Stars From The Nanny You Didn't Know Died
If you've ever found joy in the reliable plot lines, outlandish outfits, or distinctive accents of "The Nanny," you have one person to thank. No, not Fran Drescher. Twiggy. That's right. Without the '60s supermodel, everyone's favorite '90s sitcom might not exist today. When Drescher sat down to talk to "Studio 10" about the creation and enduring legacy of the series, she explained just how instrumental her friend Twiggy had been behind the scenes.
Here's the story: Twiggy invited Drescher to visit her in her home in the South of France. Drescher, being the thrifty New Yorker we all know her to be, used some frequent flyer miles to upgrade her ticket to first class, where she serendipitously sat next to the president of CBS. By the time they'd landed, she'd secured a meeting with him, and he'd promised to hear her pitch.
So she called her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, and the two began brainstorming a plot. Here, Twiggy came through again. It turns out, she hadn't been completely honest about the fact that she'd be working the entire time Drescher was visiting. Twiggy left a woefully unprepared Drescher in charge of her 12-year-old daughter. The rest, as they say, is history.
"The Nanny" landed on the streaming platform HBO Max, allowing audiences to revisit it (or, in some cases, enjoy it for the first time). In honor of its enduring popularity, we're remembering stars from "The Nanny" who you might not know have died.
Ann Morgan Guilbert
Grandma Yetta, Fran Fine's forgetful, slightly bonkers relative, was brought to life by Ann Morgan Guilbert, an actor with almost six decades of industry experience. Unlike Grandma Yetta, whose European origins are mysterious and never fully explained, Guilbert was born in Minneapolis in 1928. According to The New York Times, she got her big break in "The Billy Barnes Revue," which made its off-Broadway premiere in 1959, before quickly moving on to other theater roles.
Aside from "The Nanny," Guilbert is perhaps best known for her role in "The Dick Van Dyke Show," where she played the Petries' neighbor, the perky Millie Helper. Guilbert was in her 60s when "The Nanny" hit airwaves. She appeared in 56 episodes, bringing comic relief to every scene she was in, thanks to her jumbled grasp on reality (she's convinced Fran is married to Mr. Sheffield through most of the series' run) and doddering antics.
In 2016, at the age of 87, she died of cancer. Fran Drescher remembered her through a series of tweets, writing, "Grandma Yetta I love you!" and "I feel so sad about Annie. She was brilliant [as] my Grandma Yetta. Such a sweet woman too." Drescher continued, "Such a great actress! I thank you Annie. Thank you for all the laughs! May you be cracking them up in heaven!"
Ray Charles
Often simply called "the Genius," Ray Charles was an innovator in soul music, introducing the world to a style of rock that combined secular lyrics and gospel instrumentals. NPR reported that he began working as a professional musician at the age of 15, leaving the school for the deaf and blind he'd been attending to eventually tour the U.S., showing off his unique new style.
By the time "The Nanny" came along in the 1990s, Charles was an institution. After earning 17 Grammys (plus a lifetime achievement award in 1987), recording hundreds of tracks, and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, he was ready to branch out into projects that could best be described as pure fun. In the sitcom, he played Grandma Yetta's love interest, Sammy, over the course of four episodes.
While his run didn't last long, the core cast seemed to have enjoyed his presence on the set. Fran Drescher posted a conglomeration of photos on Instagram with the caption, "When I invited Ray Charles to join the Nanny cast as Grandma Yetta's fiance and he said yes, well we were all beyond thrilled."
In 2004, The New York Times reported that Charles died at 73 years of age, following complications from liver disease.
Joseph Bologna
On-screen, Joseph Bologna played Dr. Joe Razzo, the physician Fran's mom, Sylvia Fine, was having an affair with. Off-screen, Bologna was happily married to Renée Taylor, the actor who played Sylvia, for more than 50 years.
Bologna was raised in Brooklyn, graduated from Brown University with an art history degree, and served in the Marines (even though he was already interested in acting). He then worked on television commercials at ad agencies in Manhattan.
The star spent much of his career collaborating with Taylor, whom he first met in a comedy club. Together the duo wrote 22 plays, as well as several movie and TV projects. Their most notable works, according to Variety, were "Lovers and Other Strangers," a Broadway play turned Oscar-nominated movie, and "Made for Each Other," a film that earned a Writers Guild Award. Outside of writing these works and starring in the latter with his wife, Bologna was best known for playing King Kaiser, a character based on Sid Caesar, on "My Favorite Year."
In 2017, Bologna died of pancreatic cancer. His wife, and occasional co-star, remembered him to The West Australian, saying, "He had a beautiful life." His manager, Matt Sherman, echoed similar sentiments, telling the outlet, "Joe was a loveable man, a kind soul, a good friend, and always a pleasure to be with."
Spalding Gray
Many of the actors who starred in "The Nanny" came to the series with a background in comedy. That was not the case with Spalding Gray. Known for his dramatic, autobiographical monologues (many of which were turned into films), Gray didn't have tons of experience making audiences laugh before agreeing to take part in the series.
That's not to say that his character, Dr. Jack Miller, wasn't funny in his own wry way. Appearing primarily in Season 4, Dr. Miller was Fran's psychologist, who helped her work through many of her enduring (if not all that serious) issues. The Los Angeles Times said the actor's "extended guest run... was particularly enjoyable."
Born in Rhode Island, Gray's most well-known works are the 1987 film "Swimming to Cambodia" and its follow-up, 1992's "Monster in a Box." He once told Charlie Rose that it was his "relatively honest voice" that made his work as a monologist stand apart. He also managed to bring this same unique voice into his role on the sitcom.
In 2004, The New York Times reported that Gray had died by suicide.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Allan Rich
A popular character actor, Allan Rich was born in 1926 in New York City and lived in the Bronx and Queens as a child. He made his professional debut at the young age of 17, in Milton Berle's Broadway production of "I'll Take the High Road," and really never stopped working after that point. A particularly impressive feat considering he was blacklisted in Hollywood in the 1950s, following his attempts to get a wrongly-convicted Black man freed from death row (per The Hollywood Reporter).
In 1951, he married Elaine Rich, who managed a number of stars, including Fran Drescher. It could have been this connection that led to Allan landing a number of acting credits on "The Nanny": Pauly the Pawnbroker, The Judge, and Uncle Ray. He maintained his friendship with Drescher for the rest of his life. When Rich died, Drescher eulogized him to Variety, saying, "He lived large and was quite heroic to many including me when faced with the depths of despair. He had a great intellect and excelled in everything he set his mind to. He was always on the side of good and right."
In 2020, Rich died of progressive dementia at the age of 94.
Marilyn Cooper
Another Bronx native, Marilyn Cooper was primarily a Broadway actor. She had roles in the original productions of "West Side Story" and "Gypsy," and she also worked on the shows "Woman of the Year," "Two by Two," and "I Can Get It For You Wholesale." For her part in "Woman of the Year" (which The New York Times called "a few minutes of show-stopping hilarity"), she won a Tony Award in 1981.
Her impeccable comedic timing translated well to the screen, where she had guest-starring roles on series including "Cheers," "Caroline in the City," and "The Nanny." On "The Nanny," she played Nettie Fine, Fran's paternal grandmother. Her character, much like Grandma Yetta, was forgetful and flashy, with an affinity for cigarettes and a deep dislike of her daughter-in-law, Sylvia.
Cooper's friend, Virginia Seidel, a fellow actor, remembered her to the Times as having "a super voice and super comedic timing." In 2009, Cooper died at The Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey. She was 74.