Fran Drescher | |
|---|---|
 Drescher in 2018 | |
| 3rdNational President of SAG–AFTRA | |
| In office October 15, 2021 – September 12, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Gabrielle Carteris |
| Succeeded by | Sean Astin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francine Joy Drescher (1957-09-30)September 30, 1957 (age 68) New York City, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Domestic partner | Shiva Ayyadurai (2014–2016) |
| Education | Queens College, CUNY (no degree) |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress, writer, comedian, producer, and formertrade union leader. She played Fran Fine in the television sitcomThe Nanny (1993–1999), which she created and produced with her then-husbandPeter Marc Jacobson.
Drescher made her screen debut with a small role in the 1977 filmSaturday Night Fever and later appeared inAmerican Hot Wax (1978) andWes Craven's horror filmStranger in Our House (1978). In the 1980s, she worked as a comedic actress in the filmsGorp (1980),The Hollywood Knights (1980),Doctor Detroit (1983),This Is Spinal Tap (1984), andUHF (1989), and made guest appearances on several television series.
In 1993, she achieved wider fame as Fran Fine in her own sitcom vehicleThe Nanny, for which she was nominated for twoEmmy Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Television Series during the show's run. In the 2000s, Drescher starred in the sitcomsLiving with Fran andHappily Divorced.[1] From 2012 to 2022, she starred in the animatedHotel Transylvania film series. In 2014, Drescher made herBroadway debut inCinderella as stepmother Madame.[2] In 2020, she starred in theNBC sitcomIndebted.
The national members of trade unionSAG-AFTRA, representing actors and other media professionals, elected Drescher as president, and she took office on October 15, 2021.[3][4] Drescher led the union during the five-monthactors' strike that began on July 14, 2023, partially overlapping with thewriters' strike that had begun in May of that year.[5] In July 2024, Drescher led anotherstrike against major video game publishers, which ended in 2025.[6]
Francine Joy Drescher was born on September 30, 1957, inQueens, aborough of New York City,[7][8] the younger daughter of Sylvia Drescher (born 1934), a bridal consultant, and Morty Drescher (1929–2024), a naval systems analyst. Her family isJewish, fromSoutheast and Central Europe. Her maternal great-grandmother Yetta was born inFocșani,Romania, and immigrated to the United States,[9] while her father's family came fromPoland.[10] She has an older sister, Nadine.[11] Drescher was a first runner-up for "Miss New York Teenager" in 1973.[12]
She attended Flushing's Parsons Junior High School, which later dissolved,[13][14] and thenHillcrest High School inJamaica, Queens. There she met her future husband,Peter Marc Jacobson, whom she married in 1978, at age 21. They divorced in 1999.[15] Drescher graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1975;[13] one of her classmates was comedianRay Romano.[16] Drescher's character Fran Fine fromThe Nanny and Romano's characterRay Barone fromEverybody Loves Raymond met at a 20th high school reunion on an episode ofThe Nanny.[17] Drescher and Jacobson attendedQueens College, City University of New York, but dropped out in their first year because "all the acting classes were filled." They then enrolled incosmetology school.[18]
Drescher's first break was a small role as dancer Connie in the movieSaturday Night Fever (1977), in which she delivered the line "So, are you as good in bed as you are on the dance floor?" toJohn Travolta's character. A year later, she began to gain attention in films such asAmerican Hot Wax (1978) andSummer of Fear (1978). She also took on a rare dramatic role in the 1981Miloš Forman filmRagtime. During the 1980s, Drescher found success as acharacter actress with roles in films such asGorp (1980),The Hollywood Knights (1980),Doctor Detroit (1983),The Big Picture (1989),UHF (1989),Cadillac Man (1990), and memorably inThis Is Spinal Tap (1984) as publicist Bobbi Flekman. She also made an appearance in a second-season episode ofWho's the Boss? in 1985 as an interior decorator. She also had an appearance onNight Court as a woman with dissociative identity disorder who flips from a prude to a sexually minded woman and ends up in a hotel with Assistant District AttorneyDan Fielding. In 1990, Drescher appeared onALF as Roxanne, the wife of grown-up Brian, who had no clue she was a mob boss, in the episode "Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades". In 1991, Drescher co-starred on the short-lived CBS sitcomPrincesses. In the early-to-mid 1990s, she voiced "Peggy" fromThe P Pals onPBS (the woman with the flower on her hat).
Drescher and Jacobson created their own television show,The Nanny, in 1993. The show aired onCBS from 1993 to 1999, and Drescher became an instant star. In this sitcom, she played a woman named Fran Fine who casually became the nanny of Margaret ("Maggie") (played byNicholle Tom), Brighton ("B") (played byBenjamin Salisbury), and Grace ("Gracie") Sheffield (played byMadeline Zima); with her wit and her charm, she endeared herself to their widower father: stuffy, composed, proper British gentleman and Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). She reprised herThis is Spinal Tap character of Bobbi Flekman, a look-alike for her Fran Fine character, in season 5, episode 3, ofThe Nanny. Drescher appeared inJack (1996), directed byFrancis Ford Coppola,The Beautician and the Beast (1997) (for which she was also executive producer) andPicking Up the Pieces (2000) co-starringWoody Allen. She was also the voice of "Pearl" inShark Bait (2006).
In 2025, she reprised herSpinal Tap role of Bobbi Flekman inSpinal Tap II: The End Continues;[19] prior to this, Flekman had also made an appearance on a 1997 episode ofThe Nanny.[20]
She appears inMarty Supreme (2025), directed byJosh Safdie as the mother ofTimothée Chalamet's character, "Marty Mauser".[21]
In the 2000s, Drescher made a return to television both with leading and guest roles. In 2003, Drescher appeared in episodes of the short-lived sitcomGood Morning, Miami as Roberta Diaz. In 2005, she returned with the sitcomLiving with Fran, in which she played Fran Reeves, a middle-aged mother of two living with Riley Martin (Ryan McPartlin), a man half her age and not much older than her son. FormerNanny costar Charles Shaughnessy appeared as her philandering ex-husband, Ted.Living with Fran was cancelled on May 17, 2006, after two seasons.
In 2006, Drescher guest-starred in an episode ofLaw & Order: Criminal Intent; the episode, "The War at Home", aired on US television on November 14, 2006.[22] She also appeared in an episode ofEntourage and, in the same year, gave her voice to the role of a femalegolem inThe Simpsons episode "Treehouse of Horror XVII". In 2007, Drescher appeared in the US version of the Australian improvisational comedy seriesThank God You're Here. In 2008, Drescher announced that she was developing a new sitcom entitledThe New Thirty, also starringRosie O'Donnell. A series about two old high school friends coping with midlife crises, Drescher described the premature plot of the show as "kind ofSex and the City but we ain't getting any! It'll probably be more likeThe Odd Couple."[23] It was never produced.[23]
In 2010, Drescher returned to television with her own daytime talk show,The Fran Drescher Tawk Show. While the program debuted to strong ratings, it ended its three-week test run to moderate success, resulting in its shelving.[24][25] The following year, the sitcomHappily Divorced, created by Drescher and her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, was picked up byTV Land for a ten-episode order. It premiered there June 15, 2011.[26] The show was renewed in July 2011 for a second season of 12 episodes, which aired in spring 2012. On May 1, 2012, TV Land extended the second season and picked up 12 additional episodes, taking the second season total to 24. The back-order of season two debuted later in 2012.Happily Divorced was cancelled in August 2013.
To promoteHappily Divorced, Drescher performed the weddings of three gay couples in New York City using the minister's license she received from theUniversal Life Church.[27] Drescher hand-picked the three couples, all of whom were entrants into "Fran Drescher's 'Love Is Love' Gay Marriage Contest" on Facebook, based on the stories the couples submitted about how they met, why their relationship illustrated that "love is love" and why they wanted to be married by her.[28]
Drescher made herBroadway debut on February 4, 2014, in the revival ofRodgers andHammerstein'sCinderella.[2] She replacedHarriet Harris as stepmother Madame for a 10-week engagement. She reprised the role during the North American tour's engagement inLos Angeles, lasting from March through April 2015.[29] Drescher's previous stage performances include anoff-Broadway production ofNora Ephron'sLove, Loss, and What I Wore, andCamelot at theLincoln Center with theNew York Philharmonic.[30] On January 8, 2020, it was announced that Drescher and Jacobson were writing the book for a musical adaptation ofThe Nanny.Rachel Bloom andAdam Schlesinger ofCrazy Ex-Girlfriend were brought on to compose the songs prior to Schlesinger's death in April 2020, while Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) was slated to direct. Drescher will not portray the title role, as she joked that if she did "We'd have to change the title toThe Granny."[31]
In 2021, Drescher began her campaign to become president of theScreen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union, citing both her entertainment andpolitical background. Her candidacy came from the "Unite for Strength" faction, and she ran against actorMatthew Modine.[32] On September 2, 2021, SAG-AFTRA announced that Drescher had won the election.[4] On July 13, 2023, after SAG-AFTRA members overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike action a week prior,[33] Drescher announced theSAG-AFTRA strike was to begin at midnight the following day, running alongside the concurrentWriters Guild of America strike (WGA strike) that began just over two months prior.[5] The strike ended with a tentative deal between the union and theAlliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers which was approved by the SAG-AFTRA board. Drescher was elected to a second two-year term as SAG-AFTRA president in August 2023.[34]On July 25, 2024, ten months after SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhelmingly to authorize another strike against the video game industry, Drescher stated that SAG-AFTRA would begin astrike against major video game publishers, with the strike then going into effect the following day at 12:01 am.[6][35][36][37][38] On July 9, 2025, the strike ended after SAG-AFTRA members voted to ratify a tentative agreement with more performer safety measures, which was a specific concern for motion capture video game performers, motion capture actors having medics available during high-risk jobs, compounded increases in performer pay at a rate of 15.17% upon ratification and additional 3% increases in November 2025, November 2026 and November 2027 with 95.04% approval.[39][40][41]
On August 8, 2025, it was revealed that Drescher, after leading two successful strikes, would not seek re-election to another term as SAG-AFTRA president, withSean Astin, a member of Drescher's 2023 political slate and negotiating committee, and Chuck Slavin, a SAG-AFTRA New England Local board member, each vying to replace her.[42][43] During this race, Drescher would endorse Astin to succeed her.[44] Both Astin and his secretary-treasurer running mateMichelle Hurd would be elected to their respective positions.[45]
On August 13, 2025, a month before the election to determine Drescher's successor as SAG-AFTRA president concluded, it was announced that SAG-AFTRA members were able to settle a lawsuit against the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan for negligence which was related to acyberattack that resulted in adata breach.[46]
Fran Drescher metPeter Marc Jacobson when she was 15.[47] The two were high school sweethearts and married at 21.[48] In January 1985, two armed men broke into Drescher and Jacobson's Los Angeles apartment. While one ransacked their home, Drescher and a female friend were raped by the other robber at gunpoint. Jacobson was also attacked, tied up, and forced to witness the entire ordeal. It took Drescher many years to recover, and it took her even longer to tell her story to the press. She was paraphrased as saying in an interview withLarry King that although it was a traumatic experience, she found ways to turn it into something positive. In her bookCancer Schmancer, the actress writes: "My whole life has been about changing negatives into positives." According to Drescher, her rapist, who was on parole at the time of the crime, was returned to prison and given two life sentences.[49]
After separating in 1996, Drescher and Jacobson divorced in 1999. They had no children. Drescher has worked to support LGBTQ rights issues afterher former husband came out.[50] Drescher has stated that the primary reason for the divorce was her need to change directions in life. Drescher and Jacobson remain friends and business partners. She has stated that "we choose to be in each other's lives in any capacity. Our love is unique, rare, and unconditional, unless he's being annoying."[51][52] On September 7, 2014, Drescher andShiva Ayyadurai participated in a ceremony at Drescher's beach house. Both tweeted that they had married and the event was widely reported as such.[53][54][55] Ayyadurai later said it was not "a formal wedding or marriage," but a celebration of their "friendship in a spiritual ceremony with close friends and her family."[56][57] The couple separated two years later.[58][59] In March 2024, Drescher's father died at the age of 94.[11]
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After two years of symptoms and misdiagnoses by eight doctors, Drescher was admitted to Los Angeles'sCedars Sinai Hospital on June 21, 2000, after doctors diagnosed her withuterine cancer. She had to undergo an immediate radicalhysterectomy to treat the disease. Drescher was declared cancer-free and no post-operative treatment was ordered. Drescher wrote about her experiences in her second book,Cancer Schmancer.[49] Her purpose for this book was to raise consciousness for people "to become more aware of the early warning signs of cancer, and to empower themselves". Drescher says, "I was going to learn what I needed to learn, ask questions, become partners with my doctor instead of having some kind of parent/child relationship."
On June 21, 2007, the seventh anniversary of her operation, Drescher launched the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all women's cancers be diagnosed while in Stage 1, the most curable stage. She celebrated her tenth year of wellness on June 21, 2010. Drescher says:
We need to take control of our bodies, become greater partners with our physicians and galvanize as one to let our legislators know that the collective female vote is louder and more powerful than that of the richest corporate lobbyists.[60]
She says her goal is to live in a time when women's mortality rates drop as their healthcare improves and earlycancer detection increases. Her efforts as an outspoken healthcare advocate inWashington, D.C., helped get unanimous passage forH.R. 1245 (also known asJohanna's Law) and she is acknowledged in theCongressional Record.
In September 2008, Drescher, aDemocrat, was appointed as a U.S. diplomat byGeorge W. Bush administration'sAssistant Secretary of StateGoli Ameri. Her official title was Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women's Health Issues. In traveling throughout the world, she supported U.S. public diplomacy efforts, including working with health organizations and women's groups to raise awareness of women's health issues, cancer awareness and detection, and patient empowerment and advocacy. Her first trip was in late September and included stops inSerbia,Hungary, as well as her ancestral Romania and Poland.[9][61]
In 2008, Drescher supported SenatorHillary Clinton for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. She attended a Super Democrat rally for Clinton. Drescher said that she had been considering a run for the United States Senate in 2008 to succeedHillary Clinton, but ultimately decided against it.[62][63] She endorsedBarack Obama for re-election in 2012.[64] In 2017, she said in an interview she was explicitlyanti-capitalist and was happy to see theGreen Party gaining some traction.[65] In 2018, Drescher attended a fundraiser gala forFriends of the Israeli Defense Forces (FIDF), which raised $60 million.[66] Drescher received theCOVID-19 vaccine but opposesvaccine mandates.[67]
In April 2014, Drescher presented atBroadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet Competition withBryan Cranston,Idina Menzel andDenzel Washington, after raising donations at her Broadway showCinderella.[68] Drescher became an ordained minister with theUniversal Life Church Monastery so that she could legally officiate LGBTQ wedding ceremonies.[69]
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Drescher has been the recipient of theJohn Wayne Institute's Woman of Achievement Award, the Gilda Award, the City of Hope Woman of the Year Award, theHebrew University Humanitarian Award, and theAlbert Einstein College of Medicine's Spirit of Achievement Award. In 2006, she was honored with theCity of Hope Spirit of Life Award, which was presented to her by Hillary Clinton. On April 10, 2010, she was guest of honor at the "Dancer against Cancer" charity ball held at theImperial Palace,Vienna, Austria, where she received the first "My Aid Award" for her achievements in support of cancer prevention and rehabilitation.[70] In 2021, Drescher was awarded the LifeSaver Award by ELEM/Youth in Distress.[71][72]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Saturday Night Fever | Connie | |
| 1978 | American Hot Wax | Sheryl | |
| Stranger in Our House | Carolyn Baker | ||
| 1980 | The Hollywood Knights | Sally | |
| Gorp | Evie | ||
| 1981 | Ragtime | Mameh | |
| 1983 | Doctor Detroit | Karen Blittstein | |
| 1984 | This Is Spinal Tap | Bobbi Flekman | |
| P.O.P. | Maggie Newton | ||
| The Rosebud Beach Hotel | Linda | ||
| 1988 | Rock 'n' Roll Mom | Jody Levin | |
| 1989 | UHF | Pamela Finklestein | |
| Love and Betrayal | Germaine | ||
| The Big Picture | Polo Habel | ||
| 1990 | Wedding Band | Veronica | |
| Cadillac Man | Joy Munchack | ||
| Hurricane Sam | Rene Gianelli | ||
| 1991 | We're Talking Serious Money | Valerie | |
| 1993 | Without Warning: Terror in the Towers | Rosemarie Russo | Television Movie |
| 1994 | Car 54, Where Are You? | Velma Valour | |
| 1996 | Jack | Dolores "D.D." Durante | |
| 1997 | The Beautician and the Beast | Joy Miller | Nominated –Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress |
| 1998 | The Emperor's New Clothes: An All-Star Illustrated Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale | The Heralding Horn | (voice) |
| 2000 | Picking Up the Pieces | Sister Frida | |
| Kid Quick | Kerry | ||
| 2003 | Beautiful Girl | Amanda Wasserman | |
| 2005 | Santa's Slay | Virginia Mason | |
| 2006 | Shark Bait | Pearl (voice) | |
| 2011 | Mindwash: The Jake Sessions | Madame LaRue | |
| 2012 | Hotel Transylvania | Eunice (voice) | |
| 2013 | Skum Rocks! | Herself | |
| Brave Miss World | |||
| 2015 | Hotel Transylvania 2 | Eunice (voice) | Cameo |
| 2018 | The Creatress | Carrie Robards | |
| Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation | Eunice (voice) | ||
| 2019 | After Class | Diane | |
| 2022 | Hotel Transylvania: Transformania | Eunice (voice) | |
| 2025 | Spinal Tap II: The End Continues | Bobbi Flekman | |
| Marty Supreme | Rebecca Mauser |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Saturday Night Live | Concert Goer | Episode: "Steve Martin/Van Morrison" |
| 1982 | Fame | Rhonda | Episode: "Metamorphosis" |
| 1983 | 9 to 5 | Tapioca | Episode: "The Oldest Profession" |
| 1985 | Silver Spoons | Annie | Episode: "Marry Me, Marry Me: Part 2" |
| 227 | Mrs. Baker | Episode: "The Refrigerator" | |
| 1985, 1986 | Who's the Boss? | Carol Patrice, Joyce Columbus | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Night Court | Miriam Brody | Episode: "Author, Author" |
| Charmed Lives | Joyce Columbus | 4 episodes | |
| 1987 | Rosie | Vicki Low | Episode: "Valentine of Life" |
| 1990 | ALF | Roxanne | Episode: "Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" |
| WIOU | Jo Finc | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1991 | Princesses | Melissa Kirshner | 8 episodes |
| Dream On | Kathleen | Episode: "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told" | |
| 1992 | Civil Wars | Norma Baker | Episode: "A Bus Named Desire" |
| 1993–1999 | The Nanny | Fran Fine | Lead role, 146 episodes plus special Nominated –American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series Nominated –Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy(1996–1997) Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series(1996–1997) Nominated –Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy |
| 1995 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Herself | Episode: Girlie Show |
| 2003 | Good Morning, Miami | Roberta Diaz | 3 episodes |
| The Restaurant | Herself | 1 episode | |
| 2004 | Strong Medicine | Irene Slater | Episode: "Cinderella in Scrubs" |
| 2005–2006 | Living with Fran | Fran Reeves | Lead role, 26 episodes |
| 2005 | What I Like About You | Fran Reeves | Episode: "Girls Gone Wild" |
| 2006 | The Simpsons | The Female Golem | Episode: "Treehouse of Horror XVII" |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Elaine Dockerty | Episode: "The War at Home" | |
| 2007 | Thank God You're Here | Herself/Ms. Bumblebee | |
| SeeMore's Playhouse | Herself | ||
| 2008 | Live from Lincoln Center | Morgan Le Fay | Episode: "Camelot" |
| Entourage | Mrs. Levine | Episode: "The All Out Fall Out" | |
| 2010 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Arlene Stein | Episode: "Dad News Bears" |
| The Fran Drescher Show | Host | 16 episodes and also executive producer | |
| 2011–2013 | Happily Divorced | Fran Lovett | Lead role, 34 episodes and also executive producer |
| 2015 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself | Episode: "8 Chefs Compete Again" |
| 2017 | Broad City | Beverly Baumgarten | Episode: "Florida" |
| 2018 | Alone Together | Mary | Episode: "Mom" |
| 2019 | Welcome to the Wayne | Barbara Wasserman (voice) | Episode: "Welcome to the Wassermans" |
| 2020 | Indebted | Debbie | Main role, 12 episodes |
| The Christmas Setup | Kate | TV movie | |
| 2022 | Mr. Mayor | Angelica Masters | Episode: "Trampage" |
| 2023 | Secrets of the Morning | Agnes Morris | Television film |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Some Girl(s) | Lindsay | Lucille Lortel Theatre |
| 2008 | Camelot | Morgan le Fay | Avery Fisher Hall |
| 2010 | Love, Loss, and What I Wore | Performer | Westside Theatre |
| 2014 | Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella | Madame | Broadway Theatre |
| 2015 | Ahmanson Theatre |
| Year | Title | Publisher | ISBN | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Enter Whining | Regan Books | ISBN 0060391553 | Memoir |
| 2002 | Cancer Schmancer | Grand Central Publishing | ISBN 0759527695 | |
| 2011 | Being Wendy | Grosset & Dunlap | ISBN 0448456885 | with Amy Blay |
Ms. Drescher, who actually comes from Kew Gardens Hills, may be the most deliberately colorful of the lot, but she is hardly alone in celebrating the showbiz ascendancy of her native land.
While attending Parsons Junior High, Drescher realized she was interested in acting. At Hillcrest High School (where she shared several classes with comedian and fellow student Ray Romano), Drescher joined the drama club. There she met and began dating classmate Peter Marc Jacobson... After graduating in 1975...
After she graduated from Hillcrest High School in Queens, where she met Mr. Jacobson, the two of them moved to Los Angeles and were married.
While a student at Hillcrest High (where The Nanny's Fran Drescher was a classmate), he performed in a comedy troupe at church.
YouTube title:Extended Interview with Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson
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