Francine Joy “Fran” Drescher is an American television and film actress born on September 30, 1957 in Queens, New York. She’s well-known for her distinctive nasal voice, her Queens accent, her machine-gun laugh, and for a number of comedy roles. Raised by her Eastern European Jewish family in Flushing, Queens, she attended Hill Crest High School and was married by the age of 21. Fran Drescher underwent a harrowing ordeal in January 1985 when she was held at gunpoint and raped by robbers in her apartment. She was able to get past the experience, with her attacker getting caught and sent to jail while she went on to do a number of movies and TV series.
Fran Drescher got her first break in the industry when she landed a bit part in the movie Saturday Night Fever. She continued to play small roles in the movies until she and her husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, created their own television show in 1993. Titled The Nanny, the show aired on CBS with Drescher as the title role. It became an instant success, and she worked with British actor Charles Shaughnessy for many seasons.
Other films that Fran Drescher has starred in include the cult hit This Is Spinal Tap, the Francis Ford Coppola-directed film Jack and 1997’s The Beautician and the Beast. In 2000, she worked alongside Woody Allen on the film Picking Up the Pieces. She continued a string of appearances on television afterwards, being seen on Strong Medicine, What I Like About You, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She is also known for voicing characters on The Simpsons as well as the character Pearl in the animated movie Shark Bait. She soon got her own sitcom, Living with Fran, in 2005. However, it failed to gain as much success as her previous endeavor, and was cancelled in May 2006. In 2008, she got a role in Live from Lincoln Center, and was known for appearing on the short-lived sitcom Good Morning, Miami. She later landed her own daytime talk show called The Fran Drescher Tawk Show, before writing, producing and starring in Happily Divorced.
2011: Happily Divorced (TV series) (pre-production) - Fran
2011: Mindwash. The Jake Sessions (short) - Madame LaRue (voice)
2010: Glenn Martin DDS (TV series) - Arlene Stein
2008: Entourage (TV series) - Mrs. Levine
2008: Live from Lincoln Center (TV series) - Morgan Le Fay
2005-2007: Living with Fran (TV series) - Fran Reeves
2006: Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV series) - Elaine Dockerty
2006: The Simpsons (TV series) - Female Golem
2006: Shark Bait - Pearl (voice)
2005: Santa's Slay - Virginia Mason
2005: What I Like About You (TV series) - Fran Reeves
2004: Phua Chu Kang (TV series) - Fran Fine
2004: Strong Medicine (TV series) - Irene Slater
2003: Beautiful Girl (TV movie) - Amanda Wasserman
2003: Good Morning, Miami (TV series) - Roberta Diaz
2000: Picking Up the Pieces - Sister Frida
2000: Kid Quick (short) - Kerry
1993-1999: The Nanny (TV series) - Fran Fine/Fran Sheffield/Bobbi Flekman/…
1998: The Simple Life (TV series)
1997: The Beautician and the Beast - Joy Miller
1996: Jack - Dolores 'D.D.' Durante
1994: Car 54, Where Are You? - Velma Velour
1993: Without Warning: Terror in the Towers (TV movie) - Rosemarie Russo
1992: Civil Wars (TV series)
1992: We're Talkin' Serious Money - Valerie
1991: Princesses (TV series) - Melissa Kirshner
1991: Dream On (TV series) - Kathleen
1990: WIOU (TV series) - Jo Finc
1990: Hurricane Sam (TV movie) - Rene Gianelli
1990: Cadillac Man - Joy Munchack
1990: Wedding Band - Veronica
1990: ALF (TV series) - Roxanne
1989: The Tracey Ullman Show (TV series) - Sales Assistant
1989: It Had to Be You
1989: UHF - Pamela Finklestein
1989: Love and Betrayal (TV movie) - Germaine
1989: The Big Picture - Polo Habel
1988: Rock 'n' Roll Mom (TV movie) - Jody Levin
1987: Once a Hero (TV series)
1986: Charmed Lives (TV series) - Joyce Columbus
1986: Night Court (TV series) - Miriam Brody
1985-1986: Who's the Boss? (TV series) - Carol Patrice/Joyce Columbus
1985: 227 (TV series) - Mrs. Baker
1985: Silver Spoons (TV series) - Annie
1984: The Rosebud Beach Hotel - Linda
1984: P.O.P. (TV movie) - Maggie Newton
1984: Young Lust
1984: This Is Spinal Tap - Bobbi Flekman
1983: Doctor Detroit - Karen Blittstein
1983: Nine to Five (TV series) - Tapioca
1982: Fame (TV series) - Rhonda
1981: Ragtime - Mameh
1980: Gorp - Evie
1980: The Hollywood Knights - Sally
1978: Stranger in Our House (TV movie) - Carolyn Baker
1978: American Hot Wax - Sheryl
1977: Saturday Night Fever - Connie