Charles Shaughnessy's Wife of 36 Years Is a Former Actress and Dancer — Meet Susan Fallender

Although Charles Shaughnessy and Fran Drescher's chemistry on "The Nanny" was exceptional, they were never romantically involved. In fact, Charles has been married to Susan Fallender since 1983.

The actor was born in London in February 1955. His father was scriptwriter and producer Alfred Shaughnessy, best known for writing the script of "Upstairs, Downstairs."

In 1983, Charles proposed over a phone call.

CHARLES SHAUGHNESSY'S CAREER

Growing up, he attended Eton College and then graduated from Cambridge University. Talking to the Chicago Tribune, the actor confessed that the first time he considered acting as a career was after participating in a play, "Death of a Salesman," at Eton.

After attending Cambridge, Charles studied drama and eventually joined the Salisbury Repertory, wherein he got the first professional experiences working as a theater actor.

Coincidentally or not, his first play as a professional was also "Death of a Salesman." At Eton, he played Willie Lowman, the lead character. With the Salisbury Repertory, he portrayed Willie's son, which was "much more suitable" to his age.

Years went by, and he moved to Los Angeles, where he landed some parts in plays and TV. In 1984, he got the role of Shane Donovan in the soap opera "Days of Our Lives."

CHARLES' TIME IN "THE NANNY"

By 1992, he was already a recognized actor in the States with three Soap Opera Awards under his belt. His career skyrocketed in 1993 when he started portraying the wealthy Maxwell Sheffield in "The Nanny."

The show was a total success, and it aired between November 1993 and June 1999. According to Fran Drescher, the main star of the project, the reason why it was canceled was the romantic relationship between her and Charles' characters.

Fran added that after her character and Maxwell Sheffield tied the knot, the dynamic of the show changed ad the "sexual tension" between them was lost, which led the audience to lose interest.

Finally, the actress confessed that "The Nanny" should have stuck to the initial plan of focusing on her relationship with the children instead of making it more about the adult's romance.

CHARLES AND SUSAN FALLANDER'S RELATIONSHIP

Speaking of love stories, the one between Charles and his wife Susan Fallender is very exciting. The couple met each other during acting lessons in Los Angeles.

In 1983, he proposed over a phone call while he was in London, and she was in California. Since Susan was Jewish and Charles was Catholic, they had to make some arrangements so that both families felt comfortable.

At the time of their wedding, neither of them had a regular, steady job or source of income, which is why they spent their honeymoon in a suite of a hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

To make matters worse, they had to live for a while with the family of Charles Shaughnessy's wife. Thankfully, the actor made it big in the entertainment industry and eventually moved on their own.

SUSAN IS ALSO AN ENTERTAINER

Nowadays, the pair is still together and have two daughters, Jenny and Madelyn. The actor is not the only member of the family who has worked in front of the cameras, though.

Susan is also an actress with appearances in "Hypernauts," "The Last Dance," and "The Documents." In 2018, the couple worked together at the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, for the play "Love Letters."

The one-night production had Susan Wornick as the emcee, and the profits benefitted the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps.

At the moment, Charles Shaughnessy is still active in the entertainment industry. The most recent projects in which he has worked so far are "Christmas with a Prince" and "The Magicians." However, he is expected to appear in the upcoming "Final Frequency."