Denise Nickerson
Encyclopedia
Denise Nickerson is an American former child actress best known for her roles as the gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
and Amy Jennings in the soap opera
Dark Shadows
.
in an unsold television pilot called Rome Sweet Rome
. Nickerson's big break came in 1968 when she joined the cast of ABC
-TV's Dark Shadows
, appearing as recurring characters Amy Jennings and Nora Collins from 1968-1970. Upon leaving Dark Shadows, she appeared in the television movie
The Neon Ceiling.
In 1971, Nickerson was cast as the nymphet Lolita in the 1971 ill-fated musical, Lolita, My Love
during its run on Boston, and closed on the road. Also at this time, Nickerson landed her signature role as gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
.. From 1972-1973, Nickerson joined the cast of The Electric Company as "Allison", a member of the Short Circus music group. Producers saw the potential in the fresh-faced Nickerson and often had her singing lead on several songs, including "The Sweet Sweet Sway." She also guest starred as Pamela, a girlfriend of Peter Brady on one of the final The Brady Bunch
episodes, "Two Petes in a Pod".
Denise created the role of "Liza Walton" on the CBS soap, "Search for Tomorrow." She remained with the
series until they decided to age the character and make her one of the show's romantic heroines.
Nickerson was considered for the role of Regan MacNeil, the demon-possessed girl in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist
, but her parents pulled her out at the last minute due to conflicts with the story's subject matter. The role was eventually made famous by Linda Blair
.
Denise starred in the 1975 satiric, beauty-pageant inspired motion picture "Smile", as Miss San Diego's Shirley Tolstoy (also starring a young Melanie Griffith and Annette O'Toole.)
Nickerson's career was temporarily put on hold in November 1976 when she was struck by a car while crossing the street. The injury landed her in a full leg cast for eight months. Afterwards, she appeared in the film Zero to Sixty
and TV movie Child of Glass
.
version of To Tell the Truth
, as contestant number two.
Nickerson is currently an accountant at an engineering plant and resides in Denver, Colorado
. She has remained friends with her former Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory co-stars and regularly appears at autograph conventions with them as well as her Dark Shadows costars.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
and Amy Jennings in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
.
Career
Born in New York City, Nickerson made appearances in the late 1960s on such shows as The Doctors, and opposite Bill BixbyBill Bixby
Wilfred Bailey Everett “Bill” Bixby III was an American film and television actor, director, and frequent game show panelist.His career spanned over three decades; he appeared on stage, in motion pictures and TV series...
in an unsold television pilot called Rome Sweet Rome
Rome Sweet Rome
Rome, Sweet Rome is an online 350-word, alternate history, military science fiction short story by American freelance writer and military historian James Erwin. It describes what might happen if a United States Marine unit were somehow transported back to the time of the Roman Empire under...
. Nickerson's big break came in 1968 when she joined the cast of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
-TV's Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
, appearing as recurring characters Amy Jennings and Nora Collins from 1968-1970. Upon leaving Dark Shadows, she appeared in the television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
The Neon Ceiling.
In 1971, Nickerson was cast as the nymphet Lolita in the 1971 ill-fated musical, Lolita, My Love
Lolita, My Love
Lolita, My Love was an unsuccessful musical by John Barry and Alan Jay Lerner, based on Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita. It closed in Boston in 1971 while on a tour prior to Broadway.-Production history:...
during its run on Boston, and closed on the road. Also at this time, Nickerson landed her signature role as gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
.. From 1972-1973, Nickerson joined the cast of The Electric Company as "Allison", a member of the Short Circus music group. Producers saw the potential in the fresh-faced Nickerson and often had her singing lead on several songs, including "The Sweet Sweet Sway." She also guest starred as Pamela, a girlfriend of Peter Brady on one of the final The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
episodes, "Two Petes in a Pod".
Denise created the role of "Liza Walton" on the CBS soap, "Search for Tomorrow." She remained with the
series until they decided to age the character and make her one of the show's romantic heroines.
Nickerson was considered for the role of Regan MacNeil, the demon-possessed girl in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, but her parents pulled her out at the last minute due to conflicts with the story's subject matter. The role was eventually made famous by Linda Blair
Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair is an American actress. Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one. She reprised her role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic.-Biography:Blair...
.
Denise starred in the 1975 satiric, beauty-pageant inspired motion picture "Smile", as Miss San Diego's Shirley Tolstoy (also starring a young Melanie Griffith and Annette O'Toole.)
Nickerson's career was temporarily put on hold in November 1976 when she was struck by a car while crossing the street. The injury landed her in a full leg cast for eight months. Afterwards, she appeared in the film Zero to Sixty
Zero to Sixty
Zero to Sixty is a 1978 American comedy film directed by Don Weis. The film never received a theatrical release, but it was later reviewed by TV Guide, which called McGavin "fun to watch" in the film but noted the premise was brought to the screen six years later in a different film, Repo...
and TV movie Child of Glass
Child of Glass
Child of Glass is a TV movie based upon a novel by Richard Peck . Child of Glass was updated to the present when it was created for Disney's TV series in 1978, had been aired on NBC.-Plot:...
.
Post-acting career
Nickerson turned 21 in 1978, and opted to quit acting at that time. Since then, she has appeared on television sporadically, such as an episode of the 2000-2002 John O'HurleyJohn O'Hurley
John George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
version of To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
, as contestant number two.
Personal
Nickerson has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Rick Keller in 1981; he died two years later of a brain aneurysm. Her second marriage was to Mark Willard in 1995; they divorced in 1998 and had one son, Josh.Nickerson is currently an accountant at an engineering plant and resides in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. She has remained friends with her former Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory co-stars and regularly appears at autograph conventions with them as well as her Dark Shadows costars.