the bestselling book by Bill O’Reilly of Fox News and Martin Dugard.

Also cast was Emmanuelle Chriqui, who will play Herodia, the ex-wife of Herod II. Her character manipulates her husband and daughter into killing John the Baptist, the story says.