Shani Wallis
English actress and singer (born 1933)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933[2]) is an English retired 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 Broadway and for the role of Nancy in the 1968 Oscar-winning film musical Oliver!
United States
Shani Wallis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 April 1933 |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom United States |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupations | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1952–2006, 2026[1] |
| Spouse |
Bernie Rich
(m. 1968; died 2016) |
| Children | 1 |
Writer and critic Kenneth Tynan has described her as "the English Judy Garland".[3]
Biography
Wallis was born in Tottenham, London,[2] and made her first stage appearance at the age of four. She studied ballet and dance before gaining a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[4]
She made her theatrical debut in a lead role as young princess Maria in Call Me Madam at the London Coliseum in March 1952.[4] Wallis sprang to global fame when appearing as Nancy in the Oscar-winning[2] musical film Oliver! in 1968,[5] starring alongside Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, Ron Moody as Fagin, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, and Mark Lester as Oliver.[2] 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.[2]
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;[3] the couple have one daughter and two granddaughters.[2] Wallis is a patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.[6]
Wallis made a surprise appearance at a recording of Britain's Got Talent at the age of 92, singing "As Long as He Needs Me". Her performance was cut from the broadcast, but was widely viewed on YouTube and the show Britain's Got Talent Unseen.[7]
Selected credits
Features
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Ramsbottom Rides Again | Joan Ramsbottom | |
| The Extra Day | Shirley | ||
| 1957 | A King in New York | Cabaret Singer | |
| 1968 | Oliver! | Nancy | |
| 1973 | Arnold | Jocelyn | |
| Terror in the Wax Museum | Laurie Mell | ||
| 1986 | The Great Mouse Detective | Lady Mouse (voice) | |
| 1992 | Round Numbers | Binky | |
| 1995 | The Pebble and the Penguin | narrator | |
| 2006 | Mojave Phone Booth | Greta (voice) |
Television films
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | A Santa for Christmas | |
| 1964 | Once Upon a Mattress | Lady Larken |
| 1976 | Mayday at 40,000 Feet | Terry Dunlanp |
| 1995 | Columbo: Strange Bedfellows | Gwen |
Selected TV
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Frankly Howerd | The Pianist | |
| 1960 | Val Parnell's Spectacular | Episode: "Johnnie Ray Sings" | |
| 1961 | Two of a Kind | Performer | |
| 1963–1964 | The Garry Moore Show | ||
| 1965 | The Dean Martin Show | Performer | singing "I'm a Girl" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" |
| 1965 | The Red Skelton Hour | Performer | episode singing "I'm Old Fashioned" and singing/dancing "Pass Me By" |
| 1966 | Mickie Finn's | Herself | |
| 1968 | The Harry Secombe Show | ||
| 1969-1970 | This Is Tom Jones | ||
| 1971 | Night Gallery | Miss Danton | Segment: "The Doll" |
| 1973 | Gunsmoke | Stella Silks | 2 episodes |
| 1975 | Police Story | Janet Stiles | Episode: "Headhunter" |
| 1977 | Charlie's Angels | Ellen Jason | Episode: "Angels in the Wings" |
| 1981 | Fantasy Island | Wife in towel | Episode: "Cyrano/The Magician" |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Olivia Waverley | Episode: "Night of the Tarantula" |
| 2000 | One World | Ms. Cosgrove | Episode: "Roots" |
| 2004 | The Young and the Restless | Frances the Governess | |
| 2026 | Britain's Got Talent | Contestant |
Theatre
- Call Me Madam, (1952), London Coliseum (as Princess Marie)
- Wish You Were Here, (1953), London Casino (as Fay Tomkin)
- Happy As a King, (1953), Princes Theatre, London (as Juliet)
- Wonderful Town (1954), London Casino
- Irma La Douce (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), (1955), Streatham Hill Theatre (as Aladdin)
- King Cole (pantomime, 1962), Palace Manchester (as Miranda)
- Bells Are Ringing (1958), Princess Theatre, Melbourne[8]
- Bus Stop (1958), Golders Green Hippodrome (as Cherie)
- You'll Be Lucky, (1954), Adelphi Theatre with Lauri Lupino Lane
- Cowardy Custard (1989), Theatre Royal Bath
- A Time for Singing (1966), Broadway Theater
- Finian's Rainbow (1958), New Shakespeare Theatre
- 42nd Street, (1985), Drury Lane Theatre
- Follies (1990), Long Beach Civic Light Opera, 20th Anniversary Revival (as Sally Durant Plummer)
- Always (1997), Victoria Palace Theatre
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
