
Jennifer Saunders
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.
TV Shows(53)

The Claudia Winkleman Show
Self
2026

Too Much
Fiona
2025

Only Child
Sally
2024

Fantasy Football League
Themselves
2022

The Pentaverate
Maester of Dubrovnik / Saester of Dubrovnik
2022

Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
Self
2021

Richard Osman's House of Games Night
Self
2020

The Stranger
Heidi Doyle
2020

Celebrity Gogglebox
Self
2019

There's Something About Movies
Self - Team Captain
2019

Moominvalley
Mymble
2019

Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief
Self - Judge
2017

Insert Name Here
Self - Panelist
2016

Josh
Judith
2015

Gogglebox
Self
2013

The Last Leg
Self
2013

The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
Self - Contestant
2013

Blandings
Lady Constance Keeble
2013

Dead Boss
Governor Margaret
2012

The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
Self - Host
2012

Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Self - Participant
2011

This Is Jinsy
2010

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009

The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
2007

A Bucket O' French and Saunders
2007

Would I Lie to You?
Self
2007

The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007

Jam and Jerusalem
Caroline Martin
2006

Top Gear
Self - Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car
2002
Pongwiffy
2002

The Magician's House
The Rat (voice)
1999

Let Them Eat Cake
1999

Parkinson
Self
1998

Friends
Andrea Waltham
1994

Absolutely Fabulous
Edina Monsoon
1992

Have I Got News for You
Self
1990

Rita Rudner
1990

The Simpsons
Phoebe Pratt (voice)
1989

Roseanne
Edina Monsoon
1988

The Storyteller
Badsister 1
1988
Comic Relief
1988

Going Live!
Self
1987

French & Saunders
Various Characters
1987

Omnibus Presents Comic Relief
1986

The Dangerous Brothers
1986

Girls On Top
Jennifer
1985

Happy Families
Granny Fuddle
1985

The Young Ones
Sue
1982

The Comic Strip Presents...
Anne
1982

Wogan
Self
1982

An Audience with...
Self
1978

The Secret Policeman's Ball
Self
1976

Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Self - Presenter
Movies(110)

Night & Day
Mrs Hilbery
2026

People's Emergency Briefing
2026

The Magic Faraway Tree
Grandma
2026

Becoming Victoria Wood
Self
2026

Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out
Self / Edina "Eddie" Monsoon
2024

Kirsty MacColl at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2024

Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
The Goose (voice)
2024

200% Wolf
Max (voice)
2024

We Work for the Dead
The Mother (voice)
2024

Dawn French Is a Huge Twat
Self (uncredited)
2023

imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
Self - Featured Artist
2023

Sumotherhood
DI Brookes
2023

Allelujah
Sister Gilpin
2023

Death on the Nile
Marie Van Schuyler
2022

The Best Birthday Ever
Mother (voice)
2022

Sing 2
Nana (voice)
2021

French & Saunders: Funny Women
Self
2021

Completely Bad News
Sally
2019

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Yet Again
Meryl Streep / Cher
2019

Isn't It Romantic
Natalie's Mother
2019

Patrick
Maureen
2018

Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
Dr. Alex Cular
2018

Lady Windermere's Fan
The Duchess of Berwick
2018

Grandpa's Great Escape
Miss Dandy
2018

300 Years of French & Saunders
2017

Joanna and Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
Self - Presenter
2017

Comic Relief: Red Nose Day
Self
2017

Sing
Nana (voice)
2016

British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves
Comedy Role (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016
We Love Sitcom
2016

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Edina Monsoon
2016

Stick Man
Narrator (voice)
2015

Minions
Reine Elizabeth II (voice)
2015

The Boy in the Dress
Miss Windsor
2014

The Spice Girls Story: Viva Forever!
Self
2012

Five Go to Rehab
Anne
2012

30 Years of Comic Strip
2012

The Hunt for Tony Blair
Lady Thatcher
2011

Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders
2011

French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years
2011

Coraline: The Making of 'Coraline'
Self
2009

Coraline
Miss April Spink / Other Spink (voice)
2009

French and Saunders: Still Alive
Self
2008

L'Entente cordiale
Gwendoline McFarlane
2006

Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball?
Self
2004

Bottom Mindless Violence
Helen Mucus / Anita Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)
2004

Shrek 2
Fairy Godmother (voice)
2004

The Best of French & Saunders
Various
2002

Absolutely Fabulous
Une spectatrice du défilé
2001

Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl
Self
2001

Mirrorball
Vivienne Keill
2000

French & Saunders - Live
Various roles
2000

Fanny & Elvis
Roanna
1999

It’s Lulu
Self
1999

Absolutely Fabulous: A Life
Edina "Eddy" Monsoon
1998

Four Men in a Car
Helen
1998

Spice World
Fashionable Woman
1997

Absolutely Fabulous: The Last Shout
Edina Monsoon
1996

Muppet Treasure Island
Mrs. Bluveridge
1996

In the Bleak Midwinter
Nancy
1995

How to Be Absolutely Fabulous
Self / Edina "Eddy" Monsoon (archive footage)
1995

French and Saunders' Christmas Carol
Various Roles
1994

Dusty
Self - Presenter
1994

Prince Cinders
Fairy (voice)
1993

Jealousy
Jane/Margory
1993

Demonella
The Devil
1993

Space Virgins from Planet Sex
Needle
1993

French & Saunders: At the Movies
1993

Wild Turkey
Neighbour
1992

Red Nose of Courage
Margaret Thatcher
1992

Amnesty International's Big 30
Self
1991

The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
Dorcas
1990

French & Saunders LIVE
1990

Spaghetti Hoops
Maria
1990

Oxford
Hannah
1990

South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1
Cathy
1990

South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie!
Cathy
1990

GLC: The Carnage Continues
Brigitte Nielsen as Margaret Thatcher, The Ice Maiden
1990

The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball
Self
1989

Employees From Hell
1989

Communicators From Hell
1989

Customer Service From Hell
1989

Colleagues From Hell
1989

French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88
Various Characters
1988

An Audience With Victoria Wood
Self
1988

Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Monica
1988

More Bad News
Sally
1988

The Strike
Meryl Streep as Mrs Scargill
1988

Eat the Rich
Lady Caroline
1987
The Silurian Disruption
Silurian #2
1987

Comedians Do It On Stage
Self
1986

Private Enterprise
Debbie
1986

Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders)
Jessica
1986

Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
1986

The Supergrass
Lesley Reynolds
1985

Happy Families
Granny / Cassie / Madeleine / Joyce / Roxanne Fuddle
1985

Slags
Little Sister
1984

Eddie Monsoon - a Life?
Doreen
1984

Gino: Full Story and Pics
Angie
1984

A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques
Shona
1984

Susie
Lorna
1984

Dirty Movie
June
1984

Five Go Mad on Mescalin
Anne
1983

Summer School
Liz
1983

Bad News
Sally
1983

The Beat Generation
Anne
1983

War
Various Roles
1983

Five Go Mad in Dorset
Anne
1982

The Comic Strip
1981

The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
Badsister 1