How Fran Drescher went from the star of 'The Nanny' to the president of the powerful SAG-AFTRA union
On Thursday, Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, announced that the union would go on strike.
Drescher is perhaps best known for her role as Fran Fine on the '90s sitcom "The Nanny."
She was elected president of SAG-AFTRA in September 2021.
Fran Drescher, known for her starring role as the titular character of the '90s sitcom "The Nanny," is leading the charge in the Hollywood labor strike as the president of the SAG-AFTRA union.
For the first time in 63 years, actors and writers are on strike together against Hollywood after failing to reach a fair deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios and streamers, over TV, theatrical, and streaming work.
Here's how Drescher went from a TV star to a key figure in the SAG-AFTRA union.
Drescher is widely recognized for her Emmy-nominated performance on 'The Nanny'
Drescher began acting professionally in the '70s, with roles in the films "Saturday Night Fever " and "American Hot Wax." But her biggest claim to fame was playing outspoken, over-the-top Fran Fine on the CBS show "The Nanny," which she created and produced with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson.
The sitcom ran for six seasons between 1993 and 1999, and Drescher's performance earned Emmy and Golden Globes nominations in 1996 and 1997.
Although it's been years since "The Nanny" came to an end, the show still has a fanbase that includes people like Cardi B.
In 2020, Drescher revealed that a Broadway musical based on the beloved sitcom was in the works, but she wouldn't be reprising her role. The actor also expressed interest in a potential "Nanny" movie during an interview with Parade, published in February.
The actor pivoted to activism post-'Nanny'
Drescher is the author of two memoirs, "Enter Whining" (1996) and "Cancer Schmancer" (2002). The title and subject matter of the latter book was inspired by the actor's experience surviving uterine cancer in her 40s.
Drescher said that it took two years and eight doctors to get a proper diagnosis, and she went on to launch a nonprofit called Cancer Schmancer, to raise awareness about the early signs of cancer. Even before becoming president of SAG-AFTRA, Drescher had been outspoken about her stance on "the big business ruling-class elite" and her belief that "capitalism has run amok."
Drescher continued acting after "The Nanny," too. She guest-starred on series like "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Entourage," and "Broad City." She also voiced Eunice in the animated "Hotel Transylvania" films.
Drescher and Jacobson, who wed in 1978, divorced in 1999. Jacobson reportedly came out as gay to Drescher after breaking up and the pair continue to be friends and collaborators. They went on to cocreate the TV show "Happily Divorced," inspired by their relationship.
Drescher was elected president of SAG-AFTRA in September 2021
Drescher defeated "Stranger Things" star Mathew Modine for the presidency.
Following her victory, the actor expressed her hopes as the new leader in a statement shared by Variety.
"Together we will navigate through these troubled times of global health crisis and together we will rise up out of the melee to do what we do best, entertain and inform," she said. "Only as a united front will we have strength against the real opposition in order to achieve what we all want: more benefits, stronger contracts, and better protections. Let us lock elbows and together show up with strength at the negotiating table!"
Drescher's impassioned speech announcing the actors' strike went viral
In early June, 97.91% of SAG-AFTRA members voted in favor of a strike authorization.
At a press conference on Thursday in LA, the day after the 2023 Emmy nominations were announced, Drescher announced that the union would go on strike at midnight ET. Picketing began on Friday.
The decision for actors to withhold their labor followed the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike, which began in early May after the WGA and AMPTP failed to reach an agreement over contract negotiations.
Now, actors from SAG and members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) will be on strike together for the first time since 1960 when Ronald Reagan was president of SAG.
In her speech, Drescher, who was joined by SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, emphasized the high stakes and called out corporate greed in Hollywood.
"We are the victims here," she said. "We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly: How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they're losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting."
The star also mentioned that the livelihoods of people in the industry are being threatened by streaming and the use of AI.
"We are labor and we stand tall and we demand respect and to be honored for our contribution," she said. "You share the wealth because you cannot exist without us."
In an interview with USA Today hours later, Drescher said that she went off-script in her viral speech.
"There's always something written by communications when you are the president of the union," Drescher said. "I very rarely refer to it, because I feel like what I bring to the party is authentic-ness and sincerity, and that's what I always want to bring to the public in my messaging, so that they can feel what this is about and why it's so important, not just for us, but for workers everywhere."
"So I felt pumped in my ability to express it all, coming from my heart more than my head," she added.
With actors and writers on strike, production on many films and TV shows has been halted — but there are some exceptions, like HBO's "House of the Dragon," which is able to continue filming due to local union laws in the UK.
While on strike, actors showing solidarity with the union won't be permitted to attend premieres, festivals, or award shows, all of which are considered forms of publicity. They also aren't allowed to audition or participate in promotional interviews.
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