I didn't discover The Nanny until years after it was off the air, but when I did, I was hooked. Fran Fine's one-of-a-kind voice, extravagant fashion choices, super New York attitude, and high-pitched laugh were hilarious to me. I immediately became invested in all the characters, and even had a photo of the cast as my screensaver at one point. The love I had for the show was (and frankly, still is) real, y'all!
The Nanny first hit the small screen in 1993 and was on air for six seasons. The sitcom tells the story of Fran (Fran Drescher), a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, who becomes the nanny of British Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield's (Charles Shaughnessy) three children. Throughout the seasons, fans see Fran and Maxwell's struggle to keep things professional until they finally give in to their mutual feelings for each other. The heart wants what it wants, right?
Recently, Drescher teased the possibility of a revival [1] and said she and cocreator Peter Marc Jacobson are "talking about it." Can you imagine what Fran and Maxwell are up to now? Do they still live in California or did they move back to New York? Are Niles and Ms. Babcock still married? These are some of the questions we're hoping to get the answers to if a revival really happens. In the meantime, take a stroll down memory lane and find out what the cast has been up to since The Nanny aired its series finale.
Fran Drescher as Fran Fine
After getting dumped and fired by her boyfriend, Fran turns up on the doorstep of Maxwell Sheffield to sell cosmetics, but ends up as the nanny to his three children.
Fran Drescher Now
After being on The Nanny, Fran starred in Happily Divorced, another sitcom based on her life with ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson. She also founded the Cancer Schmancer Movement [3] after surviving uterine cancer in 2000.
Charles Shaughnessy as Maxwell Sheffield
The British Broadway producer is left with three children to raise after his wife passes away. When Ms. Fine walks into his life, he has no idea just how much she's going to change it.
Charles Shaughnessy Now
The British actor has kept very active since The Nanny wrapped in 1999. He's had a slew of roles, some of the most notable in series like Mad Men [4], The Bay, Masters of Sex, and Days of Our Lives.
Daniel Davis as Niles
Niles is the nosy butler who is hell bent on getting Mr. Sheffield and Fran together. His love-hate relationship with Ms. Babcock turns out to be so much more than that.
Daniel Davis Now
Everyone's favourite butler has kept busy taking on other roles on TV. Most recently, he played Baldur Magnusson on The Blacklist.
Grace, Maggie, and Brighton Sheffield
- Grace Sheffield, often called just Gracie by Fran, is the youngest of the three. On the show, she adopts Fran's Yiddish sayings, morals, and funky clothing choices.
- Maggie Sheffield is Maxwell's oldest child. She's really shy and awkward, and is always worrying about finding love. Her and Fran bond immediately after meeting each other.
- Brighton Sheffield often felt left out as the only boy, and he frequently fought with Grace and Maggie. He looks up to Fran and loves to deter her from dating. He fears she would stop being their nanny if she met someone.
Madeline Zima Now
Zima won us over as Gracie on The Nanny, and has continued doing the same on other shows like Californication, Heroes, the Twin Peaks reboot, and the movie A Cinderella Story.
Nicholle Tom Now
Since her run as Maggie on The Nanny, Tom has continued acting and has had roles on shows like Masters of Sex, Gotham, and Hollywood Darlings.
Benjamin Salisbury Now
After his time as Brighton on The Nanny, Salisbury played a handful of other roles, but he stepped away from the spotlight in 2006.
Lauren Lane as C.C. Babcock
Maxwell's business partner, C.C. Babcock, loved to stir up conflict in the Sheffield home in hopes of winning him over.
Lauren Lane Now
After ending her run on The Nanny, Lane went on to take a few small roles on TV before focusing on theatre, starring in plays like Harvey and Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.
Renée Taylor as Sylvia Fine
Sylvia, aka "Ma," is hellbent on finding Fran a man, especially if he has a fridge stocked with all the sweets.
Renée Taylor Now
The list of roles Taylor has had since The Nanny is something she should be so proud of. She's had roles on How I Met Your Mother [5] and How to Be a Latin Lover, and she voiced Gloria on Bob's Burgers.
Ann Morgan Guilbert as Yetta Rosenberg
Yetta is Fran's forgetful grandmother who lives in a retirement home, but would visit the Sheffield home often. When she first visited, Yetta assumed Fran and Maxwell were married and his three kids were hers, too. It's a running joke on the show.
Ann Morgan Guilbert Now
Guilbert stole our hearts as Yetta on The Nanny. After that, she had guest starring roles on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Grey's Anatomy [6], and Life in Pieces. The actress passed away in 2016.
Rachel Chagall as Valerie Toriello
On The Nanny, Val was Fran's ditzy best friend since elementary school. The two are both from Queens and even worked at the same bridal shop together. Val would visit Fran at the Sheffield mansion all the time, and the two would catch up over tea and snacks.
Rachel Chagall Now
Just like Salisbury, Chagall also had a handful of small roles. She quit acting to focus on raising her two children.