> At a Glance
> – Fran Drescher, 68, tells News Of Los Angeles fans stop her daily to praise The Nanny
> – The ’90s sitcom now streams for millennials who missed the gay humor and fashion
> – After leading the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, she landed a role as Timothée Chalamet’s mom in Marty Supreme
> – Why it matters: Her story shows how a signature voice and style can outlast industry doubts
Fran Drescher still hears shouts of “Miss Fine!” everywhere she goes. In a new News Of Los Angeles cover story, the actor union president explains why the obsession with The Nanny keeps growing-and how a studio showdown led to her latest film role.
Why The Nanny Still Rules Screens
Drescher believes millennial viewers missed half the jokes as kids. Now they binge the show for its camp fashion and queer-coded humor.
She remembers packed Nanny nights at gay bars during the original run. “They’re mad for it!” she says of today’s streaming audience.
Key reasons the sitcom endures:
- Clothes once seen only as flashy now read as high fashion
- Jokes about sexuality land differently in 2025
- Short-form clips spread fast on social media
From Underestimated to Unstoppable
Studios once wrote her off as “the pretty girl with the funny voice.” Her Queens accent cost her commercials-she booked two early ads but wasn’t allowed to speak.
An elocution coach told her to speak “low and slow,” yet casting agents still balked. “I’m a pretty girl with a funny voice who can do comedy. That’s my sweet spot,” she decided.
During 2023 contract talks, executives assumed they’d “wipe the floor with her in two minutes.” The strike ended with a favorable deal for actors and a new friend: director Josh Safdie.
How the Strike Created Marty Supreme
Safdie phoned Drescher repeatedly for strike updates. Those chats forged a bond that landed her the part of Chalamet’s mother in the Golden Globe-nominated film.
She appears makeup-free, a stark shift from her glam Nanny wardrobe. “He felt me and Timmy kind of looked alike,” she notes, adding that Safdie wanted to “extract” emotional depth he knew she possessed.
Drescher says she’s relieved to no longer fear industry blacklisting. “I don’t need to work so hard anymore…I like my play time!”
Key Takeaways
- The Nanny thrives because new viewers rediscover its subversive humor and fashion
- Drescher turned a voice critics mocked into an unmistakable brand
- Leading a historic actors’ strike boosted, rather than harmed, her career
- She’s enjoying a late-career surge without the pressure of carrying a show solo
