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
- The Claudia Winkleman Show as Self
- Virginia Woolf's Night & Day as Mrs Hilbery
- People's Emergency Briefing
- 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
- Allelujah as Sister Gilpin
- Dawn French Is a Huge Twat as Self (uncredited)
- imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter as Self - Featured Artist
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
- 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
- Moominvalley as Mymble
- Celebrity Gogglebox as Self
- 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
- Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires as Dr. Alex Cular
- Lady Windermere's Fan as The Duchess of Berwick
2017
- Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief as Self - Judge
- Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers as Self - Presenter
- 300 Years of French & Saunders
- Comic Relief: Red Nose Day as Self
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
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
- The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever! as Self
- Five Go to Rehab as Anne
2011
- Celebrity Antiques Road Trip as Self - Participant
- The Hunt for Tony Blair as Lady Thatcher
- French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years
- Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders
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 and Saunders: Still Alive as Self
2007
2006
- Jam and Jerusalem as Caroline Martin
- L'Entente cordiale as Gwendoline McFarlane
2004
- 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
- Absolutely Fabulous as Une spectatrice du défilé
- Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl as Self
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
- Absolutely Fabulous: A Life as Edina "Eddy" Monsoon
- Four Men in a Car as Helen
1997
- Spice World as Fashionable Woman
1996
- 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
- Demonella as The Devil
- Prince Cinders as Fairy (voice)
- Jealousy as Jane/Margory
- French & Saunders: At the Movies
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
- The Tale of Little Pig Robinson as Dorcas
- Spaghetti Hoops as Maria
- Oxford as Hannah
- GLC: The Carnage Continues as Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden
- French & Saunders LIVE
- South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! as Cathy
- South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 as Cathy
1989
- The Simpsons as Phoebe Pratt (voice)
- The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball as Self
- Employees From Hell
- Colleagues From Hell
- Communicators From Hell
- Customer Service From Hell
1988
- The Storyteller as Badsister 1
- Roseanne as Edina Monsoon
- Comic Relief
- An Audience With Victoria Wood as Self
- The Strike as Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
- More Bad News as Sally
- Mr Jolly Lives Next Door as Monica
- French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88 as Various Characters
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
- Happy Families as Granny / Cassie / Madeleine / Joyce / Roxanne Fuddle
1984
- Slags as Little Sister
- Susie as Lorna
- A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques as Shona
- Dirty Movie as June
- Gino: Full Story and Pics as Angie
- Eddie Monsoon - a Life? as Doreen
1983
- Bad News as Sally
- War as Various Roles
- Summer School as Liz
- Five Go Mad on Mescalin as Anne
- The Beat Generation as Anne
1982
- Wogan as Self
- The Young Ones as Sue
- The Comic Strip Presents... as Anne
- Five Go Mad in Dorset as Anne
1981
1978
- An Audience with... as Self
1976
- The Secret Policeman's Ball as Self