From being president of the Screen Actors Guild to her debut on the Great White Way, there are a few things you may not know about the flashy girl from from Flushing!
The Nanny is a staple of American sit-coms and launched Fran Drescher to stardom. While she’s been a household name for decades, there’s more to the fashion and television icon than you may know from her time as the world’s best-dressed nanny.
Here are seven fact you didn’t know about Fran Drescher!
View this post on Instagram
The Set Of The Nanny Was Actually Based On Fran’s Wardrobe
In behind-the-scenes footage of the show, it was revealed that Fran Fine’s wardrobe was actually the biggest influence of the design of the set.
If you’re an avid fan of the show, you might already know that the Sheffield house in the pilot is completely different from the house throughout the rest of the series — this is because the original set decidedly clashed with Fran’s flashy wardrobe, so the layout became a little larger and the color scheme came more muted and neutral so Fran’s outfits could really shine.
Fran also revealed in an interview on The Morning Show that co-creator Peter Marc Jacobson actually requested a spiral staircase be built so Fran could give a full 360 of the outfits she wore each episode.
View this post on Instagram
She Used To Be A Regular On All The Worst-Dressed Lists
Believe it or not, the lady in red when everybody else was wearing tan wasn’t always considered a fashion icon like she is today. Fran was regularly featured on a lot of the worst-dressed lists for her bold fashion choices.
She Was Elected The SAG-AFTRA President Last Fall
Drescher announced her campaign to become the Screen Actors’ Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists labor union president in 2021. She ran against actor Matthew Modine and her win was announced in September of last year.
She’s Starred On Broadway
Fran made her Broadway debut in Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella in 2014 as part of a limited 10-week engagement. Fran played Cinderella’s wicked stepmother and even revived her role on the North American tour.
She Hand-Selected The Theme Song Of The Nanny
Fran met singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway at a cabaret in New York. Fran called her later saying she had a few other writers working on possible theme songs for her new show, but that she wanted her to submit one of her own. Fran ultimately chose Callaway’s and even asked her to perform it herself.
Her First Gig Was In Saturday Night Fever
Before she was on The Nanny, Fran got her big break in a small role in Saturday Night Fever alongside John Travolta. Fran played a dancer named Connie, delivering the infamous “So, are you as good in bed as you are on the dance floor?” line.
She’s Working On A Stage Musical Adaptation Of The Nanny
Drescher announced in December of 2020 that a stage adaptation of her beloved sit-com was in the works. Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are tapped in to write the score of the show with director Marc Bruni.
View this post on Instagram
Do you know some other lesser-know facts about Fran? Tell us @AfterBuzzTV on Twitter!
