Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933) is a British 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 The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

, she is perhaps best known for her roles in the West End, and for the role of Nancy in the 1968

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

-winning film musical '' Oliver!''

Biography

Wallis was born 14 April 1933 in

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Wal ...

, London, and made her first stage appearance at the age of four. She later studied at the

(RADA) She made her theatrical debut in a lead role as young princess Maria in ''

Call Me Madam ''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...

'' at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

in March 1952. Wallis sprung to global fame when appearing as Nancy in the oscar winning musical film '' Oliver!'' in 1968, starring alongside

Oliver Reed Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 – 2 May 1999) was an English actor known for his well-to-do, macho image and "hellraiser" lifestyle. After making his first significant screen appearances in Hammer Horror films in the early 1960s, his ...

as Bill Sykes,

Ron Moody Ron Moody (born Ronald Moodnick; 8 January 1924 – 11 June 2015) was an English actor, composer, singer and writer. He was best known for his portrayal of Fagin in ''Oliver!'' (1968) and its 1983 Broadway revival. Moody earned a Golden Globe ...

as Fagin,

Jack Wild Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at ...

as the Artful Dodger, and

Mark Lester Mark Lester (born Mark A. Letzer; 11 July 1958) is an English former child actor, osteopath, and acupuncturist who starred in a number of British and European films in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1968 he played the title role in the film '' Olive ...

as Oliver. Afterwards Wallis received an offer to star in the television series

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, afte ...

, but turned it down because she wanted to do more musicals. Wallis is a

naturalised citizen Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

of the United States where she has lived for more than forty years. She married her agent, Bernie Rich, on 13 September 1968; the couple have one daughter and two grand-daughters. Wallis is a patron of the theatre charity the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

Selected credits

Film

* ''

Ramsbottom Rides Again ''Ramsbottom Rides Again'' is a 1956 British western comedy film produced and directed by John Baxter. The film features radio, film and stage star Arthur Askey in the lead role of Bill Ramsbottom, with Sid James, Shani Wallis, Betty Marsden and ...

'' (1956) * ''

The Extra Day ''The Extra Day'' is a 1956 British comedy-drama film directed by William Fairchild and starring Richard Basehart, Simone Simon and George Baker. Plot After the final scene of a film is lost by the driver taking it to the printing lab, the ca ...

'' (1956) *''

A King in New York ''A King in New York'' is a 1957 British comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin in his last leading role, which co-stars, among others, his young son Michael. The film presents a satirical view of the McCarthy communist-hunt era ...

'' (1957) as Cabaret Singer * '' Oliver!'' (1968) as Nancy * '' Arnold'' (1973) * '' Terror in the Wax Museum'' (1973) * '' Mayday at 40,000 Feet'' (1976) * ''

The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produc ...

'' (voice of Lady Mouse, 1986) * ''Round Numbers'' (1992) * ''

The Pebble and the Penguin ''The Pebble and the Penguin'' is a 1995 Irish-American independent animated film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. The film stars the voices of Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Tim Curry, and Annie Golden. Based on the true life mating rituals o ...

'' (narrator, 1995) * '' Mojave Phone Booth'' (voice of "Greta", 2006)

Selected TV

* '' Two of a Kind'' (with Morecambe and Wise, 1961) * ''

The Garry Moore Show ''The Garry Moore Show'' is the name for several separate American variety series on the CBS television network in the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted by experienced radio performer Garry Moore, the series helped launch the careers of many comedic talent ...

'' (1963-1964) * ''Once Upon a Mattress'' (as Lady Larken, with most of the original Broadway cast, 1964) * ''The Dean Martin Show'' (singing "I'm a Girl" and " How Are Things in Glocca Morra?", 1965) * ''The Red Skelton Hour'' (1965 episode singing " I'm Old Fashioned" and singing/dancing "Pass Me By") * ''

This Is Tom Jones ''This Is Tom Jones'' is an ATV variety series starring Tom Jones. The series was exported to the United States by ITC Entertainment and was networked there by ABC. The series ran between 1969 and 1971 to total 65 colour episodes. Jones was no ...

'' (1969, 1970) * '' Gunsmoke'' (as Stella in the episodes "Women for Sale", 1973) * ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, ...

'' (as Frances the Governess, 2004) * ''

The $10,000 Pyramid ''Pyramid'' is the collective name of a series of American television game shows that has aired several versions domestically and internationally. The original series, ''The $10,000 Pyramid'', debuted on March 26, 1973, and spawned seven subsequ ...

'' * '' Charlie's Angels'' (guest appearance as Ellen Jason, 1977) * '' Columbo'' (as Gwen, in the "Strange Bedfellows" episode, 1995) * '' Murder, She Wrote'' (guest appearance as Olivia Waverley, 1989) * ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...

'' (as Miss Danton - segment "The Doll", 1971) * '' Mickie Finn's'' (as herself, 1966) * ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...

'' (where she was spotted and subsequently auditioned and won the part of Nancy in the 1968 film ''Oliver'')

Theatre

* ''

'', (1952), London Coliseum (as Princess Marie) * '' Wish You Were Here'', (1953), London Casino * ''Happy As a King'', (1953), Princes Theatre, London (as Juliet) * ''

Wonderful Town ''Wonderful Town'' is a 1953 musical with book written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Leonard Bernstein. The musical tells the story of two sisters who aspire to be a writer and act ...

'' (1954), London Casino (as Fay Tomkin) * ''

Irma La Douce ''Irma la Douce'' (, "Irma the Sweet") is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond, based on the 1956 French stage musical of the same name by Marguerite Monnot and Alexa ...

'' (1961), Lyric Theatre (title role) * ''Fine Fettle'' (1959), Palace Theatre * ''Green Room Rags'' (1954), Princes Theatre * '' The Dave King Show'', (1956), London Hippodrome * '' Aladdin'', (

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

), (1955), Streatham Hill Theatre (as Aladdin) * '' King Cole'' (pantomime, 1962), Palace Manchester (as Miranda) * '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1958), Princess Theatre, MelbournePrincess Theatre, Melbourne theatre programme (1958) * '' Bus Stop'' (1958), Golders Green Hippodrome (as Cherie) * ''You'll Be Lucky'', (1954), Adelphi Theatre with Lauri

Lupino Lane Henry William George Lupino (16 June 1892 – 10 November 1959) professionally Lupino Lane, was an English actor and theatre manager, and a member of the famous Lupino family, which eventually included his cousin, the screenwriter/director/actr ...

* ''

Cowardy Custard ''Cowardy Custard'' is a musical revue and was one of the last Noël Coward shows staged during his life. It was devised by Gerard Frow, Alan Strachan and Wendy Toye. A book, also titled ''Cowardy Custard'', was published in connection with the ...

'' (1989), Theatre Royal Bath * '' A Time for Singing'' (1966), Broadway Theater * '' Finian's Rainbow'' (1958), New Shakespeare Theatre * '' 42nd Street'', (1985), Drury Lane Theatre * ''Always'' (1997), Victoria Palace Theatre * ''Follies'' (1990), Long Beach Civic Light Opera, 20th Anniversary Revival (as Sally Durant Plummer)

Recordings

* ''Call Me Madam'' – original London stage recording (1952) * ''Wish You Were Here'' – original London stage recording (1953) * ''Shani!'' EP (1960) – Philips BBE 12337 ("Personality", "Please Don't Say No", "Don't Take Your Love Away from Me", "There Goes My Heart") * ''A Time for Singing'' (1966) – original Broadway cast recording * ''I'm a Girl!'' LP (1967) – Kapp Records KS-3472 * ''Look to Love'' LP (1967) – Kapp Records KS-3527 * ''Oliver!'' (1968) – original film cast recording * ''As Long As He Needs Me'' LP (1968) – Kapp Records KS-3573 * ''The Girl from Oliver'' LP (1969) – Kapp Records KS-3606

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wallis, Shani 1933 births Living people American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American women singers American musical theatre actresses American voice actresses Audiobook narrators English film actresses English television actresses English women singers English emigrants to the United States English musical theatre actresses English voice actresses English stage actresses People from Tottenham Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Kapp Records artists 21st-century American women