Dawn Roma French is a British actress, writer and comedian. In her career spanning three decades, she has been nominated for six BAFTA Awards and also won a Fellowship BAFTA along with her best friend Jennifer Saunders. She is best-known for starring in and writing her comedy sketch show, French and Saunders, alongside her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and for playing the lead role of Geraldine Granger in the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley.
Longtime comedy partner of Jennifer Saunders , though each works on projects without the other.
Has a deep and abiding interest in helping women of size find attractive clothing and, to that end, co-wrote two books on knitting -- "Big Knits" and "Great Big Knits" -- and founded a clothing store that carries fashionable and affordable designs.
(December 2003) Was revealed that she and comedy partner Jennifer Saunders declined Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honours "for services to comedy drama" in 2001.
She originally studied to be a drama teacher.
Former sister-in-law of Paul Henry.
When she was age 19, she lost her father (he took his own life).
She and her first husband, Lenny Henry , have a daughter, Billie Henry (b.1991 and adopted in infancy).
In 2011 Dawn underwent a hysterectomy operation but not before losing almost 100lbs weight.
Husband Mark proposed to her during a gondola ride in Venice.
Brit sitcom is usually good character observation and less gags. The,Americans love the comedy to be high gag quota and slick.
"Fawlty Towers" (1975) was an enormous favorite. I once laughed,so hard with my dad at this series that I actually wet my pants and,then my dad wet his. We were in genuine physical pain with laughing.
Funny how women are ashamed of their inner fairy whereas men are forever proudly displaying their inner cowboy or fireman,That’s the key, you know, confidence. I know for a fact that if you genuinely like your body, so can others. It doesn’t really matter if it’s short, tall, fat or thin, it just matters that you can find some things to like about it. Even if that means having a good laugh at the bits of it that wobble independently, occasionally, that’s all right. It might take you a while to believe me on this one, lots of people don’t because they seem to suffer from self-hatred that precludes them from imagining that a big woman could ever love herself because they don’t. But I do. I know what I’ve got is a bit strange and difficult to love but those are the very aspects that I love the most! It’s a bit like people. I’ve never been particularly attracted to the uniform of conventional beauty. I’m always a bit suspicious of people who feel compelled to conform. I personally like the adventure of difference. And what’s beauty, anyway?,Two people occupying the same air. Nothing else in common. Just oxygen.
I have turned away from the thought of writing fiction in the past through what I suppose is, actually, fear. The direct, raw invitation for the reader to come in and explore my imagination is fairly scary for me so I have busied myself with so much else.
It was my father who taught me to value myself. He told me that I was uncommonly beautiful and that I was the most precious thing in his life.
I keep my own personality in a cupboard under the stairs at home so that no one else can see it or nick it.
