Sylvia Lewis
- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Sylvia Lewis, born in York, Pennsylvania, first performed as a young
child in the last days of vaudeville in Baltimore, Maryland. She
received her first classical training as a scholarship student at the
Peabody Conservatory of Music, studying dance, voice and piano. Coming
to Hollywood at the age of 12, she continued to study and secured parts
in such films as
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
and Red Garters (1954) as a dancer,
then in Drums of Tahiti (1953) as
an actress. Later she added choreography to her list of credits, which
began while she was a regular featured character on the TV series
Where's Raymond? (1953),
that starred Ray Bolger and ran for 60
episodes on ABC. She choreographed dozens of TV shows since then,
including
Who's the Boss? (1984) and
Married... with Children (1987).
Guest appearances on shows like
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961),
The Beverly Hillbillies (1962)
and
Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964),
plus a healthy stage career on both coasts, earned her a reputation as
a triple-threat performer. Her career in theater, nightclubs, films,
and TV which spanned 50 years continued until the 1990s. She now lives
in Thousand Oaks, California, with her husband of 30 years, attorney
Philip Gunning. She has one daughter (Catherine) from her early
marriage to director John Rich.
