Danny Sewell (18 November 1930 â€" 18 May 2001) was a British
professional heavyweight boxer and actor who created the role of Bill
Sikes in the 1960 stage musical Oliver!. He remained in the role for
the original Broadway production, which premiered in early 1963, and
for several national tours.He was born in London's East End as Dennis
Edward Sewell, the son of florist Mary Hetty née Griffin
(1905â€"1976) and George Mornington Sewell (1899â€"1986), a Hoxton
printer and bookmaker, former middleweight boxer, and right-hand man
of London gangster Darby Sabini and known as “The Cobblestone
Kid.†The character Georgie Sewell was featured in the television
series Peaky Blinders. The couple opened a florists business in
Tottenham in the 1930s, which they had until the early 1970s. George
helped run the business behind the scenes while his wife, Hetty, made
the bouquets and wreaths. Danny Sewell was the younger brother of the
actor George Sewell.A champion-boxer as a schoolboy, in 1946 aged 16
Danny Sewell became a professional and undefeated light-heavyweight
and heavyweight boxer, winning all 7 of his fights with 5 knockouts.
Regarded as a contender for the World Heavyweight title, he contracted
polio at age 18 during a worldwide epidemic and spent a year in an
iron lung in a Spokane, Washington, hospital paid for by British
sportsmen. He recovered and returned to boxing but, as Sewell once
said, “It was never the same. I’d lost the old spark.†He gave
up boxing and became a physical training instructor on the Queen Mary
and other Cunard Line ships, before going on to manage a Bethnal Green
pub and eventually try his hand at acting.†In 1953 he married Betty
Frances Anderson with whom he had four children: Laura, Daniel, George
and Andrew Sewell. The marriage was later dissolved and Sewell
remarried. His National Service was spent as a Physical Training
Instructor in the Royal Air Force, for whom he also boxed. Soon after
Sewell turned to acting; his first stage role was in One More River
(1959) at the Duke of York's Theatre in London while his television
and film roles included First Waterman in Nick of the River (1959),
Sam in Where the Party Ended (1960), Soho layabout in No Hiding Place
(1960), and Boxer in Armchair Theatre (1960). He had uncredited roles
in the films Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and The Criminal
(1960).Sewell created the role of Bill Sikes in the 1960 stage musical
Oliver! and remained in the role (including the original Broadway and
US touring productions) for the best part of six years. Sewell's main
competitor at audition for the role of Sikes was Michael Caine, who
later stated he "cried for a week" after failing to secure the part.
Sewell sang on the UK and US cast albums of Oliver!.
professional heavyweight boxer and actor who created the role of Bill
Sikes in the 1960 stage musical Oliver!. He remained in the role for
the original Broadway production, which premiered in early 1963, and
for several national tours.He was born in London's East End as Dennis
Edward Sewell, the son of florist Mary Hetty née Griffin
(1905â€"1976) and George Mornington Sewell (1899â€"1986), a Hoxton
printer and bookmaker, former middleweight boxer, and right-hand man
of London gangster Darby Sabini and known as “The Cobblestone
Kid.†The character Georgie Sewell was featured in the television
series Peaky Blinders. The couple opened a florists business in
Tottenham in the 1930s, which they had until the early 1970s. George
helped run the business behind the scenes while his wife, Hetty, made
the bouquets and wreaths. Danny Sewell was the younger brother of the
actor George Sewell.A champion-boxer as a schoolboy, in 1946 aged 16
Danny Sewell became a professional and undefeated light-heavyweight
and heavyweight boxer, winning all 7 of his fights with 5 knockouts.
Regarded as a contender for the World Heavyweight title, he contracted
polio at age 18 during a worldwide epidemic and spent a year in an
iron lung in a Spokane, Washington, hospital paid for by British
sportsmen. He recovered and returned to boxing but, as Sewell once
said, “It was never the same. I’d lost the old spark.†He gave
up boxing and became a physical training instructor on the Queen Mary
and other Cunard Line ships, before going on to manage a Bethnal Green
pub and eventually try his hand at acting.†In 1953 he married Betty
Frances Anderson with whom he had four children: Laura, Daniel, George
and Andrew Sewell. The marriage was later dissolved and Sewell
remarried. His National Service was spent as a Physical Training
Instructor in the Royal Air Force, for whom he also boxed. Soon after
Sewell turned to acting; his first stage role was in One More River
(1959) at the Duke of York's Theatre in London while his television
and film roles included First Waterman in Nick of the River (1959),
Sam in Where the Party Ended (1960), Soho layabout in No Hiding Place
(1960), and Boxer in Armchair Theatre (1960). He had uncredited roles
in the films Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) and The Criminal
(1960).Sewell created the role of Bill Sikes in the 1960 stage musical
Oliver! and remained in the role (including the original Broadway and
US touring productions) for the best part of six years. Sewell's main
competitor at audition for the role of Sikes was Michael Caine, who
later stated he "cried for a week" after failing to secure the part.
Sewell sang on the UK and US cast albums of Oliver!.
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