Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933) 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!

Writer and critic Kenneth Tynan has described her as "the English Judy Garland".

Biography

Wallis was born in Tottenham, London, 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.

She made her theatrical debut in a lead role as young princess Maria in Call Me Madam at the London Coliseum in March 1952. Wallis sprang to global fame when appearing as Nancy in the Oscar-winning musical film Oliver! in 1968, starring alongside Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, Ron Moody as Fagin, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, and Mark Lester as Oliver. 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.

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; the couple have one daughter and two granddaughters. Wallis is a patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

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 watched widely on YouTube and the show Britain's Got Talent Unseen.

Selected credits

Features

YearTitleRoleNotes
1956Ramsbottom Rides AgainJoan Ramsbottom
The Extra DayShirley
1957A King in New YorkCabaret Singer
1968Oliver!Nancy
1973ArnoldJocelyn
Terror in the Wax MuseumLaurie Mell
1986The Great Mouse DetectiveLady Mouse (voice)
1992Round NumbersBinky
1995The Pebble and the Penguinnarrator
2006Mojave Phone BoothGreta (voice)

Television films

YearTitleRole
1957A Santa for Christmas
1964Once Upon a MattressLady Larken
1976Mayday at 40,000 FeetTerry Dunlanp
1995Columbo: Strange BedfellowsGwen

Selected TV

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959Frankly HowerdThe Pianist
1960Val Parnell's SpectacularEpisode: "Johnnie Ray Sings"
1961Two of a KindPerformer
1963–1964The Garry Moore Show
1965The Dean Martin ShowPerformersinging "I'm a Girl" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?"
1965The Red Skelton HourPerformerepisode singing "I'm Old Fashioned" and singing/dancing "Pass Me By"
1966Mickie Finn'sHerself
1968The Harry Secombe Show
1969-1970This Is Tom Jones
1971Night GalleryMiss DantonSegment: "The Doll"
1973GunsmokeStella Silks2 episodes
1975Police StoryJanet StilesEpisode: "Headhunter"
1977Charlie's AngelsEllen JasonEpisode: "Angels in the Wings"
1981Fantasy IslandWife in towelEpisode: "Cyrano/The Magician"
1989Murder, She WroteOlivia WaverleyEpisode: "Night of the Tarantula"
2000One WorldMs. CosgroveEpisode: "Roots"
2004The Young and the RestlessFrances the Governess
2026Britain's Got TalentContestant

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

External links