Shani Wallis
Shani Wallis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 April 1933 |
| 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!
Biography
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,[3] 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;[4] 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.[5]
Selected credits
Film
- Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956)
- The Extra Day (1956)
- A King in New York (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 (voice of Lady Mouse, 1986)
- Round Numbers (1992)
- The Pebble and the Penguin (narrator, 1995)
- Mojave Phone Booth (voice of "Greta", 2006)
Selected TV
- Two of a Kind (with Morecambe and Wise, 1961)
- The Garry Moore Show (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 (1969, 1970)
- Gunsmoke (as Stella in the episodes "Women for Sale", 1973)
- The Young and the Restless (as Frances the Governess, 2004)
- The $10,000 Pyramid
- 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 (as Miss Danton - segment "The Doll", 1971)
- Mickie Finn's (as herself, 1966)
- The Ed Sullivan Show (where she was spotted and subsequently auditioned and won the part of Nancy in the 1968 film Oliver)
Theatre
- Call Me Madam, (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 (1954), London Casino (as Fay Tomkin)
- 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[6]
- 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
References
- ^ a b c d e f "I would have liked a bit more from my career after Oliver says Shani Wallis". sundaypost.com. 5 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Unsung heroines - Shani Wallis". musical-theatre.net. 4 July 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2001.
- ^ Tims, Anna (3 December 2012). "How we made: Mark Lester and Ron Moody on Oliver!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Robertson, Peter (1 January 2018). "Oliver! turns 50: What happened to Shani Wallis who played Nancy?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Our Treasured Patrons", The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America (online). Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ Princess Theatre, Melbourne theatre programme (1958)