Jennifer Saunders
Known for: Acting
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
Series
The Simpsons
Phoebe Pratt (voice)
1989
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
Friends
Andrea Waltham
1994
Series
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Series
Top Gear
Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
2002
Series
Top Gear
Self
2002
Series
Have I Got News for You
Self
1990
Series
Have I Got News for You
Self - Hostess
1990
Film
Coraline
Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
2009
Series
Wogan
Self
1982
Series
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Self - Presenter
Series
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Self - Panellist
Series
Omnibus
1967
Series
The Last Leg
Self
2013
Series
Would I Lie to You?
Self
2007
Series
Absolutely Fabulous
Edina Monsoon
1992
Film
Shrek 2
Fairy Godmother (voice)
2004
Film '72
Self
1971
Series
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Self - Participant
2011
Series
TFI Friday
1996
Series
Going Live!
Self
1987
Series
Parkinson
Self
1998
Film
Sing 2
Nana (voice)
2021
Film
Minions
Reine Elizabeth II (voice)
2015
Film
Death on the Nile
Marie Van Schuyler
2022
Film
Sing
Nana (voice)
2016
Series
An Audience with...
Self
1978
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Anne
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Chas/Marilyn/Captain/Drunk
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Sally
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Liz
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
June
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Lorna
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Shona/Second Nun/Horse Rider
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Angie
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Doreen
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Little Sister
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Jessica
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Debbie
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Meryl Streep
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Monica
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Cathy
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Ice Maiden
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Hannah
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
Maria
1982
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
1982
Series
Celebrity Gogglebox
Self
2019
Series
Moominvalley
Mymble
2019
Series
The Young Ones
Sue
1982
Series
The Young Ones
Helen Mucus
1982
Series
The Stranger
Heidi Doyle
2020
Series
The Storyteller
Badsister 1
1988
Film
The Magic Faraway Tree
Grandma
2026
Series
Too Much
Fiona
2025
Series
French & Saunders
Various Characters
1987
Series
Jam and Jerusalem
Caroline Martin
2006
Film
Isn't It Romantic
Natalie's Mother
2019
Film
200% Wolf
Max (voice)
2024
Series
Blandings
Lady Constance Keeble
2013
Series
The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
1976
Series
The Pentaverate
Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
2022
Series
Roseanne
Edina Monsoon
1988
Series
Girls On Top
Jennifer
1985
Series
The Claudia Winkleman Show
Self
2026
Film
Spice World
Fashionable Woman
1997
Series
Insert Name Here
Self - Panelist
2016
Film
Stick Man
Narrator (voice)
2015
Series
Gogglebox
Self
2013
Film
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Edina Monsoon
2016
Film
Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
Bess Hilbery
2026
Film
Muppet Treasure Island
Mrs. Bluveridge
1996
Series
The Magician's House
The Rat (voice)
1999
Comic Relief
1988
Series
Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
Self
2021
Series
Dead Boss
Governor Margaret
2012
Series
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
Self - Host
2012
Series
Fantasy Football League
Themselves
2022
Series
This Is Jinsy
2010
Series
Happy Families
Granny Fuddle
1985
Series
Let Them Eat Cake
1999
Series
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
Self - Contestant
2013
Film
Patrick
Maureen
2018
Series
Richard Osman's House of Games Night
Self
2020
Film
Dusty
Self - Presenter
1994
Series
There's Something About Movies
Self - Team Captain
2019
Series
Josh
Judith
2015
Series
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986
Series
A Bucket O' French and Saunders
2007
Series
Rita Rudner
1990
Series
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
2007
Film
Eat the Rich
Lady Caroline
1987
Series
Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief
Self - Judge
2017
Series
Only Child
Sally
2024
Film
Fanny & Elvis
Roanna
1999
Film
The Best Birthday Ever
Mother (voice)
2022
Film
Amnesty International's Big 30
Self
1991
Series
The Dangerous Brothers
1986
Film
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016
Film
Summer School
Liz
1983
Film
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
Edina Monsoon
1996
Film
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Self
2004
Film
Spaghetti Hoops
Maria
1990
Film
The Hunt for Tony Blair
Lady Thatcher
2011
Film
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
Self
1989
Film
Employees From Hell
1989
Film
In the Bleak Midwinter
Nancy
1995
Film
Absolutely Fabulous
Une spectatrice du défilé
2001
Film
Demonella
The Devil
1993
Film
The Boy in the Dress
Miss Windsor
2014
Film
Space Virgins from Planet Sex
Needle
1993
Film
Happy Families
Granny / Cassie / Madeleine / Joyce / Roxanne Fuddle
1985
Film
Jealousy
Jane/Margory
1993
Film
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
1986
Film
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
Dr. Alex Cular
2018
Film
Bad News
Sally
1983
Film
Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
The Goose (voice)
2024
Film
Sumotherhood
DI Brookes
2023
Film
Allelujah
Sister Gilpin
2023
Film
The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
Badsister 1
1988
Film
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
Meryl Streep / Cher
2019
Film
Prince Cinders
Fairy (voice)
1993
Film
L'Entente cordiale
Gwendoline McFarlane
2006
Film
People's Emergency Briefing
Herself
2026
Film
Gino: Full Story and Pics
Angie
1984
Film
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
Dorcas
1990
Film
French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years
2011
Pongwiffy
2002
Film
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1
Cathy
1990
Film
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon
2024
Film
Bottom Mindless Violence
Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)
2004
Film
The Comic Strip
1981
Film
Customer Service From Hell
1989
Film
An Audience With Victoria Wood
Self
1988
Film
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day
Self
2017
Film
Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
Self - Presenter
2017
Film
Grandpa's Great Escape
Miss Dandy
2018
Film
30 Years of Comic Strip
2012
Film
The Best of French & Saunders
Various
2002
Film
The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever!
Self
2012
Film
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
Jessica
1986
Film
Red Nose of Courage
Margaret Thatcher
1992
Film
Five Go Mad on Mescalin
Anne
1983
Film
It’s Lulu
Self
1999
Film
We Work for the Dead
The Mother (voice)
2024
Film
More Bad News
Sally
1988
Film
Comedians Do It On Stage
Self
1986
Film
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Monica
1988
Film
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
Various Roles
1994
Film
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie!
Cathy
1990
Film
Absolutely Fabulous: A Life
Edina "Eddy" Monsoon
1998
Film
Wild Turkey
Neighbour
1992
Film
Becoming Victoria Wood
Self
2026
Film
French & Saunders: Still Alive
Self
2008
Film
Private Enterprise
Debbie
1986
Film
A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques
Shona
1984
Film
The Supergrass
Lesley Reynolds
1985
Film
Colleagues From Hell
1989
Film
Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders
2011
Film
Coraline: The Making of 'Coraline'
Self
2009
Film
GLC: The Carnage Continues
Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden
1990
Film
The Beat Generation
Anne
1983
Film
French & Saunders: At the Movies
1993
Film
Communicators From Hell
1989
Film
Mirrorball
Vivienne Keill
2000
Film
Five Go Mad in Dorset
Anne
1982
Film
How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage)
1995
Film
Dirty Movie
June
1984
Film
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
Self - Featured Artist
2023
Film
Oxford
Hannah
1990
Film
Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
Doreen
1984
Film
Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
French & Saunders: Funny Women
Self
2021
Film
The Strike
Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
1988
Film
Five Go to Rehab
Anne
2012
Film
French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88
Various Characters
1988
Film
French & Saunders - Live
Various roles
2000
Film
Susie
Lorna
1984
Film
Lady Windermere's Fan
The Duchess of Berwick
2018
Film
French & Saunders LIVE
1990
Film
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat
Self (uncredited)
2023
Film
Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl
Self
2001
The Silurian Disruption
Silurian #2
1987
Film
Four Men in a Car
Helen
1998
Film
Completely Bad News
Sally
2019
We Love Sitcom
2016
Film
300 Years of French & Saunders
2017
Film
War
Various Roles
1983
Film
Slags
Little Sister
1984