Jennifer Saunders

Jennifer Saunders – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

: Learn about Jennifer Saunders — the British comedian, writer, and actress best known for French & Saunders and Absolutely Fabulous. Discover her early life, career milestones, legacy, and quotes.

Introduction

Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is a celebrated English comedian, actress, writer, and television personality. Absolutely Fabulous, where she played the role of Edina Monsoon.

Early Life and Family

Jennifer Saunders was born on 6 July 1958 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England.

In her schooling years, she attended various boarding and comprehensive schools, culminating in studies at St Paul's Girls’ School in London.

Youth, Training & Early Influence

Saunders pursued formal training at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.

While at drama school, Saunders initially resisted the idea of being a performer; she had applied for a drama teachers’ track, inadvertently filling out that application form (which her mother submitted on her behalf). The Menopause Sisters, where they tried out sketches involving tampons in ears and other provocative bits.

They entered the circuit of alternative comedy venues such as The Comedy Store and became associated with The Comic Strip troupe, which included performers like Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, and Robbie Coltrane.

Career and Achievements

French & Saunders and Sketch Comedy

In 1987, Saunders and Dawn French launched French & Saunders, a sketch comedy show on BBC Two. BAFTA Fellowship in 2009.

They also participated in The Comic Strip Presents… anthology series, which gained cult status in the 1980s.

Absolutely Fabulous and Solo Success

While French & Saunders established her comedic identity, Saunders’s greatest solo success came with Absolutely Fabulous (often shortened to Ab Fab).

She both wrote and starred in the series, portraying Edina Monsoon, a boozy, glamorous, perpetually scheming fashion PR agent whose life is a tornado of excess, motherhood, and midlife crises. Joanna Lumley as Patsy Stone, Edina’s equally outlandish best friend.

Absolutely Fabulous first aired in 1992 and spanned multiple series, special episodes, and a feature film adaptation in 2016.

Because of her work on Ab Fab and her comedic innovations, Saunders is often praised as a trailblazing female voice in comedy.

Film, Voice Work & Other Projects

Saunders’s on-screen work extends beyond comedy:

• She voiced Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2 (2004), singing “Holding Out for a Hero.”

• She voiced Miss Spink in Coraline (2009).

• She voiced Queen Elizabeth II in Minions and Miss Nana Noodleman in Sing and Sing 2.

• Her film appearances also include Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Eat the Rich (1987), In the Bleak Midwinter (1995), Spiceworld (1997, cameo), and Fanny & Elvis (1999).

• In television, she created and starred in Jam & Jerusalem (2006–2009) about a rural women’s institute.

• She also wrote The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle (2007), a black comedy about a daytime TV show host.

• On stage, she has acted in plays such as Lady Windermere’s Fan, Blithe Spirit, and Sister Act the Musical.

• In 2023, she made her pantomime debut as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

Awards & Honors

• Saunders has won multiple BAFTA awards and honors, culminating in a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009.

• She has also won an International Emmy Award, Writers’ Guild Awards, and British Comedy Awards.

• She was awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Exeter (2007) and Edge Hill University (2011).

• Notably, Saunders—together with Dawn French—declined an OBE in 2001.

Personality, Style & Creative Philosophy

Saunders is known for her fearless, outrageous comedic voice, unafraid to push boundaries, satirize celebrity culture, and dig into flawed, chaotic characters.

Her creative model often combines writing and performance. She embeds herself deeply in the comedic process: creating, scripting, acting, and shaping tone.

In personal life, she has been open about health challenges. In 2010 she disclosed having been treated for breast cancer, undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and subsequently entering remission. Smart Works, a charitable organization helping unemployed women through coaching and clothing.

Famous Quotes

Here are a few notable quotes attributed to Jennifer Saunders:

“Everything has been fairly random, happened by accident or just fallen into place.”
— Bonkers: My Life in Laughs (her memoir)

“I have always been too shy to be a stand-up comic. I always found it easier to hide behind characters.”
— (often quoted in interviews about her comedic style)

“I was in bed—ill, depressed—and I thought, ‘I’ll try writing a sketch.’”
— (on how Ab Fab began)

“Comedy is fear disguised as laughter.”
— (reflections on comedic performance)

Lessons from Jennifer Saunders

1. Blaze your own trail
   Saunders turned a single sketch (#“Modern Mother & Daughter”) into an entire sitcom empire. Her career shows how small ideas—well executed—can grow into cultural phenomena.

2. Embrace boldness and contrast
   Her characters often live in extremes—absurdity, glamour, chaos—but find resonance because they reflect real human flaws.

3. Be a writer-performer
   Saunders embodies the hybrid creative model. She shapes her comedic vision by writing and performing it, rather than outsourcing her voice.

4. Resilience in adversity
   Her frankness about breast cancer and return to creative work shows both courage and the ability to integrate life’s challenges into art.

5. Collaboration matters
   Her partnership with Dawn French was vital—not only in co-writing and performing, but pushing each other creatively over decades.

Conclusion

Jennifer Saunders is a comedic force whose work reshaped British comedy and inspired many writers and performers globally. From her early days in The Comic Strip to the cult success of Absolutely Fabulous, she has continued to evolve, fearlessly challenge norms, and maintain a unique voice. Her quotes reflect humility, reflection, and the unpredictable nature of success.