Fran Drescher

The nasal voice and thick New York accent are part of Fran Drescher's comedy, as much as the sequins and colour. She is willing to make fun of her sound and her appearance without trying to hide either. We like that confidence, though it can tempt a director to leave the character unwritten. A brief appearance gives us the pleasure of recognising her, but little chance to see what else she might do.

Her early film work includes Saturday Night Fever (1977) and the publicist Bobbi Flekman in This Is Spinal Tap (1984). The move from supporting roles to The Nanny (1993–1999) was the decisive one: she became its star, co-creator and producer, with Fran Fine as her signature part. Co-creator, writer and producer Peter Marc Jacobson was an important collaborator. The programme gave her room to build comedy around the qualities that had helped to keep her in supporting parts.

Marty Supreme (2025) shows the limitation of casting her for instant recognition. Josh Safdie relies on Drescher's Rebecca Mauser and Abel Ferrara's Ezra Mishkin being credible on sight, then gives them only a line or two. We were frustrated by how little she was given to do; there is scarcely room for the self-deprecation that makes her comedy appealing. We recommend the film for its pace, Timothée Chalamet and the table tennis, despite its excessive length. That praise should not be mistaken for a claim that Safdie has found a substantial new use for Drescher.

Santa's Slay (2005), in which she plays Virginia Mason, is also worth separating from any claim about her acting. David Steiman's Christmas horror comedy earns its recommendation through Bill Goldberg's Santa and its bright storybook look, though its central joke is thin. We recommend it when festive bad taste is wanted, without pretending that recommendation tells us much about Drescher. For Drescher herself, start with The Nanny; a director planning another brief appearance for her might usefully do the same.