Renee Taylor
Encyclopedia
Renée Taylor is an American
actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director
, best-known for having played Fran Drescher
's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny
.
nightclub Bon Soir. Her opening act was a then unknown Barbra Streisand
. In 1968, Taylor played Eva Braun
in the feature film The Producers
.
Taylor and her husband, Joseph Bologna
, co-wrote the Broadway hit comedy Lovers and Other Strangers
, and received Oscar nominations for having written the 1970 film adaptation. In 1971, the couple co-wrote and starred in the film Made for Each Other
. Their screenplay received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award
for Best Comedy.
From 1992 to 1994, Taylor played the stereotypically overbearing Jewish mother of the lead character on the HBO series Dream On
. Beginning in 1993, she began playing the overbearing mother of Fran, the title character on The Nanny
. The two roles overlapped while both shows were on the air at the same time.
Taylor is most often recognized for her standout role in The Nanny
, in which she played Sylvia, the overbearing mother of thirty-something Fran Fine (Fran Drescher
), who is determined to live to see her daughter get married. Her character is intent on finding Fran a husband and has a passionate love for food. Taylor's husband, Joseph Bologna
, made a guest appearance on The Nanny
as an egocentric actor named Allan Beck, who tormented Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy
); and, in the final season, Bologna again guest-starred on the series, playing an admirer of Sylvia in the episode "Maternal Affairs".
In recent years, Taylor has guest-starred as Ted Mosby
's neighbor, Mrs. Matsen, on How I Met Your Mother
. She also had a guest-starring role on the Disney
show, Shake It Up
, portraying a cranky, mean elderly woman in a retirement home (once again as same character), as well as a guest-starring role on the Nickelodeon
show, Victorious
as Robbie's cranky grandmother who needed Robbie's help with the internet. In addition to her numerous guest-starring appearances, Taylor has worked as a voice-actor as the character Mrs. Start in the animated feature film Ice Age: The Meltdown
, and as Linda's mother Gloria in the animated Fox
series Bob's Burgers
. Taylor also played Martha Benson in the film Opposite Day, released in 2009
Taylor also guest-starred on Fran Drescher
's newest show Happily Divorced
as Fran's mother's best friend. A reference is made to The Nanny when Taylor's character tells Fran that she's the daughter she never had, and again when Fran looks to the camera and states "I'm feeling some deja vu" as Taylor eats a piece of cake.
Taylor is currently part of the voice cast of Allen Gregory
, she voices the character Principal Gottlieb.
since 1965, and is the mother of actor Gabriel Bologna. Taylor is about 5'8" and has voiced a love for animals in recent years.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress, Academy Award nominated writer and one-time director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, best-known for having played Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
's outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny
The Nanny (TV series)
The Nanny is an American television sitcom co-produced by Sternin & Fraser Ink, Inc., and Fran Drescher in association with TriStar Television for the CBS network...
.
Career
Born in the Bronx, New York, Taylor worked as a comedian in the early 1960s at the New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
nightclub Bon Soir. Her opening act was a then unknown Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
. In 1968, Taylor played Eva Braun
Eva Braun
Eva Anna Paula Hitler was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich, when she was 17 years old, while working as an assistant and model for his personal photographer and began seeing him often about two years later...
in the feature film The Producers
The Producers (1968 film)
The Producers is a 1968 American satirical dark comedy cult classic film written and directed by Mel Brooks. The film is set in the late 1960s and it tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who want to produce a sure-fire Broadway flop...
.
Taylor and her husband, Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
, co-wrote the Broadway hit comedy Lovers and Other Strangers
Lovers and Other Strangers
Lovers and Other Strangers is a 1970 comedy film based on the play by Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The film features an ensemble cast including Richard Castellano, Gig Young, Cloris Leachman, Anne Jackson, Beatrice Arthur, Bonnie Bedelia, Michael Brandon, Harry Guardino, Anne Meara, Bob Dishy,...
, and received Oscar nominations for having written the 1970 film adaptation. In 1971, the couple co-wrote and starred in the film Made for Each Other
Made for Each Other (1971 film)
Made for Each Other is a 1971 feature film directed by Robert B. Bean.Both starring and written by the husband and wife team of Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna, the movie traces the relationship of Pandora and Giggy, a seemingly incompatible couple who meet in a group therapy session and fall in...
. Their screenplay received a nomination for the Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Best Comedy.
From 1992 to 1994, Taylor played the stereotypically overbearing Jewish mother of the lead character on the HBO series Dream On
Dream On (TV series)
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
. Beginning in 1993, she began playing the overbearing mother of Fran, the title character on The Nanny
The Nanny (TV series)
The Nanny is an American television sitcom co-produced by Sternin & Fraser Ink, Inc., and Fran Drescher in association with TriStar Television for the CBS network...
. The two roles overlapped while both shows were on the air at the same time.
Taylor is most often recognized for her standout role in The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
, in which she played Sylvia, the overbearing mother of thirty-something Fran Fine (Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
), who is determined to live to see her daughter get married. Her character is intent on finding Fran a husband and has a passionate love for food. Taylor's husband, Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
, made a guest appearance on The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
as an egocentric actor named Allan Beck, who tormented Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy
Charles Shaughnessy
Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy , simply known as Charles Shaughnessy, is a British peer, and television, theatre and film actor. He is known for his roles on American television, as Shane Donovan on the soap opera Days of our Lives and as Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom...
); and, in the final season, Bologna again guest-starred on the series, playing an admirer of Sylvia in the episode "Maternal Affairs".
In recent years, Taylor has guest-starred as Ted Mosby
Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby is the titular fictional character of the U.S. television sitcom How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor...
's neighbor, Mrs. Matsen, on How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
. She also had a guest-starring role on the Disney
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
show, Shake It Up
Shake It Up (TV series)
Shake It Up is an American television sitcom airing on Disney Channel in the United States. The series premiered on November 7, 2010. Created by Chris Thompson and starring Bella Thorne and Zendaya, the show follows the adventures of Cece Jones and Rocky Blue as they star as background dancers on...
, portraying a cranky, mean elderly woman in a retirement home (once again as same character), as well as a guest-starring role on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
show, Victorious
Victorious
Victorious is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around aspiring singer Tori Vega , a teenager who attends a performing arts high school called Hollywood Arts High School, after taking her older sister Trina's place in a showcase while getting into...
as Robbie's cranky grandmother who needed Robbie's help with the internet. In addition to her numerous guest-starring appearances, Taylor has worked as a voice-actor as the character Mrs. Start in the animated feature film Ice Age: The Meltdown
Ice Age: The Meltdown
Ice Age: The Meltdown, also known as Ice Age 2: The Meltdown or simply as Ice Age 2, is the 2006 sequel to the 2002 computer-animated film Ice Age. It was produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox, and premiered in Belgium on March 1, 2006...
, and as Linda's mother Gloria in the animated Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers is an American animated television sitcom, which premiered on January 9, 2011 on the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was created by Loren Bouchard and focuses on the Belcher family, who runs a hamburger restaurant. On April 7, 2011, Bob's Burgers was renewed for a second season...
. Taylor also played Martha Benson in the film Opposite Day, released in 2009
Taylor also guest-starred on Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher
Francine Joy "Fran" Drescher is an American film and television actress, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer, author, singer, talk show host, political lobbyist and health activist...
's newest show Happily Divorced
Happily Divorced
Happily Divorced is an American sitcom created by Fran Drescher and Peter Marc Jacobson. Inspired by their experiences, the series, which became TV Land's third original scripted series following Hot in Cleveland and Retired at 35, premiered on June 15, 2011, and revolves around a Los Angeles...
as Fran's mother's best friend. A reference is made to The Nanny when Taylor's character tells Fran that she's the daughter she never had, and again when Fran looks to the camera and states "I'm feeling some deja vu" as Taylor eats a piece of cake.
Taylor is currently part of the voice cast of Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory
Allen Gregory is an American animated television series created by Jonah Hill, Andrew Mogel, and Jarrad Paul that airs on FOX. The series premiered on October 30, 2011.-Synopsis:...
, she voices the character Principal Gottlieb.
Personal life
Taylor has been married to actor Joseph BolognaJoseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna is an American actor.-Life and career:Bologna was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Brown University, where he majored in art history. After a hitch with the marines, Bologna was hired to produce and direct Manhattan-based TV commercials.The actor has a long history in film...
since 1965, and is the mother of actor Gabriel Bologna. Taylor is about 5'8" and has voiced a love for animals in recent years.