Fran Drescher was born Francine Joy Drescher on September 30, 1957 in Flushing, Queens, New York. Fran's parent were Mort and Sylvia Drescher and came from a Russian-Jewish and Italian heritage. Fran attended Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens, where her classmates included Ray Romano. In school she met Peter Marc Jacobson, who would become her husband in 1978.

Fran entered the 1973 Miss Teen New York beauty pageant to promote herself and was runner up in the competition. In 1977, Drescher got her first film role in the 1977 classic Saturday Night Fever, playing Connie. Drescher moved to L. A., finding it difficult to get roles due to her now famous nasal voice and strong Queens accent. In spite of this Drescher continued to get minor roles in films though the eighties, most notably in the spoof documentary 'This Is Spinal Tap' (1984).

In 1985, Fran and Peter's LA home was ransacked. The intruders raped Fran at gunpoint. The horrific experience took Drescher many years to overcome. Drescher did get to see her rapist sent to prison.

Drescher was concerned about the limited acting opportunities that might come here way on account of her voice, so after a trip to her friend, Twiggy, in the UK she was inspired to create her own show. Drescher idea was formulized into the show 'The Nanny'. Drescher fortunately bumped into Jeff Sagansky, the then president in charge of CBS, on a trip to Paris. Drescher pitched the idea of the show to Sagansky. Sagansky was impressed by Drescher and her idea, and commissioned a pilot in 1993.

The Nanny was a hugh success with Drescher playing the bubbly lead role Fran Fine, for which she didn't have to disguise her accent. The show aired from 1993 to 1999 and won a Rose d'Or and an Emmy. Drescher personally got two Golden Globe nominations for her performances. During this period Drescher also starred in several movies, most notably The Beautician and The Beast (1997) and Jack (1996). 1997 saw Drescher write her autobiography entitled Enter Whining.

In 1996, Drescher and Jacobson separated, divorcing in 1999 and has yet to remarry. In 2000, Fran was diagnosed with uterine cancer. The cancer was only in the early stages and was removed successfully through surgery. The experience caused Drescher to write her second book, Cancer Schmancer. the book turned into a movement and Drescher formed a non-profit organization to increase cancer awareness and increase early detection rates.