Arts as Entertainment

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STAR SURVIVOR from page 84

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"After my separation, I went to
a really quality therapist,"
realized that I
Drescher says.
had gone through difficult peri-
ods in my life and did not allow
myself to feel the pain. I thought
I always had to be the strong one.
"When I got the cancer, I
decided, 'This time I'm in pain,
I'm in trouble, I need support."'

.

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The Nanny Diaries

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Community reaction to The
Nanny's eponymous character has
always been mixed. Some viewed
Drescher as bold for portraying a
Jewish-American woman as •
strong, smart and sexy. Others
saw her as the ultimate negative
Jewish-American stereotype.
Drescher is unapologetic
about her portrayal.
"That character was based on
real women that I grew up
around," Drescher says, observ-
Fran Drescher: "When I got the cancer,
ing that, before her, there had
I decided, 'This time Dfl in pain,
never been a Jewish woman on
IM in trouble, I need support.'"
network television "speaking
Yiddish, going to temple, facing
the prejudices of this world and
rising to the occasion."
Jacobson and Drescher pur-
Drescher has no regrets about The
posely made her aristocratic love inter- Nanny — not even the price she paid
est/foil an Englishman, instead of an
for the show in her private life.
American, to contrast their nationali-
"I chose to have a career instead of a
ties rather than emphasize a Jew-gen-
baby," Drescher says matter-of-factly,
tile axis. That hunch proved correct.
with only a hint of disappointment.
"Everyone loves The Nanny,"
"Only now am I psychologically ready."
Drescher says. "She was a very positive
Her ovaries have been frozen and she
character. She has a big life, and the
hopes to conceive one day.
family changes because of her. If any-
Currently, Drescher is mulling over
thing, [the non-Jewish characters] all
other decisions, such as whether to fol-
adapted to her Jewish ways."
low up this summer's book tour with a
Besides, adds Drescher — no fan of one-woman show based on Cancer
political correctness — anything goes
Schmancer or to host a proposed day-
in comedy.
time talk show. She also is writing
Not so funny were some behind-
screenplays, and developing projects
the-scenes struggles. Even in a Jewish-
for MTV.
dominated business such as entertain-
The actress, whose first role was on
ment, Drescher experienced pressure
the dance floor opposite John Travolta
to alter her character's ethnicity.
in Saturday Night Fever, has come a
"I said, 'There's no way this charac-
long way from catering to other peo-
ter is going to be Italian,"' recalls the
ple's feelings at the expense of her own.
feisty brunette. "It's not that, as an
"I have a lot of choices," Drescher
actress, I can't play Italian. But on TV,
says. "It's a matter of what I feel up to
you have to work fast, and the most
doing. I don't want to have to work as
real, the most rooted in reality to me
hard as I did on The Nanny."
is Jewish.
Drescher, more than ever, is com-
"I wanted to do it closest to what I
fortable with who she is.
knew. I didn't want to compromise or
"I'm very proud of my heritage and
apologize for it because corporate or
my people," she says. "I don't consider
middle America or the Sun Belt
myself religious, but I have a great
wouldn't embrace a Jewish character.
respect and affinity for our people's
And, in fact, they did first — before
struggles and what we've achieved,
New York and L.A. They embraced
despite the obstacles. And that's some-
her immediately."
thing other ethnicities could look to." Ci