Renée Taylor has had a rich life: She played Fran Drescher’s mom in “The Nanny.” She was a stand-up comedian in the 1960s and Barbra Streisand was once her opening act. She was Eva Braun in the Mel Brooks movie “The Producers.”
She and her husband, Joe Bologna, co-wrote the hit play “Lovers and Other Strangers” and were nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
She has directed, written, acted and long been lauded for her talents.
So what does she write a book about?
Dieting.
“My Life on a Diet: Confessions of a Hollywood Diet Junkie” came out in 1986.
Naturally, she and her husband — they’ve been married 51 years — adapted it for the stage. Invisible Theatre brings the one-woman comedy here Jan. 7-8.
Taylor, who turns 83 in March, spoke to us from her Beverly Hills, Calif., home, which was in disarray as a result of a remodeling project that began with just the intent to buy a new desk.
Why a stage version of the book: “It was my husband’s idea. I said, ‘Who would be interested in diets?’ ‘Are you kidding?’ he said.”
Her craziest diet: “The Vogue Champagne diet. You must have a glass of Champagne before every meal, and it should be an expensive Champagne because cheap has more calories.”
It’s about more than dieting: “It’s my life through what I was eating.”
It’s also a comedy: “My life is a comedy. I’m living in a comedy. My marriage is a comedy. Even illness is a comedy. Even as a little girl, I thought my mother and father were funny. I use to laugh about everything.”
Comedy because …: “It is very healing. You feel the love in the audience; it’s wonderful.”
Taylor and Marilyn Monroe together in acting class: “I was a young actress. She hadn’t had the kind of appreciation for her talent she deserved. It was very inspiring to me to find her in class on a student level and making herself very vulnerable and taking criticism. … I don’t know why people didn’t see her talent.”
Bad reviews: “My husband and I ghost-wrote something with Sid Caesar and Carol Channing. Somebody else had written it and we patched it up. Ghost writers are suppose to be anonymous. The review said we wrote it and said ‘We hear Renee and Joe are married. It’s a good thing they have each other because that’s all they have.’ My husband said, ‘if that’s all we have, that’s enough.’”
What’s next for her: “Joe and I are working on a new show called ‘Fifty Years Together in Hollywood.’”
Each is in their 80s; why not retire?: “Because we’re crazy and in love.”
