Shani Wallis, a talented singer and actress from Tottenham, London, moved to the United States in the mid-1906s to pursue her acting career. There, she met and fell in love with Bernie Rich, an American who became her manager. They tied the knot in 1968 and had a daughter, Rebecca, in 1971. Their marriage lasted for almost 50 years until Rich passed away in 2016.
Wallis started her career in the early 1950s and appeared in several films, TV shows, and stage productions. Her most memorable role was Nancy in the 1968 musical film Oliver, based on Charles Dickens’s classic novel Oliver Twist.
Wallis Grew Up In London And Lost Her Parents In Her Early Thirties
Shani Wallis, born on April 14, 1933, in Tottenham, London, is currently 91 years old. Her father, James, a cavalryman in the British army during World War I, lost his hearing due to explosions and gas exposure. On the other hand, information about her mother, Ethel, remains scarce.
Sadly, she lost both parents in 1965, when she was about 32 years old. They passed away before witnessing her rise to stardom in the entertainment industry.
Moving forward, Wallis was not the only child of her parents; she was the youngest. Her older brother, Leon Roy Wallis, born on December 28, 1927, was a renowned drummer who formed his own big band in 1949. Sadly, he passed away in May 1993.
Presumably, Shani Wallis is the sole surviving member of her immediate family.
As regards her education, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, a prestigious drama school that has trained some of the biggest stars, such as Anthony Hopkins, Cynthia Ervio, Imelda Staunton, Andrian Lester, Aimee Lou Wood, James Westman, and Glenda Jackson. She was admitted to the school on a scholarship.
Career-wise, she was a child prodigy who stepped on stage for the first time at the age of four. She made her theatrical debut in Call Me Madam at the London Coliseum in 1952, when she was almost 19, as Princess Maria.
She also had the honor of singing a song composed by Charlie Chaplin in his 1957 film A King in New York. Her breakthrough role came in 1968 when she played Nancy in Oliver, a musical film based on Lionel Bart’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s 1838 novel Oliver Twist.
Apart from the few mentioned above, her filmography includes film, TV, and stage roles. Here are a few:
Film
- Ramsbottom Rides Again (1956)
- The Extra Day (1956)
- Terror in the Wax Museum (1973)
TV
- Two of a Kind (1961)
- Once Upon a Mattress (1964)
- Murder, She Wrote (1989)
Theater
- Wish You Were Here (1953)
- A Time for Singing (1966)
- Cowardy Custard (1989)
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Shani Wallis’ Husband Was Bernie Rich
Bernard Maurice Rich, better known as Bernie Rich, was a talented actor and agent who was born on April 7, 1931, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He represented many famous clients, including singer Eddie Fisher, who was married to actress Elizabeth Taylor.
Bernie had two marriages in his life. His first wife was Margie Duncan, a dancer and actress who appeared in films like The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Second Time Around, and The Singing Nun. They got married in 1955 and had three children: Michael, born in 1956; Mark, born in 1958; and Elisa. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1968.
Later that year, he found love again with Shani Wallis. They exchanged vows on September 12, 1968, at the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. They flew to London for their honeymoon and enjoyed the city where Shani had grown up.
As regards how they met, fate brought them together through Elizabeth Taylor in 1963. Five years later, they sealed their love with a ring.
Bernie and Shani were happily married for almost five decades and had a daughter, Rebecca Rich, together. Sadly, he passed away on September 10, 2016, in Laguna Woods, California, at the age of 85, after battling cancer. He left behind a legacy of entertainment and a loving family.
Meet Wallis’ Only Daughter, Rebecca Rich
Shan Wallis’ and Berni Rich’s only daughter, Rebecca Rich, was born on November 25, 1971, in Los Angeles, California. She is now 53 years old.
Although she was her parents’ only child, she has three half-siblings, Michael, Mark, and Elisa, from her father’s first marriage with Margie Duncan.
Details about her childhood and education are unavailable at the moment. Nonetheless, a 2018 Sunday Post article revealed that she works with a pharmaceutical company. She is also a proud mother of two daughters, but the name and identity of her husband are not known.
Check Out These Quick Facts About The Oliver Actress
- As a child, she learned ballet and tap dancing
- Her most famous film, Oliver, earned 11 Academy Award nominations and won 6, but she wasn’t nominated
- As her manager, Wallis’ late husband negotiated for her to be paid £25,000 to play Nancy in Oliver
- She and Rich couldn’t have more children because he already had three from his previous marriage
- Shani Wallis’ net worth is approximately $1 million
