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