Denise Nickerson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Denise Nickerson
Nickerson at Wizard World Chicago in 2011
Born	(1957-04-01)April 1, 1957 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	July 10, 2019(2019-07-10) (aged 62) Aurora, Colorado, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1959–1978
Spouse(s)	Rich Keller ​ ​ (m. 1981; died 1983)​ Mark Willard ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 1998)​
Children	1

Denise Nickerson of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" speaking with attendees at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest in Phoenix, Arizona

Denise Nickerson (born April 1, 1957 – died July 10, 2019) was an American child actor. She was best known for playing Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. She also played Allison on The Electric Company and Amy Jennings and Nora Collins in the TV show Dark Shadows.

Early Life and First Roles

Denise Nickerson was born in New York City on April 1, 1957. Her parents were Flo and Fred Nickerson. When she was two years old, Denise appeared in a television commercial for a heating company in Florida.

At age four, she was discovered by Zev Buffman at a local fashion show. A few years later, she acted in the play Peter Pan. She played Wendy's daughter. The play starred Betsy Palmer and traveled to different cities. When the play ended, Denise and her sister Carol moved back to New York City.

Becoming a TV Star

In the late 1960s, Denise Nickerson started appearing on TV shows. She was in The Doctors as Kate Harris. Her big break came in 1968 when she joined the cast of Dark Shadows. She played two different characters, Amy Jennings and Nora Collins, from 1968 to 1970. After leaving Dark Shadows, she was in the 1971 TV movie The Neon Ceiling.

In 1971, when she was 13 years old, Denise got her most famous role. She was cast as the gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. This movie was based on Roald Dahl's famous book.

From 1972 to 1973, Denise joined the cast of The Electric Company. She played "Allison," a member of the Short Circus music group. Producers noticed her singing talent. She sang lead on several songs, including "The Sweet Sweet Sway." She also appeared in an episode of The Brady Bunch. She played Pamela, one of Peter Brady's dates. Denise also auditioned for a role in the movie The Exorcist.

Denise also played Liza Walton on the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow. She stayed with the show until the character was made older.

In 1973, Denise starred in the TV movie The Man Who Could Talk to Kids. In 1975, she appeared in the movie Smile. This movie was about beauty pageants. She played Shirley Tolstoy, who was Miss San Diego.

Denise also appeared in the 1978 films Zero to Sixty and the TV film Child of Glass.

Life After Acting

In 1978, Denise Nickerson turned 21 and decided to stop acting. She wanted to try a new career. She worked as a receptionist in a doctor's office.

Later, Denise made occasional TV appearances. In 2011, some of the main actors from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory reunited. They were on an episode of Top Chef: Just Desserts. The show challenged chefs to create an edible world. The cast reunited again in 2015 on the Today show.

Personal Life

Denise Nickerson was married two times. Her first marriage was to Rick Keller in 1981. He passed away two years later. Her second marriage was to Mark Willard in 1995. They had one son named Josh before they divorced in 1998.

Health Challenges and Passing

In June 2018, Denise Nickerson had a severe stroke. She was in the hospital for a while. After that, she went to a rehabilitation center. In August, she went home to be cared for by her family.

On July 8, 2019, Denise faced serious health challenges. Her son took her to the hospital. She developed pneumonia. On July 9, she had a massive seizure and went into a coma. On July 10, her family made the difficult decision to remove her from life support. She passed away later that day at the age of 62.

Filmography

Film

Television

Images for kids

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  Nickerson at Wizard World Chicago in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Denise Nickerson para niños