News: Fran Drescher: The Nanny on Broadway to Cancer Schmancer
June 23, 2021
EPISODE SUMMARY: From starring as the iconic character Fran Fine in the television series The Nanny to starting her own non-profit organization, Cancer Schmancer, Fran Drescher is one of the most accomplished and well-known names in modern entertainment. In today’s episode, we sat down with the incomparable Fran Drescher to discuss Cancer Schmancer, working on a musical version of The Nanny, and her experience being the face of Laura Geller Beauty. First, we asked Fran about Fran Jam, the musical fundraiser hosted by her organization Cancer Schmancer, a non-profit that focuses on educating the public on early signs of cancer and how to live a healthy lifestyle.
Having streamed online on Father’s Day at 9 P.M., Fran Jam had an array of special musical guests, including Jackson Brown, Cynthia Erivo, Catherine McPhee and many more. The live stream was recorded and can be found on Cancer Schmancer’s website as well as on The Nanny’s YouTube channel. Viewers can enjoy the stream and also make a donation to Cancer Schmancer. When asked about her personal experience with Cancer, Fran spoke about how when trying to get help, she was misdiagnosed by eight doctors. She was consistently her symptoms were simply perimenopause, and it wasn’t until the eighth doctor that she finally got an endometrial biopsy that revealed she had uterine cancer. However, her first biopsy results were incorrect, as indicated by the second endometrial biopsy she received from her oncologist. While the first biopsy showed the cancer was in its early stages, the second revealed that it had progressed further. Having had to advocate for the second biopsy herself, Fran emphasized the importance of holding your ground in medical settings. Even if a doctor is saying one thing, it is important that you listen to what your body is telling you and fight for the help you need. We then talked about the importance of living in a toxin free environment. Fran explained that homes can actually be the places that have the most harmful toxins, so making your home life toxin free can have a significant and positive impact on your health. As consumers, it is important to not overlook product labels and ingredient lists. While companies may advertise their products as clean, the products themselves can have harmful chemicals. The best ways to live a toxin free lifestyle are to maintain healthy and organic eating habits, to follow a home detoxing program, and to put focus on what your clothes, makeup, and hygiene products are made with.
We asked Fran what her experience has been like being quarantined during the pandemic, and she opened up about the cathartic moments she went through. While she felt isolated in the beginning, being able to form a quarantine bubble and work are what helped her get through it. She was able to be creatively fulfilled by not only working on The Nanny musical but also by working on a film for Lifetime called “The Christmas Set Up”. She also got to safely visit her parents in Florida, which helped her to feel less alone. When asked about The Nanny musical, Fran said the idea was inspired by Peter, her ex-husband and co-creater of The Nanny. After writing her children’s book, Being Wendy, Fran approached Peter and said she thought the book could make a good musical. When Peter said he thought The Nanny would be better suited, she loved the idea and got it approved by Sony. They are currently developing the musical and have started getting amazing on board, such as Rachel Bloom as the lyricist. With all the time, prep, and planning a musical takes, Fran believes it should take about two years before the musical hits Broadway.
We then talked about how Fran became the face of Laura Geller Beauty, and she told us that for her, the decision came down to the quality and cleanness of the products. She only wants to work with brands that represent what she advocates for with Cancer Schmancer and has even turned down opportunities from companies whose products were not toxin-free and healthy to consume. After seeing a commercial for Laura Geller Beauty, Fran was impressed by their ingredient list.
She got a call from her manager afterwards that Laura Geller Beauty was interested in having Fran be a brand representative, and after trying Laura Geller’s products, she accepted the position. Fran has even recommended several products to her friends and family, all of whom have been equally impressed with the makeup’s ingredients and amazing quality.
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Finally, we asked Fran if she had fun while filming the movie Spinal Tap, and she said that while she wouldn’t use the word “fun”, the experience was creatively stimulating. The movie was improvised, so while she and the other actors would be given key points that had to be discussed during a scene, it was up to them to improvise the dialogue. She also told us that to this day she has recording artists telling her that they watch Spinal Tap when they’re on the road because it is such a classic.
