Jennifer Saunders
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.
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Movies (111)
Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
2026 · Bess Hilbery
People's Emergency Briefing
2026 · Herself
El Árbol Mágico
2026 · Grandma
Becoming Victoria Wood
2026 · Self
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
2024 · Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon, Executive Producer
Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
2024 · Self (archive footage)
Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
2024 · The Goose (voice)
200% lobo
2024 · Max (voice)
We Work for the Dead
2024 · The Mother (voice)
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat
2023 · Self (uncredited)
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
2023 · Self - Featured Artist
Sumotherhood
2023 · DI Brookes
Allelujah
2023 · Sister Gilpin
Muerte en el Nilo
2022 · Marie Van Schuyler
The Best Birthday Ever
2022 · Mother (voice)
Sing 2: ¡Ven y Canta de Nuevo!
2021 · Nana (voice)
French & Saunders: Funny Women
2021 · Self
Completely Bad News
2019 · Sally
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
2019 · Meryl Streep / Cher, Writer
¿No Es Romántico?
2019 · Natalie's Mother
Patrick
2018 · Maureen
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
2018 · Dr. Alex Cular
Lady Windermere's Fan
2018 · The Duchess of Berwick
Grandpa's Great Escape
2018 · Miss Dandy
300 Years of French & Saunders
2017
Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
2017 · Self - Presenter
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day
2017 · Self
Sing: ¡Ven y canta!
2016 · Nana (voice)
British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
2016 · Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
We Love Sitcom
2016
Absolutamente Fabulosas: La Película
2016 · Edina Monsoon, Screenplay
El Increíble Viaje de Hombre-Rama
2015 · Narrator (voice)
Los Minions
2015 · The Queen (voice)
The Boy in the Dress
2014 · Miss Windsor
The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever!
2012 · Self
Five Go to Rehab
2012 · Anne
30 Years of Comic Strip
2012
The Hunt for Tony Blair
2011 · Lady Thatcher
French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years
2011
Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders
2011
Coraline: The Making of 'Coraline'
2009 · Self
Coraline
2009 · Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
French & Saunders: Still Alive
2008 · Self, Writer
L'Entente cordiale
2006 · Gwendoline McFarlane
Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
2004 · Self
Bottom Mindless Violence
2004 · Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Making of Shrek 2
2004 · Self
Shrek 2
2004 · Fairy Godmother (voice)
More Great Comedy Moments
2003 · Jodie Foster / Eddie Monsoon (archive footage), Writer
The Best of French & Saunders
2002 · Various, Writer
Absolutely Fabulous
2001 · Une spectatrice du défilé, Writer
Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl
2001 · Self
Mirrorball
2000 · Vivienne Keill, Writer, Creator
French & Saunders - Live
2000 · Various roles, Writer
Fanny & Elvis
1999 · Roanna
It’s Lulu
1999 · Self
Absolutely Fabulous: A Life
1998 · Edina "Eddy" Monsoon, Writer
Four Men in a Car
1998 · Helen
Spice World
1997 · Fashionable Woman
Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
1996 · Edina Monsoon, Writer
Muppet Treasure Island
1996 · Mrs. Bluveridge
In the Bleak Midwinter
1995 · Nancy
How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
1995 · Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage), Writer
French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
1994 · Various Roles, Writer
Dusty
1994 · Self - Presenter
Prince Cinders
1993 · Fairy (voice)
Jealousy
1993 · Jane/Margory
Demonella
1993 · The Devil
Space Virgins from Planet Sex
1993 · Needle
French & Saunders: At the Movies
1993
Wild Turkey
1992 · Neighbour
Red Nose of Courage
1992 · Margaret Thatcher
Amnesty International's Big 30
1991 · Self
The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
1990 · Dorcas
French & Saunders LIVE
1990
Spaghetti Hoops
1990 · Maria
Oxford
1990 · Hannah
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1
1990 · Cathy
South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie!
1990 · Cathy
GLC: The Carnage Continues
1990 · Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden
The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
1989 · Self
Employees From Hell
1989
Communicators From Hell
1989
Customer Service From Hell
1989
Colleagues From Hell
1989
French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88
1988 · Various Characters, Writer
An Audience With Victoria Wood
1988 · Self
The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
1988 · Badsister 1
Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
1988 · Monica
More Bad News
1988 · Sally
The Strike
1988 · Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
Eat the Rich
1987 · Lady Caroline
The Silurian Disruption
1987 · Silurian #2, Writer
Comedians Do It On Stage
1986 · Self
Private Enterprise
1986 · Debbie
Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
1986 · Jessica, Writer
Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
1986
The Supergrass
1985 · Lesley Reynolds
Slags
1984 · Little Sister, Writer
Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
1984 · Doreen
Gino: Full Story and Pics
1984 · Angie
A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques
1984 · Shona
Susie
1984 · Lorna
Dirty Movie
1984 · June
Five Go Mad on Mescalin
1983 · Anne
Summer School
1983 · Liz
Bad News
1983 · Sally
The Beat Generation
1983 · Anne
War
1983 · Various Roles
Five Go Mad in Dorset
1982 · Anne
The Comic Strip
1981 · Writer
TV shows (60)
The Claudia Winkleman Show
2026 · Self
Demasiado
2025 · Fiona
Only Child
2024 · Sally
Fantasy Football League
2022 · Themselves
El Pentavirato
2022 · Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
2021 · Self
Richard Osman's House of Games Night
2020 · Self
No hables con extraños
2020 · Heidi Doyle
Celebrity Gogglebox
2019 · Self
There's Something About Movies
2019 · Self - Team Captain
Moominvalley
2019 · Mymble
Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief
2017 · Self - Judge
Insert Name Here
2016 · Self - Panelist
Josh
2015 · Judith
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015 · Self - Guest
Gogglebox
2013 · Self
The Last Leg
2013 · Self
The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
2013 · Self - Contestant
Blandings
2013 · Lady Constance Keeble
Dead Boss
2012 · Governor Margaret
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
2012 · Self - Host
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
2011 · Self - Participant
This Is Jinsy
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · Self - Guest
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
2007 · Creator
A Bucket O' French and Saunders
2007 · Creator
Would I Lie to You?
2007 · Self
El show de Graham Norton
2007 · Self
Jam and Jerusalem
2006 · Caroline Martin, Writer, Creator
Parkinson
2004 · Self - Guest
Top Gear
2002 · Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car, Self
Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy
2002 · Self
Pongwiffy
2002
The Magician's House
1999 · The Rat (voice)
Let Them Eat Cake
1999
Parkinson
1998 · Self
TFI Friday
1996
Friends
1994 · Andrea Waltham
Absolutely Fabulous
1992 · Edina Monsoon, Writer, Creator
Have I Got News for You
1990 · Self, Self - Hostess
Rita Rudner
1990
Los Simpson
1989 · Phoebe Pratt (voice)
Roseanne
1988 · Edina Monsoon, Writer
The Storyteller
1988 · Badsister 1
Comic Relief
1988
Going Live!
1987 · Self
French & Saunders
1987 · Various Characters, Writer, Creator
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986
The Dangerous Brothers
1986
Girls On Top
1985 · Jennifer, Writer, Creator
Happy Families
1985 · Granny Fuddle
The Young Ones
1982 · Sue, Helen Mucus
The Comic Strip Presents...
1982 · Anne, Chas/Marilyn/Captain/Drunk, Sally, Liz, June, Lorna, Shona/Second Nun/Horse Rider, Angie, Doreen, Little Sister, Jessica, Debbie, Meryl Streep, Monica, Cathy, Ice Maiden, Hannah, Maria, Writer
Wogan
1982 · Self
An Audience with...
1978 · Self
The Secret Policeman's Ball
1976 · Self
Film '72
1971 · Self
Omnibus
1967
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
· Self - Presenter, Self - Panellist
AbFab
· Executive Producer