Personal details
Known for
Acting
Gender
Female
Born
6 juillet 1958 (68)
Place of birth
Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Also known as
Jennifer Jane Saunders
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.
Connu(e) pour
7.9
Film
Coraline
Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
2009
7.8
Film
Sing 2
Nana (voice)
2021
7.3
Film
Shrek 2
Fairy Godmother (voice)
2004
6.4
Film
Death on the Nile
Marie Van Schuyler
2022
7.1
Film
Sing
Nana (voice)
2016
6.4
Film
Minions
The Queen (voice)
2015
7.6
Series
Absolutely Fabulous
Edina Monsoon
1992–2012
6.2
Film
The Magic Faraway Tree
Grandma
2026
7.2
Series
The Stranger
Heidi Doyle
2020
7.4
Series
The Comic Strip Presents...
1982–1993
7.4
Series
French & Saunders
Various Characters
1987–2004
6.7
Film
Muppet Treasure Island
Mrs. Bluveridge
1996
6.8
Film
Stick Man
Narrator (voice)
2015
5.6
Series
The Pentaverate
Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
2022
0.0
Film
Summer School
Liz
1983
7.2
Series
Blandings
Lady Constance Keeble
2013–2014
6.4
Film
Fanny & Elvis
Roanna
1999
7.1
Series
Jam and Jerusalem
Caroline Martin
2006–2009
8.0
Film
Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
Bess Hilbery
2026
4.9
Series
Girls On Top
Jennifer
1985–1986
6.2
Film
Isn't It Romantic
Natalie's Mother
2019
6.0
Series
The Magician's House
The Rat (voice)
1999–2000
7.3
Series
Happy Families
Granny Fuddle
1985
7.3
Series
Let Them Eat Cake
1999
6.7
Film
200% Wolf
Max (voice)
2024
4.0
Series
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986
7.2
Film
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
Dr. Alex Cular
2018
6.7
Film
Patrick
Maureen
2018
8.0
Film
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon
2024
5.3
Film
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Edina Monsoon
2016
6.0
Series
Dead Boss
Governor Margaret
2012
6.2
Series
A Bucket O' French and Saunders
2007
6.0
Film
Becoming Victoria Wood
Self
2026
6.9
Series
There's Something About Movies
Self - Team Captain
2019–2021
6.2
Series
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
2007
6.5
Film
Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
The Goose (voice)
2024
5.3
Film
Sumotherhood
DI Brookes
2023
5.2
Film
Allelujah
Sister Gilpin
2023
6.1
Film
Grandpa's Great Escape
Miss Dandy
2018
5.0
Film
We Work for the Dead
The Mother (voice)
2024
7.6
Film
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
Meryl Streep / Cher
2019
8.5
Film
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat
Self (uncredited)
2023
7.0
Film
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
Self - Featured Artist
2023
6.5
Film
Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2024
9.0
Film
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day
Self
2017
10.0
Film
Lady Windermere's Fan
The Duchess of Berwick
2018
10.0
Film
Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
Self - Presenter
2017
6.7
Film
The Best Birthday Ever
Mother (voice)
2022
8.0
Film
French & Saunders: Funny Women
Self
2021
Acting credits 49 titles
Becoming Victoria Wood
as Self
6.0
2026
Virginia Woolf's Night & Day
as Bess Hilbery
8.0
2026
The Magic Faraway Tree
as Grandma
6.2
2026
We Work for the Dead
as The Mother (voice)
5.0
2024
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
as Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon
8.0
2024
Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
as Self (archive footage)
6.5
2024
200% Wolf
as Max (voice)
6.7
2024
Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
as The Goose (voice)
6.5
2024
Allelujah
as Sister Gilpin
5.2
2023
Dawn French Is a Huge Twat
as Self (uncredited)
8.5
2023
imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
as Self - Featured Artist
7.0
2023
Sumotherhood
as DI Brookes
5.3
2023
The Best Birthday Ever
as Mother (voice)
6.7
2022
The Pentaverate
as Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
5.6
2022
Death on the Nile
as Marie Van Schuyler
6.4
2022
French & Saunders: Funny Women
as Self
8.0
2021
Sing 2
as Nana (voice)
7.8
2021
The Stranger
as Heidi Doyle
7.2
2020
There's Something About Movies
as Self - Team Captain
6.9
2019–2021
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
as Meryl Streep / Cher
7.6
2019
Isn't It Romantic
as Natalie's Mother
6.2
2019
Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
as Dr. Alex Cular
7.2
2018
Lady Windermere's Fan
as The Duchess of Berwick
10.0
2018
Grandpa's Great Escape
as Miss Dandy
6.1
2018
Patrick
as Maureen
6.7
2018
Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
as Self - Presenter
10.0
2017
Comic Relief: Red Nose Day
as Self
9.0
2017
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
as Edina Monsoon
5.3
2016
Sing
as Nana (voice)
7.1
2016
Stick Man
as Narrator (voice)
6.8
2015
Minions
as The Queen (voice)
6.4
2015
Blandings
as Lady Constance Keeble
7.2
2013–2014
Dead Boss
as Governor Margaret
6.0
2012
Coraline
as Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
7.9
2009
The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
6.2
2007
A Bucket O' French and Saunders
6.2
2007
Jam and Jerusalem
as Caroline Martin
7.1
2006–2009
Shrek 2
as Fairy Godmother (voice)
7.3
2004
Let Them Eat Cake
7.3
1999
Fanny & Elvis
as Roanna
6.4
1999
The Magician's House
as The Rat (voice)
6.0
1999–2000
Muppet Treasure Island
as Mrs. Bluveridge
6.7
1996
Absolutely Fabulous
as Edina Monsoon
7.6
1992–2012
French & Saunders
as Various Characters
7.4
1987–2004
Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
4.0
1986
Girls On Top
as Jennifer
4.9
1985–1986
Happy Families
as Granny Fuddle
7.3
1985
Summer School
as Liz
0.0
1983
The Comic Strip Presents...
7.4
1982–1993