Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957 in New York City, New York) is an American film and television comedian, model, actress, producer, voice actress, and activist. She is best known for her role as Fran Fine in The Nanny and for her nasal voice and thick New York accent.
Drescher was born in Kew Gardens Hills, New York, to a Jewish family from Southeast and Central Europe. She attended Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens, and later attended Queens College, City University of New York, but dropped out in her first year because all the acting classes were filled.
Drescher's first break was a small role as Connie in Saturday Night Fever. A year later, she gained more attention in films such as American Hot Wax and Summer Of Fear, before taking on a dramatic role in Ragtime During the 80's, she found moderate success as a character actress in minor roles, but found major fame in The Nanny, which she co-created with her then-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson.
She has since appeared in a wide range of visual media, from comedies like The Beautician and the Beast to dramas like Law & Order: Criminal Intent. She has also attempted to develop a handful of further sitcoms, though none of them have achieved the level of success she enjoyed with The Nanny. She also hosted two daytime talk shows, Living with Fran and The Fran Drescher Show.
After surviving a battle with uterine cancer in 2000, she started a non-profit organization, Cancer Schmancer, named her memoir detailing her battle, aimed at helping women treat cancer. On September 2, 2021, she was elected president of SAG-AFTRA. On July 14, 2023, she started leading SAG-AFTRA in a strike alongside the WGA. On September 8, 2023, she was elected to a second term as president.
Film roles with TV Tropes page:
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- The Hollywood Knights (1980)
- Ragtime (1981)
- Doctor Detroit (1983)
- POP (1984)
- This is Spın̈al Tap (1984)
- UHF (1989)
- Cadillac Man (1990)
- Car 54 Where Are You (1994)
- Jack (1996)
- The Beautician and the Beast (1997)
- Santa's Slay (2005)
Television roles with TV Tropes pages:
- 227
- Nine To Five
- ALF
- Dream On
- Entourage
- Fame
- Happily Divorced
- Hell's Kitchen
- Indebted
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent
- Living With Fran
- The Nanny
- Night Court
- Saturday Night Live
- Silver Spoons
- Strong Medicine
- Thank God You're Here
- What I Like About You
- Who's the Boss?
