“The Nanny” cast: See where the 'flashy girl from Flushing' and her costars are now
“The Nanny” cast: See where the 'flashy girl from Flushing' and her costars are now
Ernest MaciasWed, March 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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(Left to right) Nicholle Tom, Madeline Zima, Charles Shaughnessy, Benjamin Salisbury, and Fran Drescher on 'The Nanny'Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS/Courtesy Everett
Fran Drescher's inimitable squeak echoed across pop culture thanks to The Nanny, easily the most chic of CBS' TV slate in the mid-'90s.
The Emmy-winning series, which aired six seasons between 1993 and 1999, centers on Drescher's Fran Fine, a street-smart fashionista who stumbles into a gig nannying for the kids of Broadway producer Maxwell Beverly Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). It's a clever premise — Charles in Charge for the Liz Claiborne sect — and its whip-cracking zingers still land.
"The Nanny wasn’t just a 90’s relic of big hair, neon leggings and Barbra Streisand jokes. (Although obviously it had all of those)," Entertainment Weekly wrote in 2011. "It was a seriously great, classical sitcom. Fran’s hammy antics were straight out of I Love Lucy. The show’s set-up pulls comedy out of the same class conflicts that fed everything from Oscar Wilde to The Jeffersons."
But don't expect a revival anytime soon. During a February 2026 interview on Ted Danson's Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast, Drescher said she doesn't see herself doing another sitcom. "You know, it's just the idea of going into the soundstage every day," she said.
As we process our disappointment, let's take a look back at the cast of The Nanny and where they are now.
01 of 09
Fran Drescher (Fran Fine)
Fran DrescherCredit: CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images; Matthew Eisman/Getty Images
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), This Is Spinal Tap (1984), 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 (and Nanny co-creator), Peter Marc Jacobson.
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. She also served as the president of the SAG-AFTRA actors' union during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes.
In 2025, Drescher appeared in both the Oscar-nominated Marty Supreme and Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the latter of which saw the return of her This Is Spinal Tap character Bobbi Flekman.
02 of 09
Charles Shaughnessy (Max Sheffield)
Charles ShaughnessyCredit: CBS/Getty Images; Greg Doherty/Getty Images
Charles Shaughnessy was born into show business — his father was a TV writer (Upstairs, Downstairs) and his mother, Jean Lodge, was an actress. The actor got his big break as 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. He also returned to his soap roots, reprising his role as Shane on Days of Our Lives from 2010 to 2017. In 2021, he played Victor Cassadine on General Hospital.
03 of 09
Lauren Lane (C.C. Babcock)
Credit: Everett Collection; Youtube
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.
Lane retired from television two years after the end of The Nanny. She has since dedicated her life to theater and teaching; she is now a full-time lecturer at Texas State University.
04 of 09
Daniel Davis (Niles)
Daniel DavisCredit: CBS/Getty Images; Noam Galai/WireImage
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.
Davis remains a consistent presence on the small screen. Over the past decade, he's guested on episodes of Gotham, The Blacklist, The Good Fight, Elsbeth, and Star Trek: Picard, where he reprised his Next Generation role as James Moriarty for a 2023 episode.
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05 of 09
Nicholle Tom (Maggie Sheffield)
Nicholle TomCredit: Everett Collection; JB Lacroix/ WireImage
Prior to her role as the preppy Maggie Sheffield, Nicholle Tom played 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 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, from Burn Notice and The Mentalist to Criminal Minds and Gotham. You can also catch her in films such as The Princess Diaries (2001), F*&% the Prom (2017), #Unknown (2021), and Prisoner of Love (2022).
In 2022, she was a contestant on the Food Network's Worst Cooks in America.
06 of 09
Benjamin Salisbury (Brighton Sheffield)
Credit: Everett Collection; Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
Before playing the mischievous middle child on The Nanny, Benjamin Salisbury appeared in films like Captain Ron (1992), Iron Will (1994), and D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996).
The actor has mostly stayed out of the public eye in the years since The Nanny, save for an appearance on the show Numb3rs in 2005. His last acting gig was the short film On the Brink in 2006.
07 of 09
Madeline Zima (Grace Sheffield)
Credit: Everett Collection; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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 the Showtime drama Californication. She returned to the network when she played the ill-fated Tracey on the 2017 revival of Twin Peaks.
Zima has guested on several popular shows over the past decade, including You, Hacks, High Potential, and Watson. She also enjoyed an arc on the DC series Doom Patrol as Casey Brinke, a.k.a. Space Case.
08 of 09
Renée Taylor (Sylvia Fine)
Credit: CBS/Getty Images; Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Renée Taylor had a long and successful career prior to playing Fran'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, and 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 of 09
Ann Morgan Guilbert (Grandma Yetta)
Credit: CBS/Getty Images; Angela Weiss/Getty Images
With her voluminous gray 'do and cigarette, 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 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.
Where can I watch The Nanny?
The Nanny is currently available to stream on Peacock.
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