The Nanny star and creator Fran Drescher shares who she’d pick to play the Nanny in a television reboot of the beloved comedy series.
Almost three decades since The Nanny debuted on CBS in 1993, the beloved television series is seeing a resurgence in its fandom. Ever since the sitcom landed on HBO Max in April, millennials who grew up watching the series — and those meeting Fran Drescher’s neon mini-skirts for the first time — have been binging the series and absolutely dying for more.
While The Nanny ended in 1999, Drescher has been discussing a possible television reboot for several years. Now, she’s reminding fans who’d be an ideal fit to star in the reboot’s lead role should the project be greenlit — actor and Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B.
While being interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, Drescher shared, “Contractually, I’m not really allowed to do a reboot on TV, until we get the musical on its feet on Broadway, which is fine. I know that Cardi B loves The Nanny and she’s got the style and she’s really funny and she might be really great. And I could play her mother Sylvie. How cool would that be?”
In January 2020, Drescher echoed similar statements about needing to halt any reboot plans to Deadline, stating, “[The Broadway musical] is the next big Nanny thing, so I have to honor that commitment.” The upcoming musical is helmed by Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s co-creator and star Rachel Bloom, Drescher and The Nanny co-creator Peter Marc Jacobson.
Although the upcoming reboot is currently stalled, this doesn’t mean there hasn’t been some behind-the-scenes movement with its casting and plot. In April, The Nanny‘s Charles Shaughnessy, aka Maxwell Sheffield, confirmed to ET that Drescher already shared the reboot’s plot with him, stating, “We’ve talked about it, and she actually had a really, really, I thought genius idea. I just thought, ‘This was very smart.’ That’s all I’ll say.”
Drescher first shared her idea for Cardi B to star in The Nanny in 2018 to ET. Although the two have yet to personally discuss this potential role, Cardi B is a known diehard fan of The Nanny and frequently posts shoutouts to the series throughout her Instagram.
Cardi B made her acclaimed acting debut with 2019’s Hustlers, portraying Diamond. The actor will next star in the upcoming star-studded action film F9 as Leysa — a woman with a connection to Dom’s past.
The Nanny centers on a Jewish cosmetics saleswoman from Flushing, Queens, Fran Fine, who finds herself taking care of a Broadway producer’s three unruly children — Grace, Brighton and Maggie. The British producer, Maxwell Sheffield, is depicted as uptight and annoyed by Fran’s antics and fabulous ways. As Fran and Maxwell become closer, the two not only learn to co-exist but fall in love after six seasons worth of sexual tension. Hijinks only further ensue when Maxwell’s jealous producer partner C.C. Babcock tries to interfere in the budding relationship but instead is met with constant beratement and tricks from Maxwell’s mischievous butler, Niles. Fran’s grandma Yetta and her mother Sylvie also stir up trouble with their controlling and interfering ways.
Co-created by Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson, The Nanny stars Fran Drescher, Charles Shaughnessy, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury, Madeline Zima, Renée Taylor, Rachel Chagall and Ann Morgan Guilbert. All six seasons are currently streaming on HBO Max.
