If you are looking for a cancer survivor and activist, LGBT advocate, US comedian, book author, film producer, and actress, then Fran Drescher is the person you are most likely to find. The Nanny actress has evolved in the industry and has become a powerful voice especially for advocacy in relation to cancer awareness, having fought the disease herself and survived.
Fran Drescher has been married twice in her lifetime but is single now as both marriages ended in a divorce. Here are all the details you would want to learn about her early, personal and professional life.
Fran Drescher’s Biography (Age)
Francine Joy Drescher – as she was named at birth – is a Hollywood actress. But beyond that, she is also a film producer and comedian born to Sylvia and Morty Drescher on September 30th, 1957, in Flushing, Queens. Her father, Morty, worked with the United States Navy as a systems analyst while her mother, Sylvia, worked as a wedding consultant. Fran Drescher has an older sibling, a sister named Nadine.
Drescher discovered she had the passion and talent to act at a young age and decided to maximize her potential. She would later enroll at Hillcrest High School in Queens, New York, and her determination and drive to develop her acting talent made her join the school drama department.
She began to participate in school drama shows and people soon began to take notice. After finishing in second place in a beauty contest in 1973 – Miss Teen New York pageant – which she took part in, she became more confident in her abilities, and more than ever before, she sought to land roles on the screens.
It was in high school that she met one of the persons who eventually became a special part of her life both in her personal and professional life. Fran Drescher was classmates with Peter Marc Jacobson at Hillcrest High and he was a pillar of support in her career endeavors. He was the one who wrote the script of the movie that shot her into stardom – The Nanny. He also produced and directed the TV show.
Both of them (Drescher and Jacobson) made to further their education in college when they enrolled at Queens College in New York. However, having already set their path towards showbiz, it was a tough call to concentrate in school so they would drop out after their freshman year to focus more on their careers which meant they attended a cosmetology school that was more aligned to their careers.
Jacobson’s role in her life extended to marital duties as they got hitched in matrimony three years after their graduation from high school which was in 1975. The union lasted for two decades – 1978 to 1999 – before it ended in a divorce.
Fran Drescher Career
Now a couple, Fran Drescher and Peter Jacobson began their careers together. After dropping out from Queens, they became hairstylists, and then Fran landed her first-ever screen role on Saturday Night Fever (1977) where she acted as Connie. The project was a successful one and American Hot Wax (1978) followed the next year. Fran continued in that vein with appearances on Gorp (1980), Doctor Detroit (1983), and This is Spinal Tap (1984), but even though she got the roles, she couldn’t break through the crowded entertainment industry just yet.
That will come in 1993 after an idea for the family and kids-themed series came into her mind. She developed the project, alongside her husband and in 1993, the hit TV show, The Nanny was born. Her character was Fran Fine, a big-mouthed nanny to three rich kids who had lost their mother and the show also depicted much of her early life. The show was an instant hit and got nominated for several awards including the Golden Globes in 1994 while taking home an Emmy award.
The TV series ground to a halt in 1999 after airing for six years (producing six seasons). It also coincided with Drescher’s and Jacobson’s official divorce after which she went ahead with the production of other works by herself. Her later sitcoms included Living with Fran (2005) and Happily Divorced (2011)
Fran Drescher’s Battle With Cancer
Drescher was diagnosed with uterine cancer (Stage 1) on June 21, 2000, and thanks to the early detection, she underwent a hysterectomy as a curative measure which was very successful. She chronicled her experiences in her battle with the disease in her second book titled Cancer Schmancer (Her first book was titled Enter Whining and was released in 1996). Her experience defined a new objective for Fran Drescher as she has become an outspoken advocate against cancer.
She not only has become an anti-cancer activist, Fran Drescher has also formed a non-profit organization to create awareness dubbed Cancer Schmancer Movement. The movement which was launched in June 2007, on the seventh anniversary of her cancer surgery, is aimed at ensuring the early detection of cancer, especially for women.
What is Her Net Worth?
American actress, Fran Drescher is estimated to have a net worth of $25 million as she is not just an actress, but also a comedian and film producer. She is a star in her own rights and became a sought-out actress after her performance in the family series The Nanny – a series for which she was co-creator alongside her first husband. It was aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999.
Married Life – Who is Fran Drescher Husband?
Cancer survivor, Fran Drescher has been married twice. Her first marriage was to her high school sweetheart, Peter Marc Jacobson. They got married on November 4, 1978, three years after they graduated from high school and their wedding took place at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York.
The union, even though it lasted for over two decades, never produced a baby before it fell apart and they were separated in 1996 before officially signing the divorce papers in 1999. Fran claims their divorce was down to her having a mid-life crisis and wanting to rediscover herself. Jacobson also came out as gay after their marriage ended.
While they were still together, Drescher, alongside her friend, was raped in their home while her husband was tied up and made to watch the episode unravel before him. The sad event occurred in 1986 and it left the couple on the brink of an abyss. However, they managed to navigate through the ugly incident by seeking counseling.
Her second marriage would not happen until 2014 (September 7, to be precise) when she married Shiva Ayyadurai – who is credited for having invented the email service – in an informal ceremony at her US residence. They met a year before at an academic event where he had given a speech, however, they got divorced two years into the marriage.
Body Facts – Height
Fran Drescher has a body structure that can be described as an hourglass body physique. At her age, she is still turning heads with her curves still firm in their proper places. Her body statistics are 34-24-34 inches (breast-waist-hip). Fran has a height of 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m) and weighs 140 lbs (64 kg).
