What Else Has ‘The Nanny’ Star Fran Drescher Been In?
Fran Drescher remains best known for playing Fran Fine in the ‘90s sitcom The Nanny, which ran from 1993 until 1999, and captured viewers’ hearts across the globe. In the show, Fine played a cosmetic saleswoman who showed up on the doorstep of the wealthy widower and Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield. Before she knew it, she was brought on to serve as the nanny to his three children, yet romantic tension boiled between her and Sheffield for many seasons until they finally tied the knot. While The Nanny remains Drescher’s career-defining role, she has appeared in other productions.
1. Fran Drescher starred in the short-lived sitcom ‘Living with Fran’ from 2005 to 2006
Living with Fran premiered in 2005, and the show followed a 25-year old medical student (Ben Feldman) who gets kicked out of school and moves back home with his mother (Drescher).
Upon his return home, he is shocked to discover that his mother has been shacking up with her 24-year-old boyfriend. It’s a difficult adjustment for all involved, and though the premise for the show seemed solid, critics ridiculed the show for feeling a bit dated, lacking strong storytelling, and falling short in the laugh-out-loud department. The show ended before it got a chance to find its footing.
2. Drescher starred in ‘Happily Divorced’ from 2011 to 2013
Happily Divorced was inspired by the real lives of its creators, Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson (who were married from 1978 until 1999; Jacobson came out as gay following their split, and the two remained friends).
The show stars Drescher as an LA florist who splits with her husband after finding out he is gay. Yet, because he can’t afford to move out, the two continue living in the same household. Remaining “happily divorced” under one roof proves much harder than either party initially anticipated — lending way to bits of heart and humor.
3. ‘The Nanny’ star had a leading role in 2020’s ‘Indebted,’ which ran for one season
In the 2020 sitcom Indebted, Drescher portrayed Debbie — a woman who ends up living with her husband Dave’s parents after she and her husband mishandle their finances. Dave’s mom is a little clingy and his father is utterly oblivious. They need help getting out of debt, and it becomes the only viable option.
Though a couple of short-lived sitcoms remain Drescher’s most notable post-Nanny appearances, she has also appeared in The Creatress, Welcome to the Wayne, and Broady City. She also lent her iconic nasally voice to Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.
