For Charles Shaughnessy, starring on The Nanny was a career highlight, but at home, it came with some unexpected parenting challenges. The British actor recently reflected on how his children reacted to his romantic scenes with co-star Fran Drescher, admitting that they weren’t too thrilled about seeing their dad in kissing scenes on television.
During the show’s six-season run, The Nanny built up a will-they-won’t-they tension between Maxwell Sheffield and Fran Fine, culminating in a much-anticipated romance. While fans cheered for their relationship, Shaughnessy’s children saw things a little differently. The actor shared that his kids, who were quite young at the time, struggled with seeing their father engage in affectionate moments with another woman—even though it was all just acting.
The experience led to some funny and sometimes awkward conversations at home, as his kids questioned why he was kissing ‘that lady’ on TV. Over time, however, they came to understand that their father’s job required playing different characters, and that included acting out romantic relationships.
Shaughnessy, looking back, acknowledges how much fans adored the romance between Maxwell and Fran and how it contributed to The Nanny’s ongoing popularity. While his kids may have been uncomfortable at the time, they can now appreciate the show’s success—and maybe even laugh about their childhood confusion over their father’s on-screen love life.
