Dawn French, well-known for her iconic role as clergywoman Geraldine Granger on “The Vicar of Dibley,” has been a pioneer in women’s comedy for decades.
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She and her longtime partner and collaborate Jennifer Saunders launched a hit sketch comedy TV show from 1987 to 2005 that aired six series and nine specials.
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However, there are some things even the most diehard Dawn French fans don’t know about the charismatic, outspoken comedian/actress. Here is a list of ten.
#1. Dawn and Jennifer didn’t like each other at first
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“I was horribly loud mouthed and she was sort of snooty,” French told the Daily Express, adding that she thought Saunders “was the product of a lot of gymkhanas.”
#2. Dawn admits she was jealous of Jennifer’s breakthrough success with “Absolutely Fabulous”
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“It can be hard when a friend, especially one you’ve never done any work separately from, suddenly has a huge success without you,” French told The Big Issue. “Ab Fab was such a massive hit. Until then Jennifer and I had been utterly linked in everything we did. I was made very aware that, in comedy terms, she was a completely individual, separate person. With her own powers. That really shocked me. Not only was she able to do it without me, she could do it really well. So that was really annoying.”
French added: “But however jealous I was, I love her and I was proud of her. I dealt with it by being open and honest about my jealousy. I sent her a bunch of flowers when she won a BAFTA saying ‘Congratulations you c**t.'”
#3. Dawn was once featured in a Kate Bush music video
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Dawn is also featured in a sci-fi-themed music video for 1986’s “Experiment VI,” which at the time was deemed too violent to be shown in the UK before 9 pm. There’s also an appearance by “House’s” Hugh Laurie! The clip follows a group of scientists working on a top-secret military experiment to create a sound so deadly it can kill. Here’s the video.
#4. Tom Baker, the former Doctor Who star, suggested she become a future timelord
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“I would have thought Dawn French would have been a good Doctor Who, because she’s got such a wry sense of humor and also has a way with her that faintly [suggests] she’s got secrets,” he told GQ in 2017.
#5. Dawn admitted to having “all kinds of misgivings” when offered her role on “The Vicar of Dibley”
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“I hadn’t done a sitcom before and I thought you had to invent a character,” French told Radio Times. “I said to Richard [Curtis, co-creator], ‘I need to make her not me. Maybe she should have an accent, maybe I should look very different…’ But Richard said, ‘You need to wear Geraldine like a good-fitting jacket, bring her really close to you’. The opposite of playing a character.”
#6. Dawn and her ex-husband, comedy legend Sir Lenny Henry, endured horrific racist harassment during their 25-year marriage
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“I never thought, ‘Oh, look at me in a mixed-race relationship!’ I fell in love with a man and he happened to be Black and we adopted a mixed-race daughter. I only realized it was an issue when there was hatred from utter t***s,” she told The Times in 2017. “I had to attend to it when people tried to burn our house down and left s**t on the door. But although that was hugely disappointing and shocking, you have to get past it.”
#7. Dawn is currently married to Mark Bignell, an executive who runs a charity started by her late mum
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Even though her husband popped the big question in the gorgeous city of Venice, Dawn shared during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show that his proposal was a little less romantic than expected. See the video below.
#8. Dawn has her own flagpole at her Cornwall Home in Southwest England
So, husband gets me a flagpole for big b'day.I receive many flags. Here's the first one up….#allarewelcome pic.twitter.com/PKyNusfWy6
— Dawn French 💙🔴🏳️🌈🇺🇦 (@Dawn_French) October 15, 2017
In 2017, Dawn French went viral after sharing a picture of flying a rainbow flag in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. She tweeted:
“So, husband gets me a flagpole for big b’day. I receive many flags. Here’s the first one up….#allarewelcome”
#9. Both Dawn and Jennifer turned down OBE (Officer of the British Empire) honors from Queen Elizabeth II
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Sky News reports that Jennifer said a few years later:
“If I felt I deserved a damehood I’d accept it. At the time, we felt that we were being paid very well to have a lot of fun. It didn’t seem right somehow. We didn’t deserve a pat on the back. It felt a bit fake to stand alongside people who devoted their lives to truly worthy causes.”
#10. French admits she and Jennifer never requested permission to spoof the Star Wars movies
In this Graham Norton Show clip, Dawn looks back at her parodies of Star Wars characters, including her playing “Skoda,” a mock character representing Yoda.
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Sources:
- “10 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT DAWN FRENCH” BBC America.
