‘The Nanny’ is the classic 90’s CBC sitcom which was available before on HBO Max. as the fans are rediscovering it on the streamer, they are falling in love with it all over again. As the show now has a home, the forever favorite “Nanny” named Fran is yet again in talks and people are not getting over her style, her flair, and the cast of 20th-century legends.
“The Nanny” was famously pitched by Fran Drescher to CBS exec Jeff Sagansky on a transatlantic flight. “I thought, Carpe diem. This is an opportunity, and he’s a captive audience,” Drescher told Vogue. “Where was he gonna go? Coach?” The pitch was simple: “The Sound of Music,” but with a tough Queens broad instead of an ex-nun. But, since the show was set way back in the 90s, some of the “Nanny” actors did not live long enough to see the resurgence of this show. Here are some “Nanny” actors — both guest stars and regular cast members — you may not know have died.
Ray Charles
“The Nanny” was unlike any show set in the 90’s which showed an all white picture of New York and casted black celebrities as guest stars. “There was a point where I felt like the show was too white and I wanted to infuse people of color, because it wasn’t happening in the ’90s,” Drescher told Vogue. “[W]e were set in New York in the theater world, and I wanted to bring other elements to it.”
As for Ray Charles, he first appeared in season 5 premiere “The Morning After.” On June 10, 2004, Ray Charles died in his Beverly Hills home, due to complications in a liver disease. He was 73. Later that year, the biopic “Ray” came out starring Jamie Foxx as the blind musician. Foxx also won an Academy Award for his performance.
Joseph Bologna
Joseph Bologna’s demise was pretty hard for the cast of “The Nanny” as not only was he a guest-starred as a paramour of Renée Taylor’s character Sylvia Fine, but he was also Taylor’s real-life husband. In Season 6 episode “Maternal Affairs,” Joseph Bologna made his first appearance as the man with whom Fran’s mother Sylvia is having an affair.
On August 13 of 2017, Joseph Bologna died of pancreatic cancer. He was nominated for an Oscar in 1970 (along with Taylor) for Best Adapted Screenplay and best known for playing the Sid Caesar stand-in character King Kaiser in “My Favorite Year.”
Ann Morgan Guilbert
A two time sitcom legend is the perfect to describe Ann Morgan Guilbert. Guilbert played wacky next-door neighbor Millie Helper on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” before she won a whole new fanbase as Grandma Yetta. Ann Morgan Guilbert died on June 14, 2016, of cancer. She was 87.
“Such a great actress! I thank you Annie. Thank you for all the laughs! May you be cracking them up in heaven!” Drescher wrote on Twitter for Grandma.
