JENNIFER SAUNDERS gives voice to a very different Fairy Godmother, who is more interested in making her own wishes come true.
Saunders is best known to television audiences on both sides of the Atlantic as the co-creator and star of the hugely successful comedy series “Absolutely Fabulous,” nicknamed “Ab Fab” by its loyal fans.
Saunders won a BAFTA Award for Best Comedy Series, and received three additional BAFTA Award nominations in the same category. She also earned a BAFTA nomination and two British Comedy Award nominations for her acting work on the show. In addition, Saunders was honored with a Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for “Absolutely Fabulous.”
Born in England, Saunders attended the Central School of Speech and Drama, where she met Dawn French. Later partnered with French, Saunders began her career as a comedienne, actress and writer at The Comedy Store in London. There she met fellow comedians Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle, Peter Richardson and Adrian Edmondson, the last of whom would later become her husband.
Richardson later opened his own club, The Comic Strip, where the group quickly became regulars. Soon after, Saunders and the rest of The Comic Strip troupe segued to television, starring in the 1982 series “The Comic Strip presents…” Saunders went on to appear in the series “Girls on Top” and “Happy Families.” In 1987, she and Dawn French teamed to write and star in their own show, aptly named “French and Saunders.” An instant hit with both critics and audiences, the show brought the writing duo a Writers Guild of Great Britain Award.
It was in an episode of “French and Saunders” that the pair introduced a sketch about a neurotic mother and her uptight daughter. When the BBC asked Saunders to come up with a new series idea, she decided to expand on that sketch, making it even broader and more outrageous, and “Absolutely Fabulous” was born.
Saunders’ additional credits include the films “Muppet Treasure Island,” “Spice World,” “A Midwinter’s Tale” and “Fanny and Elvis.” She also starred in the series “Let Them Eat Cake,” in addition to having guest roles on such shows as “Friends,” and “Roseanne,” on an episode she also wrote.
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