# Danny Sewell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Danny_Sewell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Danny_Sewell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Sewell > Source revision: 1342854535 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British boxer and actor (1930–2001) Danny Sewell in 1963 **Dennis Edward** "**Danny**" **Sewell** (18 November 1930 – 18 May 2001) was a British professional heavyweight boxer[1] and actor who created the role of [Bill Sikes](/source/Bill_Sikes) in the 1960 stage musical *[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!)*. He remained in the role for the original [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) production, which premiered in early 1963, and for several national tours.[2] ## Early life Sewell was born in London, the son of a [Hoxton](/source/Hoxton) printer and bookmaker father and florist mother.[3] He was the younger brother of the actor [George Sewell](/source/George_Sewell). A champion-boxer as a schoolboy,[4] in 1946 aged 16 Danny Sewell became a professional and undefeated light-heavyweight and heavyweight boxer,[5] winning all 7 of his fights with 5 [knockouts](/source/Knockout).[6] Regarded as a contender for the World Heavyweight title, he contracted [polio](/source/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.”[7] In 1953 he married Betty Frances Anderson[8] with whom he had four children: Laura, Daniel, George and Andrew Sewell.[9] The marriage was later dissolved and Sewell remarried. His [National Service](/source/Conscription_in_the_United_Kingdom) was spent as a Physical Training Instructor in the [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force), for whom he also boxed.[10] Soon after Sewell turned to acting; his first stage role was in *One More River* (1959) at the [Duke of York's Theatre](/source/Duke_of_York's_Theatre) in London[11] 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](/source/No_Hiding_Place)* (1960), and Boxer in *[Armchair Theatre](/source/Armchair_Theatre)* (1960). He had uncredited roles in the films *[Saturday Night and Sunday Morning](/source/Saturday_Night_and_Sunday_Morning)* (1960) and *[The Criminal](/source/The_Criminal_(1960_film))* (1960).[6] ## Sikes in *Oliver!* Sewell created the role of [Bill Sikes](/source/Bill_Sikes) in the 1960 stage musical *[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!)* and remained in the role (including the original Broadway and US touring productions)[12] for the best part of six years.[2][13] Sewell's main competitor at audition for the role of Sikes was [Michael Caine](/source/Michael_Caine),[14] who later stated he "cried for a week" after failing to secure the part.[15] Sewell sang on the UK and US cast albums of *Oliver!*.[6] Sewell was disappointed not to be offered the role of Sikes in the 1968 film *[Oliver!](/source/Oliver!_(film))*, which went to [Oliver Reed](/source/Oliver_Reed). ## Later career He played Avery in *[Partners in Crime](/source/Partners_in_Crime_(1961_film))* (1961) in *[The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre](/source/The_Edgar_Wallace_Mystery_Theatre)*; Sgt. Major Roughage in *Bonehead* (1962); Teddy Scammell in *[The Expert](/source/The_Expert_(TV_series))* (1969) with George Sewell as Louis Scammell; Ryder in *[Dixon of Dock Green](/source/Dixon_of_Dock_Green)* (1968); Billy McCance in *[Z-Cars](/source/Z-Cars)* (1968); Gideon the Gaoler in *[Rogues' Gallery](/source/Rogues'_Gallery_(TV_series))* (1968), and Weston in *[Man at the Top](/source/Man_at_the_Top_(film))* (1973). Sewell played Chitterlow in the second national tour of *[Half a Sixpence](/source/Half_a_Sixpence)* (1966) and Luke in the original Off-Broadway production of *[Lady Audley's Secret](/source/Lady_Audley's_Secret)* (1972).[4] On [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre) in 1967 he took over the role of Joey in *[The Homecoming](/source/The_Homecoming)* and returned to the role in an Off-Broadway revival in 1971[4] for which he won an [Obie](/source/Obie_Award) in 1972,[9][16] while in 1974 he also took over the role of Harry Dalton in *[Equus](/source/Equus_(play))*.[13] He appeared in the Broadway production of the play *[The Elephant Man](/source/The_Elephant_Man_(play))* in 1979.[2] Danny Sewell retired to [Sarasota](/source/Sarasota), Florida, with his second wife, actress Donna Gerdes. He died in Sarasota in 2001. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Boxing career of Danny Sewell - BoxRec database](https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Danny_Sewell) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IBDb_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IBDb_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-IBDb_2-2) [Danny Sewell](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/danny-sewell-83599) - [Internet Broadway Database](/source/Internet_Broadway_Database) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Guardian_3-0)** Purser, Philip (11 April 2007). ["Guardian, 11 April 2007"](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/apr/11/guardianobituaries.television). *The Guardian*. London. Retrieved 3 May 2010. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Ovrtur_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Ovrtur_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Ovrtur_4-2) [Danny Sewell on the Ovrtur database](http://ovrtur.com/biography/10114865) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Boxing career of Danny Sewell - Boxing History](https://www.boxinghistory.org.uk/Boxer_Danny_Sewell_Tottenham.htm) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RCA_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RCA_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RCA_6-2) ["Broadway cast album for *Oliver!* - Music Theatre International"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200127173511/http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/oliver.htm). Archived from [the original](http://users.bestweb.net/~foosie/oliver.htm) on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Danny Sewell - Hulton Archive (1949)](https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/heavyweight-boxer-danny-sewell-a-contender-for-the-world-news-photo/3380831) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Dennis E Sewell in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 - Ancestry.com (subscription required)](https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8753&h=28229257&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=djv2566&_phstart=successSource) 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NYT_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NYT_9-1) [Death notice for Danny Sewell](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/27/classified/paid-notice-deaths-sewell-danny-dennis-edward.html) - *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* - 27 May 2001 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Julie Welch and Rob White, [*The Ghost of White Hart Lane: In Search of My Father the Football Legend*](https://books.google.com/books?id=WB7rRcfufQ4C&pg=PA87), Yellow Jersey Press, London (2011) - Google Books pg. 87 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Danny Sewell in *One More River* - Theatricalia website](https://theatricalia.com/person/1z0y/danny-sewell) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Thomas S. Hischak, [*The Oxford Companion to the American Musical*](https://books.google.com/books?id=XbBz3C4Gr0EC&pg=PA547), - Google Books pg. 547 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Playbill_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Playbill_13-1) [Danny Sewell](http://www.playbill.com/person/danny-sewell-vault-0000057372) - *[Playbill](/source/Playbill)* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** William Hall, [*Sir Michael Caine - The Biography*](https://books.google.com/books?id=yTitDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT97), John Blake Publishing Ltd (2006) - Google Books 1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Harry Eiss, [*The Mythology of Dance*](https://books.google.com/books?id=NVkxBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA145), Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2013) - Google Books pg. 145 1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Danny Sewell - Obie Award (1972) - Village Voice and American Theatre Wing](http://www.obieawards.com/events/1970s/year-72/) ## External links - [Sewell](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0786573/) on the [Internet Movie Database](/source/Internet_Movie_Database) Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF National United States Other Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Danny Sewell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Sewell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Sewell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.