Renee Taylor is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing Fran Drescher's voracious and outspoken mother, Sylvia Fine, on the TV series The Nanny.Taylor was born Renee Wexler in The Bronx, New York City. During 1992-1994, she played the stereotypically-overbearing "Jewish mother" of the lead character on the HBO series Dream On. Beginning in the fall of 1993, she began playing the stereotypically-overbearing "Jewish mother" of the lead character on The Nanny. Thus she was playing both roles for a season, and the two characterizations were virtually identical.