Fran Drescher: The Nanny on Broadway to Cancer Schmancer

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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.

PROMO CODE: FRAN25 FOR 25% OFF PRODUCTS

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.

Fran Drescher

Fran Drescher has a reputation for passion and commitment. She received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as the lovable “MissFine” on CBS’s hit series,The Nanny, which she both created and executive produced. She also created, executive produced and starred in the groundbreaking TV Land sitcom, Happily Divorced, which was inspired by her real-life relationship with her gay ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson. Fran recently starred in the new NBC sitcom, Indebted, about a Baby Boomer couple who go broke and have to move in with their adult son and his young family. She has worked with many great directors in films such as Rob Reiner’sThis is Spinal Tap, to which Fran won Esquire Magazine’s One Minute Oscar, Milos Forman’s Rag Time, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Jack. She also starred in Beautician and the Beast opposite Timothy Dalton. Her famous voice is currently featured in the top-grossing SONY animated feature franchise film, Hotel Transylvania as her role as Eunice, the wife of Frank Stein. In 2019, Fran starred in two indie films,The Creatress and After Class.

An accomplished author, Fran received the prestigious NCCS writer’s award for Cancer Schmancer, which, along with Enter Whining, were New York Times Best Sellers. She also penned the celebrated children’s book, Being Wendy. Furthermore, Fran made her Broadway debut as “Madame” in Rodgers +Hammerstein’s Tony-Award winning, Cinderella.

A 20-year uterine cancer survivor, Fran turns lemons into lemonade and pain into purpose through her leadership as a cancer advocate. She is the Founder, President, and Visionary of the non-profit, Cancer Schmancer Movement. Her mission is to shift America’s focus toward proactive health care and toxic-free living. She believes that the best cure for cancer is not getting it in the first place.The movement focuses on three prongs: Early Detection, Prevention, and Advocacy.

Annually, Fran hosts a Master Class Health Summit at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, where she gathers together the most renowned and cutting-edge doctors as part of an all-day seminar which is also live-streamed for the whole world to tune in. Supporters are transformed from patient into medicaL consumer and leave with a game plan. Additional efforts and accomplishments of Cancer Schmancer’s include the prevention campaign, Detox Your Home, and the most recent teen-targeted education video, Be The Change, starring Jamie Foxx. The prevention campaign educates people of all ages to reduce risk of dis-eases through healthy living. Be The Change furthers this education in a fun, unique, attention-grasping, and informative manner.Fran also uses her unique voice on Capitol Hill to advocate for a range of health issues.

Her Fran Jam starring musical talent including Cyndi Lauper, Jackson Browne, David Foster, Debbie Gibson and more is now streaming on cancerschmancer.org.

She was instrumental in passing the bi-partisan ”Gynecologic CancerEducation and Awareness Act” by unanimous consent, earning her two commendations in the Congressional Record. She is a U.S. State Department Public Diplomacy Envoy for Women’s Health, traveling globally to meet with heads of state, cancer patients, and local NGOs in addition to visiting military bases and hospitals. Furthermore, the Washingtonian named her one of the most effective celebrity lobbyists in D.C. Fran has won countless awards for her leadership in the health space, including theJohn Wayne Institute Woman of Achievement Award, the Gilda Award, City of Hope Woman of the Year Award, The Albert Einstein Medical School Lifetime Achievement Award, Queens College Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Citizen Artist Award. Furthermore, the Knesset in Israel also honored Fran for being the first female, Jewish actress to play a lead role on primetime TV.