What Is Fran Drescher's Net Worth and Salary?
Fran Drescher is an American actress, comedian, writer, and activist who has a net worth of $25 million. Fran Drescher is best known for starring in the television series "The Nanny" and "Happily Divorced." Her performance in "The Nanny," notable for her thick New York accent and comedic timing, garnered her two Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination. "The Nanny" aired 146 episodes over six seasons and then became very popular in syndication. "Happily Divorced" aired 34 episodes over two seasons.
Most importantly to Fran's net worth, she not only starred in the series, she also co-created both shows with her former husband, Peter Marc Jacobson. She also served as a writer and producer on the series.
Drescher has appeared in various film and TV roles, including the movies "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984) and "The Beautician and the Beast" (1997).
Aside from acting, Drescher is a cancer survivor and has become an outspoken healthcare advocate. She authored the 2002 book "Cancer Schmancer," which turned into a movement with the mission of transforming people from patients into medical consumers.
In 2021, Fran was elected the president of the SAG-AFTRA trade union that represents both the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Early Life
Fran Drescher was born Francine Joy Drescher on September 30, 1957, in Flushing, Queens, New York. Her mother was a bridal consultant, and her father worked as a naval systems analyst. Fran grew up in Kew Garden Hills, Queens, with her older sister, and they were raised Jewish. Her family originates from Southeast and Central Europe. Her maternal great-grandmother emigrated from Romania to the United States, and her father's family originated from Poland. When she was 16, Drescher was a runner-up for Miss New York Teenager. She attended Parson's Junior High School in Flushing and then went to Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens. At Hillcrest, one of her classmates was comedian Ray Romano. Fran graduated in 1975 and enrolled at Queens College, City University of New York, for a brief period. Because all the acting classes were full, she dropped out and enrolled in cosmetology school.
Early Career
Drescher made her film debut in 1977 with a small role in the John Travolta-led dance film "Saturday Night Fever." The next year, she starred alongside Jay Leno in the biographical drama "American Hot Wax," which was based on the story of disc jockey Alan Freed. She had a supporting role in Wes Craven's television horror film "Stranger in Our House" that year as well. In 1980, Fran had supporting roles in the teen comedy "Hollywood Knights" and the comedy "Gorp." She starred alongside Dan Aykroyd in the 1983 comedy "Doctor Detroit."
In 1984, Drescher appeared in the cult classic "This Is Spinal Tap" as well as in the comedy musical "The Rosebud Beach Hotel." She spent the remainder of the '80s taking guest roles in television shows such as "Night Court," "Who's the Boss?," "Charmed Lives," "Once A Hero," and "The Magical World of Walt Disney." She ended the decade with appearances in the comedy films "The Big Picture," "UHF," and "Wedding Band.
She began the '90s with the crime comedy "Cadillac Man" and the television movie "Hurricane Sam;" and she had guest appearances on the television shows "ALF" and "WIOU." In 1991, she was cast in the short-lived television series "Princesses," and the following year, she had a leading role in the film "We're Talkin' Serious Money."
(Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic)
"The Nanny"
In 1991, Drescher met CBS president Jeff Sagansky while on a transatlantic flight, and she convinced him to hear her and her then-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, pitch their idea for a television show. He agreed to set up a meeting when the parties were back in Los Angeles, but Fran didn't actually have an idea for a show yet. Luckily, the premise of the show came to her before she returned to L.A. The show starred Drescher as the title character, whose name is also Fran. The show follows Fran, a Jewish fashionista who becomes a nanny for a wealthy British family living in New York City.
Much of the show draws from Drescher's time growing up in Queens and features characters based on people in her life. It premiered on CBS in November 1993, but it struggled in its first season and would have been canceled but for Sagansky's support. Drescher also went on a lengthy promotional campaign, flying around the country and giving interviews on local CBS-affiliated news stations. Their work paid off in its third season when it began to see consistently high ratings and increased viewership. For her acting on the show, Fran received two Golden Globe nominations, two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and an American Comedy Award nomination. The series ran for six seasons, and it concluded in June 1999.
Mark Sullivan / Getty Images
Post-2000s Career
After "The Nanny" ended, Drescher took sporadic guest-starring roles on television shows until creating and producing her next sitcom idea. "Living with Fran" premiered in June 2005 on The WB. Although the series was considered to be successful, it only lasted two seasons and left the air in March 2006. In 2010, she briefly had her own talk show called "The Fran Drescher Tawk Show," but it failed to receive high enough ratings during its test run. Drescher and her ex-husband Jacobson reunited to create another sitcom, which was appropriately called "Happily Divorced." The series premiered in June 2011 on TV Land and ended in February 2013 after two seasons.
Personal Life
Drescher married her first husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, in 1978 at age 21. The couple divorced in 1999, but they maintained a working relationship. He came out as gay after their divorce, and the two have remained close. In 1985, Drescher, her friend, and Jacobson were home when two armed robbers broke in. Jacobson was tied up and beaten, and Drescher and her friend were raped at gunpoint. The perpetrators were found and charged. In 2000, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and wrote about her experience in a book titled "Cancer Smancer." She founded the nonprofit organization the Cancer Smancer Movement in 2007 and helps promote early cancer detection in women.
In September 2008, Drescher was appointed the Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women's Health Issues by the Bush administration. In her capacity as a diplomat, she traveled throughout the world advocating for higher-quality healthcare for women and spent much of her time in Central and Eastern Europe. She is a Democrat who is sympathetic to the Green Party and supported Hillary Clinton in the 2008 democratic primary and Barack Obama's 2012 reelection.
Real Estate
In 1997, Fran paid $1.225 million for a beachfront home in Malibu. Today the property is likely worth $7-10 million.
