The inimitable Fran Drescher treasures life’s “simple pleasures.”
Fran Drescher is a survivor.
Perhaps best known for playing Fran Fine in the massively popular ’90s sitcom The Nanny, Drescher is back on prime time with Indebted, a new NBC comedy about a middle-class couple, Deb and Stew (Drescher and Steven Weber of Wings fame), whose financial troubles require them to move in with their adult son and his family. Indebted airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m.
Drescher is candid about her difficulties and triumphs during her decades-long career as a television actress, writer, and producer. She’s had to endure two divorces, a battle with cancer, and a brutal attack. The 62-year-old Drescher has gotten to a point in her life where she feels strong, independent, and “truly happy in my own skin.”
“Life is a journey of self-refinement,” she says. “For the first time, I am really an independent woman and very proud of myself. I learned by having some really terrible things happen that brought me to the depths of despair—that no one leaves this planet unscathed. Instead of saying ‘Why me?’ at some point you have to let go of what you thought was supposed to be and play the hand you’ve been dealt as courageously, and elegantly, as you possibly can.”
She fills her life with “simple pleasures,” such meditation, home-cooked meals, and fresh flowers at home. She also treasures having the time to write and traveling to see friends in some of her favorite places, including picturesque Bucks County.
We spoke with Drescher about her remarkable career, the importance of having loving relationships, and why people need to take more time to stop and smell the roses.
Q&A
If you had to downsize like Deb, your character on Indebted, how would you react?
I don’t have a problem with having to live smaller. Let’s face it: Just getting older dictates that at some point you’re going to want to have a much smaller life.
What about living with family as an adult?
I love having a family that is tightly knit, and I wish my parents (Morty and Sylvia) would move from South Florida to L.A. to live with me. I think at a certain point you’ve got to live near your children, if you are lucky enough to have children who want to help you live your best life in your golden years.
Click here to continue reading
