Drescher didn’t let woes get her down

Written by Mark Lord, Queens Chronicle

f only fairy tales could last forever in real life as they do in the world of make-believe, Queens native Fran Drescher would have undoubtedly taken her place alongside the likes of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.
By the time Drescher was attending Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, she was a beauty pageant contestant, nearly capturing the title of Miss New York Teenager in 1973.
Shortly after graduation, she made a small splash as a dancer and shared a brief scene with handsome leading man John Travolta in the blockbuster film “Saturday Night Fever” — famously asking his character if he’s as good in bed as he is on the dance floor — paving the way for a career on the silver screen.
Just three years after that, in true storybook fashion, she married her high school sweetheart, Peter Marc Jacobson, who was to become her longtime life and business partner.
In 1993, she reached the pinnacle of success when the pair created the sitcom “The Nanny,” a long-running CBS series starring Drescher in the title role. With her unmistakable New York accent, nasal voice and signature laugh, she won instant acclaim, a huge fan following, nominations for Emmy and Golden Globe awards and a place for herself in the annals of local history.

Click here to continue reading

AttachmentSize
Image icon 5283a5eca3083.preview-300.jpg31.57 KB