A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled Tuesday honoring Fran Drescher for her movie acting career, which began with a role in “Saturday Night Fever,” and continues with the recently released “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” and “Marty Supreme,” set to open Christmas Day.
Born Sept. 30, 1957, in the New York City borough of Queens, Drescher briefly attended Queens College, City University of New York, but dropped out because “all the acting classes were filled,” Drescher told Redbook in a 1996 interview.
“I wanted to be in show business. I dreamt of becoming a star and today I guess this Hollywood Walk of Fame star makes it official,” Drescher said Tuesday during the late-morning ceremony on her 68th birthday at 6623
Hollywood Blvd., between Cherokee and Whitley avenues.
“I was blessed with loving parents, very supportive devoted friends and family who became the wind beneath my wings. The things you hear about Hollywood is all true. It’s the land of dreams, but staying grounded and authentic is imperative. Keeping old friends with you, close to you and never forgetting where you came from is essential. Learning to love yourself regardless of rejection or praise, rich or poor, young or old — one of that should define who you are. Not in show business, not in any business.
“Everyone who crosses your path, everything that happens is an opportunity on your journey of self-refinement. We are very imperfect beings, learning and growing along the way, through all the pitfalls and mistakes made. To do it right, we must make kindness and compassion our compass.”
Drescher was joined in speaking by Nicholle Tom and Madeline Zima, who portrayed her stepdaughters in the 1993-99 CBS comedy “The Nanny,” and “Abbott Elementary” cast member Lisa Ann Walter. Drescher’s ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, a creator and executive producer of “The Nanny,” was the master of ceremonies.
The star is the 2,822nd since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the initial 1,558 stars.
Drescher portrayed the dancer in the 1977 dance drama “Saturday Night Fever” who asks Tony Manero (John Travolta), “So, are you as good in bed as you are on the dance floor?”
Drescher’s next films were “American Hot Wax” and “Summer of Fear,” both released in 1978. In the early 1980s she appeared in “Ragtime,” “Gorp,” “The Hollywood Knights,” and “Doctor Detroit.” Her most memorable
movie role was as publicist Bobbie Flekman in the 1984 mockumentary, “This is Spinal Tap,” a role she reprised in its sequel, “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” released this month, and a 1997 episode of “The Nanny.”
Drescher’s other film credits include “Cadillac Man,” The Big Picture,” “Jack,” “The Beautician and the Beast” and “Picking Up the Pieces.”
In “Marty Supreme,” Drescher portrays the mother of fictional table tennis champion Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet).
Drescher’s television credits before “The Nanny” included episodes of “Who’s The Boss?” “Night Court,” “ALF” and a co-starring role in the 1991 CBS comedy “Princesses.” After “The Nanny,” she starred in the two-season comedy “Living with Fran” on The WB and “Happily Divorced,” which ran from 2011-13.
Drescher was president of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists from 2021 though Sept. 12, including during its 2023 strike against the movie and television studios.
Source: NBC Los Angeles