| BIOGRAPHY
With long, shapely legs, a svelte, curvaceous body to die for,
and thick black hair cascading around her lovely face, Fran Drescher
has all the looks of a sophisticated movie star. And then she
opens her mouth. Out comes a crow-like cacophony of nasal sounds
made more grating by a thick Queens accent and a tendency to pull
no punches.
The paradox between the book and its cover is what has made Drescher
a rich and popular comedienne; her long-running sitcom The Nanny,
with its combination of romantic and slapstick comedy, led many
to hail her as Lucille Ball's successor. Though she capitalizes
on playing a rather ditzy working-class gal from Flushing, Drescher
is known for her creativity and shrewdness. In addition to acting,
she is a talented writer and producer.
Much of Drescher's comedy, especially that from her sitcom, is
drawn from her life experiences. Like her character, Fran Fine,
she was born and raised in Queens. She has had a lifelong interest
in acting and studied drama in high school. She attended a year
at Queens College and then attended cosmetology school to become
a hairdresser. For a time, she had her own business. She made
her film debut playing Connie in Saturday Night Fever (1977).
Her next film, American Hot Wax (1978), provided Drescher with
her first major role and though she would continue on to play
supporting parts in numerous other films, it was not until she
played a small but memorable part in Rob Reiner's hilarious mockumentary
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) that she began making a name for herself.
In addition to her film roles, she was also busy on television,
guest starring in series and appearing in television films like
Terror in the Towers. She played starring roles in three short-lived
series, including Princesses.
She and her husband Peter Marc Jacobson created The Nanny and
it aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999. She not only starred in the
show, but also wrote and produced it; Drescher received Emmy nominations
for her work on the show. In 1996, she co-starred with Robin Williams
in the Disney comedy Jack, while in 1997, she and Jacobson co-created
the idea for the romantic comedy The Beautician and the Beast,
in which she also starred. Drescher published her autobiography,
Enter Whining, in 1996.
|
FILMOGRAPHY
• The Beautician and the Beast (1997)
• Jack (1996)
• Car 54, Where Are You? (1993)
• We're Talkin' Serious Money (1991)
• Cadillac Man (1990)
• The Big Picture (1989)
• UHF (1989)
• The Wedding Band (1989)
• The No-Tell Hotel (1984)
• The Rosebud Beach Hotel (1984)
• This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
• Doctor Detroit (1983)
• Ragtime (1981)
• Gorp (1980)
• The Hollywood Knights (1980) |
