Fans fell in love with The Nanny named Fran Fine and now the woman behind one of TV’s biggest sitcoms is speaking out about her time in the limelight.
This week, Fran Drescher and her ex-husband and co-creator of the popular sitcom Peter Marc Jacobson sat down with Studio 10 in an exclusive interview.
The couple looked back at their incredible comedy show, how it came about and what they believe ended it.
The brunette star, now 59, mused how one day she was on flight from America to Paris and she was seated next to a CBS studio executive.
And we all know how that turned out.
Fran and Peter sat down with Studio 10.
The concept for the show actually came from a real life experience.
When in Paris, Fran visited her close friend, supermodel Twiggy, but ended up spending more time with her daughter due to the fashion icon’s busy work commitments.
“I decided to schlep her around so I wouldn’t be alone,” Fran quipped.
Fran is still very close to her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson.
Together, they created one of the most iconic comedy shows of all time.
“I couldn’t get this relationship out of my head. I thought of the idea: A spin on The Sound Of Music, only instead of Julie Andrews, I come to the door.”
Fans went nuts over the show.
The Nanny‘s hilarious antics saw viewers across the globe tune into the iconic sitcom – but it was her sexual tension with her boss, Maxwell Sheffield, that had them coming back for more.
“Mr Sheffieldddddddd”
Viewers adored the tension between Fran and her boss.
It was a relationship that Fran and co-founder Peter believe was the ultimate demise for The Nanny.
“When a show is built around a love that can’t happen, sexual tension, you have to keep it that way. As much as you want the people to get together, as soon as they do, people start tuning out,” Peter mused.
“We didn’t want to get them together.”
Eventually the network gave Fran and Peter an ultimatum – give us a wedding or we’ll cancel it.
“So we looked at each other and said ‘Well, we are having a wedding!’”
After running for her Broadway producer…
The TV love birds finally tied the knot. And it only took five seasons!
The show ended in 1999, and it would take a yenta sized miracle to see the show do a reunion.
“We wouldn’t do it for the money. We would do it because we cracked the code on how to tell the story 20 years later,” Fran admitted.
“And make it interesting. I set a very high standard. At this stage of my life, it has to make my heart sing. As Peter said, once the sexual tension is gone, now she is the wife, there went the series. So, to go back… We would have to figure out where we are starting from and what it is.”
The Nanny aired for six seasons.
And the cast are still dear friends.
Fran has not only created one of the funniest shows from the ’90s, she also founded the Cancer Schmancer Movement, a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising funds for women’s cancer.
In 2000, the actress was diagnosed with uterine cancer.
Fran underwent emergency treatment, which included getting a hysterectomy.
After getting the all clear, the star decided to help others by founding her charity back in 2007.
Fran’s on-screen persona matches her real life personality.
Fran explained that back in 1989 she was raped, and the pain from that ordeal was “poetically linked” to her cancer battle.
“I really didn’t deal with my pain for many, many, many years – with the rape. So, when you don’t do that… I mean, I ended up with a cancer,” she remarked.
“So, it kind of end up being very poetic in where the body decides to break down and create disease.”
The trauma from both ordeals created a mantra for the New Yorker, which became the core of her charity.
“You will never be the same. But whatever that is, forge forward with that and turn your pain into purpose which is what I always do.”
For the full interview check out the video in the player below
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
.png?resize=380%2C285)
.jpg?resize=380%2C285)
Native ad body.
.png?resize=380%2C285)