caption years_active birth_place name birth_date spouse image article_title birth_name occupation
drescher at the vienna life ball in 2009 1977 -- present new york city , new york , u.s. fran drescher 30 september 1957 peter marc jacobson 1978 1999 shiva ayyadurai 2014 life ball 2009 -lrb- arrivals -rrb- fran drescher.jpg fran drescher
 francine joy drescher comedian , model , actress , producer , author
fran drescher

francine joy `` fran '' drescher -lrb- born september 30 , 1957 -rrb- is an american film and television comedian , model , actress , producer , ordained minister , and activist .
she is best known for her role as fran fine in the hit tv series `` the nanny '' -lrb- 1993 -- 99 -rrb- , and for her nasal voice and thick new york accent .
drescher made her screen debut with a small role in the 1977 blockbuster film `` saturday night fever '' , and later appeared in `` american hot wax '' -lrb- 1978 -rrb- and wes craven 's horror tale `` summer of fear '' -lrb- 1978 -rrb- .
in the 1980s , she gained recognition as a comedic actress in the films `` gorp '' -lrb- 1980 -rrb- , `` the hollywood knights '' -lrb- 1980 -rrb- , `` doctor detroit '' -lrb- 1983 -rrb- , `` this is spinal tap '' -lrb- 1984 -rrb- , and `` uhf '' -lrb- 1989 -rrb- while establishing a television career with guest appearances on several series .
in 1993 , she achieved wider fame as fran fine in her own sitcom vehicle `` the nanny '' , for which she was nominated for two emmy awards and two golden globe awards for best actress in a comedy television series during the show 's run .
she received further recognition for her performances in `` jack '' -lrb- 1996 -rrb- and `` the beautician and the beast '' -lrb- 1997 -rrb- and reinforced her reputation as a leading sitcom star with `` living with fran '' -lrb- 2005 -- 2006 -rrb- and `` happily divorced '' -lrb- 2011 -- 2013 -rrb- .
a uterine cancer survivor , drescher is an outspoken healthcare advocate and lgbt rights activist , and is noted for her work as a public diplomacy envoy for women 's health issues for the u.s. state department .
divorced from writer and producer peter marc jacobson , she currently lives in malibu , california .
on february 4 , 2014 , drescher made her broadway debut in `` cinderella '' as stepmother madame .
