Page 56 - People (February 2020)

Fran Drescher isn’t easily ruffled. Take,
for instance, her approach to notori­
ously horrific Los Angeles traffic. Curled
up in the plush master bedroom of her
beachside Malibu home, the actress and
comedian remains philosophical. “You
could get road rage and think, ‘Oh God,
I’ve got to get to where I’m going!’ Or you CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: RON GALELLA/GETTY IMAGES; DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES; TRAE

can think as Buddhists do: Look around, PATTON/NBC; EVERETT; PARAMOUNT/KOBAL/SHUTTERSTOCK; SETH POPPEL/YEARBOOK LIBRARY
take that in, and maybe see something
that will surprise you,” she says. “It helps
you to accept life as it presents itself and
be grateful for it.”
Yet finding calm amid chaos certainly
didn’t come easily for Drescher, whose
unmistakable laugh and thick New
York accent have brought joy to fans
for decades. Reflecting on her darkest
moments—including a terrifying rape in
1985; a very public divorce from her hus­
band of 21 years, Peter Marc Jacobson,
in 1999 (after which he publicly revealed
he is gay); and a uterine cancer diagnosis
in 2000—Drescher, 62, says comedy was
her way of masking her hidden pain and
insecurities. But now Drescher—who is
starring on NBC’s new comedy series

Indebted and developing a stage musi­
cal adaptation of her hit ’90s sitcom The
Nanny for Broadway—says she’s taking
her life back one day at a time. “In order
for me to be well­rounded, I have to
sometimes make it about me,” she says.

Rise to Stardom

The Nanny
Drescher became a
household name as Fran
Fine for six seasons (from
1993 to ’99). “It’s okay that
I don’t have Meryl Streep’s
career,” she says.

This s
I
Spinal Tap
Meant o Shine Drescher played
t
“I was always intrigued publicist Bobbi
F
by acting,” says Saturday Night ever Flekman in the 1984
Drescher (in 1975), In her first notable role, in 1977, Drescher film—and reprised
who studied theater as Connie asked John Travolta’s character the role on The
in high school. about his skills in bed. Nanny years later.

56 February 17, 2020