Shani Wallis | |
---|---|
Born | |
Citizenship | United Kingdom United States |
Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
Years active | 1952–2006 |
Spouse | Bernie Rich (m. 1968;died 2016) |
Children | 1 |
Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933 [1] ) is an English actress and singer, who has worked in theatre, film, and television in both her native United Kingdom and in the United States. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she is known for her roles in the West End and for the role of Nancy in the 1968 Oscar-winning film musical Oliver!
Wallis was born in Tottenham, London, [1] and made her first stage appearance at the age of four. She later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. [2]
She made her theatrical debut in a lead role as young princess Maria in Call Me Madam at the London Coliseum in March 1952. [2] Wallis sprang to global fame when appearing as Nancy in the Oscar-winning [1] musical film Oliver! in 1968,[ citation needed ] starring alongside Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, Ron Moody as Fagin, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, and Mark Lester as Oliver. [1] Afterwards, Wallis received an offer to star in the television series The Brady Bunch , but turned it down because she wanted to do more musicals. [1]
Wallis is a naturalised citizen of the United States, where she has lived for more than 40 years. She married her agent, Bernie Rich, on 13 September 1968;[ citation needed ] the couple have one daughter and two granddaughters. [1] Wallis is a patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. [3]
Oliver! is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
Lionel Bart was an English writer and composer of pop music and musicals. He wrote Tommy Steele's "Rock with the Caveman" and was the sole creator of the musical Oliver! (1960). With Oliver! and his work alongside theatre director Joan Littlewood at Theatre Royal, Stratford East, he played an instrumental role in the 1960s birth of the British musical theatre scene after an era when American musicals had dominated the West End.
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