Jennifer Saunders
Born: 1958-07-06 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2026
- The Magic Faraway Tree as Grandma
- Virginia Woolf's Night & Day as Bess Hilbery
- The Claudia Winkleman Show as Self
- People's Emergency Briefing as Herself
- Becoming Victoria Wood as Self
2025
- Too Much as Fiona
2024
- 200% Wolf as Max (voice)
- Only Child as Sally
- Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps as The Goose (voice)
- Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out as Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon
- We Work for the Dead as The Mother (voice)
- Kirsty MacColl at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
2023
- Sumotherhood as DI Brookes
- imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter as Self - Featured Artist
- Allelujah as Sister Gilpin
- Dawn French Is a Huge Twat as Self (uncredited)
2022
- Death on the Nile as Marie Van Schuyler
- The Pentaverate as Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
- Fantasy Football League as Themselves
- The Best Birthday Ever as Mother (voice)
2021
- Only Murders in the Building
- Sing 2 as Nana (voice)
- Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable as Self
- French & Saunders: Funny Women as Self
2020
- The Stranger as Heidi Doyle
- Richard Osman's House of Games Night as Self
2019
- Celebrity Gogglebox as Self
- Moominvalley as Mymble
- Isn't It Romantic as Natalie's Mother
- There's Something About Movies as Self - Team Captain
- Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again as Meryl Streep / Cher
- Completely Bad News as Sally
2018
- Patrick as Maureen
- Grandpa's Great Escape as Miss Dandy
- Lady Windermere's Fan as The Duchess of Berwick
- Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires as Dr. Alex Cular
2017
- Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief as Self - Judge
- Comic Relief: Red Nose Day as Self
- 300 Years of French & Saunders
- Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers as Self - Presenter
2016
- Sing as Nana (voice)
- Insert Name Here as Self - Panelist
- Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie as Edina Monsoon
- British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves as Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
- We Love Sitcom
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self - Guest
- Minions as The Queen (voice)
- Stick Man as Narrator (voice)
- Josh as Judith
2014
- The Boy in the Dress as Miss Windsor
2013
- The Last Leg as Self
- Blandings as Lady Constance Keeble
- Gogglebox as Self
- The Great Comic Relief Bake Off as Self - Contestant
2012
- The Great Sport Relief Bake Off as Self - Host
- Dead Boss as Governor Margaret
- 30 Years of Comic Strip
- Five Go to Rehab as Anne
- The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever! as Self
2011
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- The Hunt for Tony Blair as Lady Thatcher
- Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders
- French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years
2010
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Coraline as Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
- Coraline: The Making of 'Coraline' as Self
2008
- French & Saunders: Still Alive as Self
2007
2006
- Jam and Jerusalem as Caroline Martin
- L'Entente cordiale as Gwendoline McFarlane
2004
- Parkinson as Self - Guest
- Shrek 2 as Fairy Godmother (voice)
- Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? as Self
- Bottom Mindless Violence as Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
- Top Gear as Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
- Pongwiffy
- The Best of French & Saunders as Various
2001
- Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl as Self
- Absolutely Fabulous as Une spectatrice du défilé
2000
- Mirrorball as Vivienne Keill
- French & Saunders - Live as Various roles
1999
- The Magician's House as The Rat (voice)
- Let Them Eat Cake
- Fanny & Elvis as Roanna
- It’s Lulu as Self
1998
- Parkinson as Self
- Four Men in a Car as Helen
- Absolutely Fabulous: A Life as Edina "Eddy" Monsoon
1997
- Spice World as Fashionable Woman
1996
- TFI Friday
- Muppet Treasure Island as Mrs. Bluveridge
- Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout as Edina Monsoon
1995
- In the Bleak Midwinter as Nancy
- How to Be Absolutely Fabulous as Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage)
1994
- Friends as Andrea Waltham
- Dusty as Self - Presenter
- French and Saunders' Christmas Carol as Various Roles
1993
- Space Virgins from Planet Sex as Needle
- Prince Cinders as Fairy (voice)
- Jealousy as Jane/Margory
- French & Saunders: At the Movies
- Demonella as The Devil
1992
- Absolutely Fabulous as Edina Monsoon
- Red Nose of Courage as Margaret Thatcher
- Wild Turkey as Neighbour
1991
- Amnesty International's Big 30 as Self
1990
- Have I Got News for You as Self
- Rita Rudner
- GLC: The Carnage Continues as Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden
- South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 as Cathy
- Spaghetti Hoops as Maria
- The Tale of Little Pig Robinson as Dorcas
- South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! as Cathy
- French & Saunders LIVE
- Oxford as Hannah
1989
- The Simpsons as Phoebe Pratt (voice)
- The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball as Self
- Customer Service From Hell
- Employees From Hell
- Colleagues From Hell
- Communicators From Hell
1988
- The Storyteller as Badsister 1
- Roseanne as Edina Monsoon
- Comic Relief
- An Audience With Victoria Wood as Self
- Mr Jolly Lives Next Door as Monica
- French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88 as Various Characters
- More Bad News as Sally
- The Strike as Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
- The Storyteller: Sapsorrow as Badsister 1
1987
- Going Live! as Self
- French & Saunders as Various Characters
- Eat the Rich as Lady Caroline
- The Silurian Disruption as Silurian #2
1986
1985
- Girls On Top as Jennifer
- Happy Families as Granny Fuddle
- The Supergrass as Lesley Reynolds
1984
- Gino: Full Story and Pics as Angie
- Eddie Monsoon - a Life? as Doreen
- A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques as Shona
- Dirty Movie as June
- Slags as Little Sister
- Susie as Lorna
1983
- Summer School as Liz
- Five Go Mad on Mescalin as Anne
- Bad News as Sally
- The Beat Generation as Anne
- War as Various Roles
1982
- Wogan as Self
- The Comic Strip Presents... as Anne
- The Young Ones as Sue
- Five Go Mad in Dorset as Anne
1981
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
1976
- The Secret Policeman's Ball as Self
1971
- Film '72 as Self