Jennifer Saunders
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.
Known For
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009
The Simpsons
1989
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
The Graham Norton Show
2007
Friends
1994
Top Gear
2002
Top Gear
2002
Coraline
2009
Have I Got News for You
1990
Have I Got News for You
1990
Wogan
1982
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Filmography
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest · 2009
The Simpsons
as Phoebe Pratt (voice) · 1989
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
as Self - Guest · 2015
The Graham Norton Show
as Self · 2007
Friends
as Andrea Waltham · 1994
Top Gear
as Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car · 2002
Top Gear
as Self · 2002
Coraline
as Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice) · 2009
Have I Got News for You
as Self · 1990
Have I Got News for You
as Self - Hostess · 1990
Wogan
as Self · 1982
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
as Self - Presenter
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
as Self - Panellist
The Last Leg
as Self · 2013
Omnibus
· 1967
Would I Lie to You?
as Self · 2007
Film '72
as Self · 1971
Parkinson
as Self · 1998
An Audience with...
as Self · 1978
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
as Self - Participant · 2011
Sing
as Nana (voice) · 2016
Shrek 2
as Fairy Godmother (voice) · 2004
Death on the Nile
as Marie Van Schuyler · 2022
Sing 2
as Nana (voice) · 2021
Absolutely Fabulous
as Edina Monsoon · 1992
The Young Ones
as Sue · 1982
The Young Ones
as Helen Mucus · 1982
TFI Friday
· 1996
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Chas/Marilyn/Captain/Drunk · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Anne · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Liz · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Sally · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Little Sister · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Jessica · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as June · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Shona/Second Nun/Horse Rider · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Doreen · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Lorna · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Debbie · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Angie · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Meryl Streep · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Monica · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Cathy · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Ice Maiden · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Maria · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
as Hannah · 1982
The Comic Strip Presents...
· 1982
Going Live!
as Self · 1987
Parkinson
as Self - Guest · 2004
Minions
as The Queen (voice) · 2015
Moominvalley
as Mymble · 2019
Celebrity Gogglebox
as Self · 2019
French & Saunders
as Various Characters · 1987
The Storyteller
as Badsister 1 · 1988
The Stranger
as Heidi Doyle · 2020
The Magic Faraway Tree
as Grandma · 2026
Too Much
as Fiona · 2025
Roseanne
as Edina Monsoon · 1988
The Secret Policeman's Ball
as Self · 1976
Jam and Jerusalem
as Caroline Martin · 2006
Insert Name Here
as Self - Panelist · 2016
Isn't It Romantic
as Natalie's Mother · 2019
The Pentaverate
as Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik · 2022
Blandings
as Lady Constance Keeble · 2013
200% Wolf
as Max (voice) · 2024
Stick Man
as Narrator (voice) · 2015
Spice World
as Fashionable Woman · 1997
Comic Relief
· 1988
Gogglebox
as Self · 2013
The Magician's House
as The Rat (voice) · 1999
Fantasy Football League
as Themselves · 2022
Muppet Treasure Island
as Mrs. Bluveridge · 1996
Girls On Top
as Jennifer · 1985
Happy Families
as Granny Fuddle · 1985
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
as Self - Host · 2012
Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
as Self · 2021
The Claudia Winkleman Show
as Self · 2026
Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
as Bess Hilbery · 2026
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
as Edina Monsoon · 2016
Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief
as Self - Judge · 2017
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
as Self - Contestant · 2013
There's Something About Movies
as Self - Team Captain · 2019
Let Them Eat Cake
· 1999
Josh
as Judith · 2015
This Is Jinsy
· 2010
Richard Osman's House of Games Night
as Self · 2020
Dead Boss
as Governor Margaret · 2012
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
· 1986
The Dangerous Brothers
· 1986
Only Child
as Sally · 2024
French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88
as Various Characters · 1988
A Bucket O' French and Saunders
· 2007
Rita Rudner
· 1990
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
· 2007
Patrick
as Maureen · 2018
People's Emergency Briefing
as Herself · 2026
Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
as The Goose (voice) · 2024
Pongwiffy
· 2002
Five Go Mad in Dorset
as Anne · 1982
The Best Birthday Ever
as Mother (voice) · 2022
Fanny & Elvis
as Roanna · 1999
Amnesty International's Big 30
as Self · 1991
Coraline: The Making of 'Coraline'
as Self · 2009
In the Bleak Midwinter
as Nancy · 1995
We Work for the Dead
as The Mother (voice) · 2024
The Boy in the Dress
as Miss Windsor · 2014
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
as Self - Featured Artist · 2023
The Making of Shrek 2
as Self
Spaghetti Hoops
as Maria · 1990
Eat the Rich
as Lady Caroline · 1987
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
as Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2016
Summer School
as Liz · 1983
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
as Edina Monsoon · 1996
How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
as Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage) · 1995
Grandpa's Great Escape
as Miss Dandy · 2018
Allelujah
as Sister Gilpin · 2023
Absolutely Fabulous
as Une spectatrice du défilé · 2001
An Audience With Victoria Wood
as Self · 1988
Lady Windermere's Fan
as The Duchess of Berwick · 2018
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1
as Cathy · 1990
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
as Monica · 1988
Gino: Full Story and Pics
as Angie · 1984
Dusty
as Self - Presenter · 1994
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
as Various Roles · 1994
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
as Meryl Streep / Cher · 2019
Five Go to Rehab
as Anne · 2012
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
as Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon · 2024
Four Men in a Car
as Helen · 1998
L'Entente cordiale
as Gwendoline McFarlane · 2006
The Hunt for Tony Blair
as Lady Thatcher · 2011
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
as Dr. Alex Cular · 2018
Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
as Self - Presenter · 2017
Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
as Doreen · 1984
Customer Service From Hell
· 1989
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day
as Self · 2017
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
as Self · 2004
Space Virgins from Planet Sex
as Needle · 1993
Five Go Mad on Mescalin
as Anne · 1983
300 Years of French & Saunders
· 2017
Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
as Self (archive footage) · 2024
30 Years of Comic Strip
· 2012
The Comic Strip
· 1981
French & Saunders: Still Alive
as Self · 2008
Bad News
as Sally · 1983
Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl
as Self · 2001
Sumotherhood
as DI Brookes · 2023
Completely Bad News
as Sally · 2019
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
as Self · 1989
Communicators From Hell
· 1989
Red Nose of Courage
as Margaret Thatcher · 1992
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat
as Self (uncredited) · 2023
Prince Cinders
as Fairy (voice) · 1993
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
· 1986
More Bad News
as Sally · 1988
French & Saunders LIVE
· 1990
Becoming Victoria Wood
as Self · 2026
Employees From Hell
· 1989
Jealousy
as Jane/Margory · 1993
The Supergrass
as Lesley Reynolds · 1985
GLC: The Carnage Continues
as Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden · 1990
A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques
as Shona · 1984
War
as Various Roles · 1983
Oxford
as Hannah · 1990
French & Saunders: At the Movies
· 1993
The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever!
as Self · 2012
The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
as Badsister 1 · 1988
Comedians Do It On Stage
as Self · 1986
The Best of French & Saunders
as Various · 2002
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
as Jessica · 1986
Mirrorball
as Vivienne Keill · 2000
Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders
· 2011
Private Enterprise
as Debbie · 1986
Colleagues From Hell
· 1989
Absolutely Fabulous: A Life
as Edina "Eddy" Monsoon · 1998
The Beat Generation
as Anne · 1983
Wild Turkey
as Neighbour · 1992
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie!
as Cathy · 1990
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
as Dorcas · 1990
Demonella
as The Devil · 1993
Bottom Mindless Violence
as Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2004
Dirty Movie
as June · 1984
French & Saunders: Funny Women
as Self · 2021
French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years
· 2011
The Silurian Disruption
as Silurian #2 · 1987
It’s Lulu
as Self · 1999
The Strike
as Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill · 1988
Slags
as Little Sister · 1984
French & Saunders - Live
as Various roles · 2000
Susie
as Lorna · 1984
We Love Sitcom
· 2016