Valerie “Val” Toriello was born in 1963 in New York City, New York. She was a fictional character in the television situation comedy, The Nanny. She was played by actress Rachel Chagall.
Background[]
Val and Fran Fine have been friends since elementary school. In the Pilot episode, Val was working at the same bridal shop as Fran, and she was present when Fran's ex-boyfriend, Danny Imperiali fired her and dumped her so he could hire and eventually marry Heather Biblow and have a baby with her.
Personality[]
Val often comes across as very dimwitted, which annoys and worries Fran a lot. However, Fran once said jokingly that she became best friends with Val because she made her look smarter. When she and Val disagree, Fran uses Val’s lack of intelligence as an insult. Val will often briefly take offense, but charmingly admits that Fran is the more intelligent after calming down, which builds the friendship and camaraderie between the two.
Throughout the Series[]
In season one, it is mentioned that Val's father is a plumber, and Fran states that Val is actually very mechanical.
Val and Fran used to sponsor a young woman from Cambodia, named Mai Ling. When Danny died from an allergic reaction to back wax, Val and Fran attended his funeral and comforted Heather.
Val was a bridesmaid at Fran's wedding to Maxwell. At some point during the series, Val loses her job at the bridal shop, and in season six Maggie's Wedding, she states that she is now working at a Krispy Kreme.
Relationships[]
Like Fran, Val is initially unsuccessful in love, dating men occasionally but never settling down. At one point during the series, Val, Fran and C.C. Babcock bonded and swore off men for a while. However, at the end of the series, Val meets Fred the pharmacist after an encounter with a psychic. They start dating, and she becomes pregnant with his son.
Trivia[]
- Chagall’s character was named after Fran Drescher’s biological cousin named Erica Toriello.
- Rachel Chagall's husband Greg Lenert was The Nanny's stage manager.
- Rachel Chagall and Greg Lenert had twins named named Eve and Jonah on March 19, 1999, Fran and Maxwell named their newborns Jonah Samuel and Eve Catherine.
- In part 2 of "The Wedding" we learn that Val is now the only single girl in her class.
- During the third season Val says she's 33.
- Val is rather unintelligent, seen in many episodes.
- Rachel Chagall who played Val was also pregnant during the series.
- Val still lives with her parents.
- She is a co-parent to a girl from Cambodia she adopted with Fran.
- Her style is modest and more "street", a contrast to Fran's flashy designer duds.
Gallery[]
