Dawn French

Acting

The MovieWise Take

Refining cinematic analysis...

Biography

Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian, presenter and writer. French is known for writing and starring on the BBC comedy sketch show French and Saunders with her best friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Saunders, and played the lead role as Geraldine Granger in the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. She has been nominated for seven BAFTA TV Awards and won a BAFTA Fellowship with Saunders in 2009.

Known For

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Fat Lady

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Mrs. Beaver (voice)

Coraline

Miss Miriam Forcible / Other Forcible (voice)

Death on the Nile

Bowers

Love and Other Disasters

Therapist

The Graham Norton Show

Self

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Interviewer

The Adventures of Pinocchio

Baker's Wife

Full Filmography

Year	Title	Role
2026	Becoming Victoria Wood MOVIE	Self
2026	Can You Keep a Secret? TV	Debbie Fendon
2026	Shaun Tan's Tales from Outer Suburbia TV	Self
2025	BeddyByes TV	Gramma Leeba
2024	Kirsty MacColl at the BBC MOVIE	Self (archive footage)
2024	Joan Rivers at the BBC MOVIE	Self (archive footage)
2024	The Nevermets TV	Narrator
2023	Dawn French Is a Huge Twat MOVIE	Self
2023	imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter MOVIE	Self - Featured Artist
2023	The Magician's Elephant MOVIE	Sister Marie (voice)
2022	Comedy Classics: The Vicar of Dibley MOVIE	Self (archive material)
2022	Red Riding Hood: After Ever After MOVIE	Twit
2022	Death on the Nile MOVIE	Bowers
2021	Walk the Line TV	Self - Judge
2021	An Audience with Adele MOVIE	Self
2021	The Secret World Of... TV	Self - Narrator
2021	French & Saunders: Funny Women MOVIE	Self
2021	The Vicar of Dibley: Inside Out MOVIE	Self
2020	Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse MOVIE	Beatrix Potter
2020	A Baby Reindeer's First Christmas MOVIE	Narrator
2020	The Vicar of Dibley: In Lockdown MOVIE	Geraldine Granger
2020	The Big Night In MOVIE	Self
2020	The Trouble with Maggie Cole TV	Maggie Cole
2019	Completely Bad News MOVIE	Tracy
2019	RuPaul's Drag Race UK TV	Self - Guest Judge
2017	300 Years of French & Saunders MOVIE	Self
2017	Comic Relief: Red Nose Day MOVIE	Self
2017	Little Big Shots TV	Host
2016	Dawn French Live: 30 Million Minutes MOVIE	Self
2016	Delicious TV	Gina Benelli
2016	Darcey Bussell: My Life on the BBC MOVIE	Self
2016	British Sitcom: 60 Years of Laughing at Ourselves MOVIE	Various Characters (archive footage) (uncredited)
2016	Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie MOVIE	Interviewer
2015	Travel Man: 48 Hours in... TV	Self - Guest
2013	The Wrong Mans TV	Linda
2013	Heading Out TV	Frances
2012	Five Go to Rehab MOVIE	George
2012	30 Years of Comic Strip MOVIE	Self
2012	Superstar TV	Self - Chief Judge
2011	Matthew Bourne's Christmas MOVIE	Self - Host
2011	Michael Bublé: Home for Christmas MOVIE	Self
2011	Catherine Tate: Laughing at the Noughties MOVIE	Self
2011	French & Saunders: The Ingenue Years MOVIE	Self
2011	Gentlemen Prefer French & Saunders MOVIE	Self
2010	Psychoville Halloween Special MOVIE	Joy Aston
2010	Roger & Val Have Just Got In TV	Val Stevenson
2009	Victoria Wood: Seen on TV MOVIE	Self
2009	Coraline: The Making of 'Coraline' MOVIE	Self
2009	Psychoville TV	Joy Aston
2009	Coraline MOVIE	Miss Miriam Forcible / Other Forcible (voice)
2008	French and Saunders: Still Alive MOVIE	Self
2008	Lark Rise to Candleford TV	Caroline Arless
2007	Dawn French's Boys Who Do Comedy TV	Presenter
2007	More Dawn French's Boys Who Do: Comedy TV	Presenter
2007	A Bucket O' French and Saunders TV	Self
2007	Donizetti: La Fille du Régiment MOVIE	La Duchesse de Crackentorp
2007	The Graham Norton Show TV	Self
2007	Comedy Shuffle TV	Self
2006	More Dawn French's Girls Who Do: Comedy TV	Presenter
2006	Jam and Jerusalem TV	Rosie Bales
2006	Love and Other Disasters MOVIE	Therapist
2006	The One Show TV	Self - Guest
2006	The One Show TV	Self
2006	When Comedy Changed Forever MOVIE	Self (archive material)
2006	Davina TV	Self
2005	The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe MOVIE	Mrs. Beaver (voice)
2005	The F Word TV	Self
2005	The Comic Strip - A Retrospective MOVIE	Self
2005	The Funny Blokes of British Comedy MOVIE	Self
2005	Comic Aid MOVIE	Self
2004	Agatha Christie's Marple TV	Janet Erskine
2004	Remember the Secret Policeman's Ball? MOVIE	Self - Narrator
2004	The Paul O'Grady Show TV	Self
2004	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban MOVIE	The Fat Lady
2004	Bosom Pals TV	Self
2002	Wild West TV	Mary Trewednack
2002	Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy TV	Self
2002	The Best of French & Saunders MOVIE	Various
2002	Pongwiffy TV	Self
2002	V Graham Norton TV	Self
2002	Ted and Alice TV	Self
2001	Happiness TV	Dawn French
2001	Kirsty: The Life and Songs of Kirsty MacColl MOVIE	Self
2000	French & Saunders - Live MOVIE	Various roles
2000	Maybe Baby MOVIE	Charlene
2000	The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything TV	Self
1999	David Copperfield TV	Mrs. Crupp
1999	It’s Lulu MOVIE	Self
1999	Let Them Eat Cake TV	Self
1999	Milk MOVIE	Virginia
1998	Four Men in a Car MOVIE	Stella
1998	Parkinson TV	Self
1997	Sex & Chocolate MOVIE	Bev Bodger
1997	Treasure Island MOVIE	Jim Hawkins
1996	The Adventures of Pinocchio MOVIE	Baker's Wife
1996	TFI Friday TV	Self
1995	Look at the State We're In! TV	Mrs Duvet
1994	French and Saunders' Christmas Carol MOVIE	Various Roles
1994	The Vicar of Dibley TV	Revd Geraldine Granger
1994	Harry Enfield and Chums TV	Mrs Goggins
1994	Dusty MOVIE	Self - Presenter
1993	Tender Loving Care MOVIE	Elaine Dobbs
1993	The Legends of Treasure Island MOVIE	Jim Hawkins (voice)
1993	The Legends of Treasure Island TV	Jim Hawkins (voice)
1993	Space Virgins from Planet Sex MOVIE	Gaynor
1993	French & Saunders: At the Movies MOVIE	Self
1992	In Dreams MOVIE	Driving Instructor
1992	Absolutely Fabulous TV	Kathy
1992	Red Nose of Courage MOVIE	Glynis Kinnock
1991	Amnesty International's Big 30 MOVIE	Self
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	WPC Diane Softly
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Maria
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Judy Talent
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Rita Proops / Rita Proops II
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Bunty Breslaw
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Miss Katie Hatcliffe / Mrs Sonya Redfern
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Tina Mellish
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Denise Cunningham
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Maude Jenkins
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Lily
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Verity Hodge
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Vicki
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Sally Fairfax
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Dr Kate Marshall
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Daisy Talwinning
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Linda Bryce
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Wendy Hodge
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	The Grim Reaper
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Lily Wood-Newton
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Tracey Phillips
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	WPC Barbara Greaves / Whoopi Stone
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Harriet Snellgrove
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Jill Tanner
1991	Murder Most Horrid TV	Tiffany Drapes
1990	The Tale of Little Pig Robinson MOVIE	Porcas
1990	French & Saunders LIVE MOVIE	Self
1990	Spaghetti Hoops MOVIE	Francesca
1990	Oxford MOVIE	Caroline
1990	South Atlantic Raiders: Part 1 MOVIE	Frances / Mrs. Shines
1990	South Atlantic Raiders: Part 2 Argie Bargie! MOVIE	Frances
1990	GLC: The Carnage Continues MOVIE	Cher as Joan Ruddock
1989	The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball MOVIE	Self
1989	Bosses From Hell MOVIE	Self
1989	Communicators From Hell MOVIE	Self
1989	Employees From Hell MOVIE	Self
1989	Customer Service From Hell MOVIE	Self
1989	Colleagues From Hell MOVIE	Self
1989	Interviewers From Hell MOVIE	Self
1988	French And Saunders - Christmas Special '88 MOVIE	Various Characters
1988	An Audience With Victoria Wood MOVIE	Self
1988	The Storyteller TV	Badsister 2
1988	Mr Jolly Lives Next Door MOVIE	Mrs. Cooper
1988	More Bad News MOVIE	Rachel
1988	The Strike MOVIE	Verity/Old Lady/Celebrity
1987	Eat the Rich MOVIE	Debbie Draws
1987	Going Live! TV	Self
1987	French & Saunders TV	Various Characters
1987	The Silurian Disruption MOVIE	Silurian #1
1986	The Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Rude Video Live MOVIE	Self
1986	Comedians Do It On Stage MOVIE	Self
1986	Private Enterprise MOVIE	Nayler
1986	Consuela (or, The New Mrs Saunders) MOVIE	Consuela
1985	The Supergrass MOVIE	Andrea
1985	Girls On Top TV	Amanda
1985	Happy Families MOVIE	Cook
1985	Happy Families TV	Cook
1984	Slags MOVIE	Passion
1984	Eddie Monsoon - a Life? MOVIE	Veronica
1984	Gino: Full Story and Pics MOVIE	Fiona/Frances
1984	A Fistful of Travellers' Cheques MOVIE	Jackie
1984	Susie MOVIE	Susie
1984	Dirty Movie MOVIE	Monica
1983	Five Go Mad on Mescalin MOVIE	George
1983	Summer School MOVIE	Ursula
1983	Bad News MOVIE	Tracy
1983	The Beat Generation MOVIE	Eleanor
1983	War MOVIE	Hermine
1982	The Young Ones TV	Christian Evangelist
1982	The Young Ones TV	Devil in Advert
1982	The Young Ones TV	Easter Bunny
1982	Five Go Mad in Dorset MOVIE	George
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	George
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Passion
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Tracy
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Susie
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Veronica
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Ursula
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Hermine
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Jackie/First Nun
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Consuela
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Eleanor
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Monica
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Nayler
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Fiona/Frances
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Verity/Old Lady/Celebrity
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Rachel
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Mrs. Cooper
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Frances/Mrs. Shines
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Frances
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Joan
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Francesca
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Caroline
1982	The Comic Strip Presents... TV	Self
1982	Wogan TV	Self
1981	The Comic Strip MOVIE	Self
1978	An Audience with... TV	Self
1976	The Secret Policeman's Ball TV	Self
1949	The BAFTA Awards TV	Self
	Experiment IV MOVIE	First Assistant
	The Storyteller: Sapsorrow MOVIE	Badsister 2

Quick Facts

Dawn French

The MovieWise Take

Biography

Known For

Full Filmography

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