Jennifer Saunders
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
Credits
- 2025 · Too Much as Fiona
- 2024 · Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out as Self
- 2024 · 200% Wolf as Max (voice)
- 2024 · We Work for the Dead as The Mother (voice)
- 2023 · Sumotherhood as DI Brookes
- 2023 · Allelujah as Sister Gilpin
- 2022 · Death on the Nile as Marie Van Schuyler
- 2021 · Sing 2 as Nana (voice)
- 2020 · The Stranger as Heidi Doyle
- 2019 · Celebrity Gogglebox as
- 2019 · Moominvalley as Mymble
- 2019 · Isn't It Romantic as Natalie's Mother
- 2018 · Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires as Dr. Alex Cular
- 2018 · Grandpa's Great Escape as Miss Dandy
- 2016 · Sing as Nana (voice)
- 2016 · Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie as Edina Monsoon
- 2015 · Stick Man as Narrator (voice)
- 2015 · Minions as Reine Elizabeth II (voice)
- 2014 · The Boy in the Dress as Miss Windsor
- 2013 · The Last Leg as Self
- 2011 · Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- 2011 · The Hunt for Tony Blair as Lady Thatcher
- 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
- 2004 · Shrek 2 as Fairy Godmother (voice)
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
- 2002 · Top Gear as Self
- 2000 · Mirrorball as Vivienne Keill
- 1999 · Fanny & Elvis as Roanna
- 1998 · Absolutely Fabulous: A Life as Edina "Eddy" Monsoon
- 1998 · Parkinson as Self
- 1996 · Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout as Edina Monsoon
- 1996 · Muppet Treasure Island as Mrs. Bluveridge
- 1995 · In the Bleak Midwinter as Nancy
- 1995 · How to Be Absolutely Fabulous as Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage)
- 1994 · Friends as Andrea Waltham
- 1994 · Dusty as Self - Presenter
- 1992 · Wild Turkey as Neighbour
- 1992 · Absolutely Fabulous as Edina
- 1991 · Amnesty International's Big 30 as Self
- 1990 · Have I Got News for You as Self
- 1990 · Have I Got News for You as Self - Hostess
- 1990 · Spaghetti Hoops as Maria
- 1990 · South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! as Cathy
- 1990 · South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 as Cathy
- 1990 · GLC: The Carnage Continues as Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden
- 1989 · The Simpsons as Phoebe Pratt (voice)
- 1988 · An Audience With Victoria Wood as Self
- 1988 · Roseanne as Edina Monsoon
- 1988 · The Storyteller as Badsister 1
- 1988 · Mr Jolly Lives Next Door as Monica
- 1988 · The Strike as Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
- 1987 · Eat the Rich as Lady Caroline
- 1987 · Going Live! as Self
- 1987 · French & Saunders as Various Characters
- 1985 · The Supergrass as Lesley Reynolds
- 1984 · Gino: Full Story and Pics as Angie
- 1984 · Susie as Lorna
- 1984 · Dirty Movie as June
- 1983 · Five Go Mad on Mescalin as Anne
- 1983 · Bad News as Sally
- 1982 · The Young Ones as Sue
- 1982 · The Young Ones as Helen Mucus
- 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 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 Debbie
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Angie
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Meryl Streep
- 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 · Kirsty MacColl at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps as The Goose (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
- 2022 · The Pentaverate as Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
- 2022 · The Best Birthday Ever as Mother (voice)
- 2021 · French & Saunders: Funny Women as Self
- 2021 · Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable 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 · Patrick as Maureen
- 2018 · Lady Windermere's Fan as The Duchess of Berwick
- 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)
- 2016 · We Love Sitcom as
- 2016 · Insert Name Here as Self - Panelist
- 2015 · Josh as Judith
- 2013 · Gogglebox as Self
- 2013 · The Great Comic Relief Bake Off as Self - Contestant
- 2013 · Blandings as Lady Constance Keeble
- 2012 · The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever! as Self
- 2012 · Five Go to Rehab as Anne
- 2012 · 30 Years of Comic Strip as
- 2012 · Dead Boss as Governor Margaret
- 2012 · The Great Sport Relief Bake Off as Self - Host
- 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 · Jam and Jerusalem as Caroline Martin
- 2006 · L'Entente cordiale as Gwendoline McFarlane
- 2004 · Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? as Self
- 2004 · Bottom Mindless Violence as Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2002 · The Best of French & Saunders as Various
- 2002 · Pongwiffy as
- 2001 · Absolutely Fabulous as Une spectatrice du défilé
- 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 · Four Men in a Car as Helen
- 1997 · Spice World as Fashionable Woman
- 1993 · Prince Cinders as Fairy (voice)
- 1993 · Jealousy as Jane/Margory
- 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
- 1990 · The Tale of Little Pig Robinson as Dorcas
- 1990 · Rita Rudner as
- 1990 · French & Saunders LIVE as
- 1990 · Oxford as Hannah
- 1989 · The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball as Self
- 1989 · Employees From Hell as
- 1989 · Communicators From Hell as
- 1988 · More Bad News as Sally
- 1988 · Comic Relief as
- 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 · Girls On Top as Jennifer
- 1985 · Happy Families as Granny Fuddle
- 1984 · Slags as Little Sister
- 1984 · Eddie Monsoon - a Life? as Doreen
- 1984 · A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques as Shona
- 1983 · Summer School as Liz
- 1983 · The Beat Generation as Anne
- 1983 · War as Various Roles
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Chas/Marilyn/Captain/Drunk
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Anne
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Jessica
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Lorna
- 1982 · The Comic Strip Presents... as Monica
- 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