The stars of The Nanny had style, they had flair, they were there! See who they became after the campy ’90s sitcom.
It’s been a while since “the flashy girl from Flushing” hit TV screens with her heavy Queens accent, squeaky laughter, and unforgettable ’90s fashion. The Nanny, produced by Fran Drescher and her then husband Peter Marc Jacobson, is centered around a quirky woman who, after losing her boyfriend and her bridal shop job, lands a gig taking care of the three children of a rich English widower.
The comedy aired for six seasons on CBS from 1993 to 1999; after a rough first year, it quickly became one of the highest-rated sitcoms of the late-’90s. The Nanny earned 12 Emmy nominations, winning only one award for Fran Fine’s “outstanding” costumes. Beyond the awards, the show has infiltrated pop culture — thanks to its on-point humor, memorable characters, and, of course, Fran’s ’90s high-fashion aesthetic. Click through to see what the cast of The Nanny has been up to.
01 Fran Drescher (Fran Fine)
Before embodying the unforgettable role of Fran Fine, Fran Drescher had appeared in movies like Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Wes Craven’s Stranger in Our House (1978). The actress stepped into comedy during the ’80s when she appeared in films including The Hollywood Knights (1980) and UHF (1989).
During her run as The Nanny, Drescher’s career reached new heights and landed her two Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations, all for her work as lead actress on her comedy series. In 1996, she made the film Jack alongside Robin Williams; in the 2000s, Drescher returned to sitcoms, playing two very similar roles on Living With Fran and Happily Divorced, both of which only lasted two seasons. Drescher created the latter with her ex-husband, Jacobson.
Over the years, the actress made her Broadway debut as the wicked stepmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella; voiced Eunice in the Hotel Transylvania film series (2012–2022); acted in Lifetime’s first LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com in 2020; starred on the Dan Levy-created NBC sitcom Indebted; and made memorable guest appearances on Broad City, Alone Together, and Mr. Mayor.
02 Charles Shaughnessy (Max Sheffield)
The British actor was born into show business — his father was a TV writer (Upstairs, Downstairs) and his mother, Jean Lodge, was an actress. Charles Shaughnessy got his big break when he played Shane Donovan on Days of Our Lives from 1984 to 1992, playing one half of a soap opera supercouple with Patsy Pease.
After The Nanny, Shaughnessy appeared on shows like The Mentalist, Mad Men, and Hannah Montana, with especially plum roles on series like Saints & Sinners and the animated series Stanley. (Shaughnessy is also an accomplished voice actor.) In 2005, he reunited with Drescher to play her character’s ex-husband on Living With Fran.
Shaughnessy made appearances on Masters of Sex, The Magicians, Driven, and The Winchesters. The actor returned to his soap roots, reprising his role as Shane on Days of Our Lives from 2010 to 2017, and went on to play Victor Cassadine on General Hospital in 2021.
03 Lauren Lane (C.C. Babcock)
Lauren Lane began appearing in films around 1984, but her television career didn’t begin until 1991 when she landed the role of Sgt. Chris Novak on NBC’s crime drama Hunter.
After The Nanny ended in 1999, Lane would retire from television two years later. She has since dedicated her life to theater and teaching; she is now a full-time lecturer at Texas State University.
04 Daniel Davis (Niles)
Daniel Davis first appeared on television in 1980 and racked up credits on Texas, Dynasty, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, Niles the butler became his most famous role, thanks to his on-point faux English accent and hilarious one-liners.
After The Nanny, the actor appeared on Frasier, Ugly Betty, and The Practice, as well as in Christopher Nolan’s magician film The Prestige (2006). In 2000, Davis turned to the stage and landed a Tony nomination for his role in David Hirson’s Wrong Mountain. The actor has made guest appearances on shows like Gotham, The Blacklist, The Good Fight, New Amsterdam, and Star Trek: Picard, where he reprised his Next Generation role as James Moriarty for a 2023 episode.
05 Nicholle Tom (Maggie Sheffield)
Prior to her role as the preppy Maggie Sheffield, Nicholle Tom had appeared on Beverly Hills, 90210, and landed the role of Ryce Newton in the Beethoven film series (1992–1993) and the 1994 animated spin-off series. After her breakthrough as Maggie on The Nanny, Tom collected a handful of film roles, but, perhaps most importantly, she became Supergirl, voicing the character in the DC animated TV universe on shows like Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited.
Her acting credits include guest roles on a number of popular shows like Burn Notice, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, Castle, Masters of Sex, Gotham, and Survivor’s Remorse, as well as roles in films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), F*&% the Prom (2017), #Unknown (2021), and Prisoner of Love (2022).
06 Benjamin Salisbury (Brighton Sheffield)
Before playing the mischievous middle child on The Nanny, Benjamin Salisbury’s career started in 1992 with the movie Captain Ron (opposite Kurt Russell and Mary Kay Place).
After his role as a Sheffield kid, the actor has stayed out of the public eye, save for an appearance on the show Numb3rs in 2005. His last acting gig was the short film On the Brink in 2006.
07 Madeline Zima (Grace Sheffield)
After playing the youngest and smartest Sheffield child for six seasons, Madeline Zima made appearances on shows like Gilmore Girls, 7th Heaven, and Grey’s Anatomy.
Her most notable role after The Nanny was Mia Lewis, a precocious teenage girl on Showtime’s drama series Californication. She returned to the network when she played the ill-fated Tracey on the 2017 revival of Twin Peaks. Zima has also starred on the short-lived fantasy series Heroes and Betas, and made appearances on You, Good Girls, Hacks, and Doom Patrol.
08 Renée Taylor (Sylvia Fine)
Renée Taylor had a long and successful career prior to playing Fran Fine’s outspoken mother. Taylor and her late husband, Joseph Bologna, were nominated for an Oscar for writing the 1970 film adaptation of their Broadway comedy, Lovers and Other Strangers. The actress’ early credits also included The Producers (1967), Made for Each Other (1971), Last of the Red Hot Lovers (1972), Lovesick (1983), and The End of Innocence (1990). In 2001, Taylor returned to Broadway with Bologna in their two-person show, If You Ever Leave Me…I’m Going With You!
Over the past few decades, Taylor has guest-starred on Everwood, How I Met Your Mother, Bob’s Burgers, Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, and, of course, Drescher’s Happily Divorced. She also appeared in Netflix’s The Do-Over (opposite Adam Sandler) and starred in the 2017 comedy How to Be a Latin Lover.
09 Ann Morgan Guilbert (Grandma Yetta)
With her voluminous gray ‘do and cigarette in hand, Ann Morgan Guilbert gave life to one of the most memorable characters from The Nanny. The actress started her career as a singer in the ’50s, launching to fame after her portrayal of neighbor Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
The actress never stopped working, appearing on shows throughout her career like The Andy Griffith Show, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Law & Order: SVU, as well as HBO’s Getting On. Her final credit came with CBS’s Life in Pieces, wherein she played the mother of Dianne Wiest’s character; an episode was centered around the passing of Guilbert’s character when the actress herself died in 2016 at the age of 87.
