Sherry Dempsey is a recurring character on the NBC series Frasier. She is portrayed by Marsha Mason.
Character[]
Sherry is a rambunctious, lighthearted and noisy woman, who enjoys making people laugh and playing the banjo. She works as a waiter at Martin's favorite bar, McGinty's and they date for about a year from 1996-1997. Sherry shares many interests with Martin; Frasier and Niles dislike her, but for the sake of their father continue to tolerate her. Sherry used to work as a Las Vegas showgirl.
Series arc[]
In the episode "Three Dates and a Break Up", Sherry and Martin break up over a small argument one morning. Sherry confides in Frasier, despite his relief at not having Sherry around the house anymore, Frasier can't work out how or why the breakup happened. Martin tells him that the night before the break up, Sherry told him that she loved him and although Martin said he loved her too. He later worried he was not ready to move on from his late wife. After talking it through with Frasier however, Sherry and Martin later got back together.
When Daphne finds an engagement ring in Martin's drawer, Frasier and Niles are shocked at the thought of Sherry taking their mother's place, so Niles hires a personal investigator to check up on Sherry. The brothers are shaken to discover she has been married six times previously and engaged to at least at least one other. Frasier and Niles tell Martin this, but Martin already knew as Sherry had told him in the second week of their relationship. They break up later because they both want different things - Martin wants to marry her, while Sherry wants to keep the relationship at a lower level.
Sherry makes her exit
When finally parting Sherry says this is usually the time when people promise to be friends but after a phone call or two lose touch so instead she tells Martin that if he ever needs to talk to her he has her number (but if a man answers he should probably hang up).