Portrait of Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders

Acting

Biography

Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award. She first came into widespread attention in the 1980s and early 1990s when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Central School of Speech and Drama. Along with her comedy partner Dawn French, she writes and stars in their eponymous sketch show, French & Saunders, and has received international acclaim for writing and playing the lead role of Edina Monsoon in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. In her other work, she has guest starred in the American sitcoms Roseanne and Friends, and won the American People's Choice Award for voicing the wicked Fairy Godmother in DreamWorks' animated Shrek 2. More recently, she wrote and starred in Jam & Jerusalem and The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle.

Born: July 6, 1958

Place of Birth: Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, UK

Filmography

2026
The Magic Faraway Tree

as Grandma Thompson

2025
Too Much

as Fiona

2024
Only Child

as Sally

2024
Kirsty MacColl at the BBC

as Self (archive footage)

2024
200% Wolf

as Max (voice)

2024
We Work for the Dead

as The Mother (voice)

2023
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat

as Self (uncredited)

2023
Sumotherhood

as DI Brookes

2023
Allelujah

as Sister Gilpin

2022
2022
The Pentaverate

as Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik

2022
Death on the Nile

as Marie Van Schuyler

2022
The Best Birthday Ever

as Mother (voice)

2021
Sing 2

as Nana (voice)

2020
The Stranger

as Heidi Doyle

2019
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again

as Meryl Streep / Cher

2019
There's Something About Movies

as Self - Team Captain

2019
Moominvalley

as Mymble

2019
Isn't It Romantic

as Natalie's Mother

2018
Patrick

as Maureen

2018
Lady Windermere's Fan

as The Duchess of Berwick

2018
2016
Sing

as Nana (voice)

2016
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves

as Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)

2016
2016
Insert Name Here

as Self - Panelist

2015
Stick Man

as Narrator (voice)

2015
Josh

as Judith

2015
Minions

as Reine Elizabeth II (voice)

2014
The Boy in the Dress

as Miss Windsor

2013
Gogglebox

as Self

2013
2013
2013
Blandings

as Lady Constance Keeble

2012
2012
Dead Boss

as Governor Margaret

2011
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

as Self - Participant

2011
The Hunt for Tony Blair

as Lady Thatcher

2009
Coraline

as Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)

2006
Jam and Jerusalem

as Caroline Martin

2006
L'Entente cordiale

as Gwendoline McFarlane

2004
Bottom Mindless Violence

as Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)

2004
Shrek 2

as Fairy Godmother (voice)

2002
Top Gear

as Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car

2002
Top Gear

as Self

2001
Absolutely Fabulous

as Une spectatrice du défilé

2000
Mirrorball

as Vivienne Keill

1999
Fanny & Elvis

as Roanna

1999
1999
The Magician's House

as The Rat (voice)

1998
Absolutely Fabulous: A Life

as Edina "Eddy" Monsoon

1998
1998
Parkinson

as Self

1997
Spice World

as Fashionable Woman

1996
Muppet Treasure Island

as Mrs. Bluveridge

1995
How to Be Absolutely Fabulous

as Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage)

1994
Friends

as Andrea Waltham

1994
Dusty

as Self - Presenter

1993
Prince Cinders

as Fairy (voice)

1993
Jealousy

as Jane/Margory

1993
Demonella

as The Devil

1992
Wild Turkey

as Neighbour

1992
Red Nose of Courage

as Margaret Thatcher

1990
Have I Got News for You

as Self - Hostess

1990
1990
Oxford

as Hannah

1989
The Simpsons

as Phoebe Pratt (voice)

1988
Roseanne

as Edina Monsoon

1988
The Storyteller

as Badsister 1

1988
1988
The Strike

as Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill

1987
Eat the Rich

as Lady Caroline

1987
1987
French & Saunders

as Various Characters

1986
1985
The Supergrass

as Lesley Reynolds

1985
Girls On Top

as Jennifer

1985
Happy Families

as Granny Fuddle

1984
Slags

as Little Sister

1984
Susie

as Lorna

1984
1983
1983
Bad News

as Sally

1983
War

as Various Roles

1982
1982
The Young Ones

as Helen Mucus

1982
The Comic Strip Presents...

as Chas/Marilyn/Captain/Drunk

1982
The Comic Strip Presents...

as Shona/Second Nun/Horse Rider

1982
1982
1982
Wogan

as Self

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