Nell Campbell
Encyclopedia
"Little" Nell Campbell (born Laura Elizabeth Campbell; 24 May 1953) is an Australian actress, club owner and singer.
' The Old Curiosity Shop
) in his family life column in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Campbell has three siblings, two sisters and a brother. The older sister became a set designer, the younger an artist, and her brother became an engineer. She was called Laura E. Campbell until around 17, when she went by the nickname "Sonny" . She began dancing at the age of 10, after being diagnosed with Hepatitis A
, to keep healthy. She attended high school at the Abbotsleigh School for Girls
in Sydney, supporting herself as a waitress.
; her stall was next to Freddie Mercury
's. She also worked as a busker and her tap dancing is often noted as the reason why she was cast as Columbia in the original production of The Rocky Horror Show
. She reprised the role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
, released in 1975, and starred as Nurse Ansalong in the 1981 sequel, Shock Treatment
.
After The Rocky Horror Picture Show, she signed a recording contract with A&M Records
, producing three singles. “Do the Swim” was a moderate hit in 1976, perhaps helped by a live performance on British television in which she accidentally (and repeatedly) exposed her breasts . She also created a disco
version of the song "Fever
" in 1978. A fifth and last single, "Tropical Isle", was released in 1980.
Campbell has also appeared in several stage productions, including the Off-Broadway
play You Should Be So Lucky and the Broadway musical NINE
. She co-starred as Sandra LeMon in the British TV series Rock Follies of '77.
From the mid-1980s to 1998, Campbell owned three nightclubs in New York: Kiosk, E&O, and most famously Nell's
. Nell's was sold in 1998 to Noel Ashman and his business partner actor Chris Noth
, right before she gave birth to daughter Matilda Violet in June 1998 to ex-boyfriend and business partner Eamonn Roche.
Campbell has written several magazine articles, including regular segments called "MamaTalks" and "FirstLook" in the now defunct Talk
magazine, starting in the December 1999 issue. She returned to Australia after selling her Boerum Hill house in Brooklyn
in December 2005, and is now retired and living with her daughter in the Northern suburbs of Sydney.
Guest vocals
Soundtracks & Cast Recordings
Early life
She was born in Sydney, to Ruth and Ross Campbell, a writer, who called her "Little Nell" (after a character in Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop
The Old Curiosity Shop is a novel by Charles Dickens. The plot follows the life of Nell Trent and her grandfather, both residents of The Old Curiosity Shop in London....
) in his family life column in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Campbell has three siblings, two sisters and a brother. The older sister became a set designer, the younger an artist, and her brother became an engineer. She was called Laura E. Campbell until around 17, when she went by the nickname "Sonny" . She began dancing at the age of 10, after being diagnosed with Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus , an RNA virus, usually spread the fecal-oral route; transmitted person-to-person by ingestion of contaminated food or water or through direct contact with an infectious person...
, to keep healthy. She attended high school at the Abbotsleigh School for Girls
Abbotsleigh
Abbotsleigh School for Girls is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Wahroonga, on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
in Sydney, supporting herself as a waitress.
Fame
Campbell decided to use the name "Little Nell" as a stage name after her arrival in Britain in the early 1970s with her family. She sold clothes at Kensington MarketKensington Market, London
Kensington Market was a three storey indoor market at 49 Kensington High Street, in the Kensington area of London, England.In the 1960s and 1970s, it catered to hippie and bohemian culture...
; her stall was next to Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
's. She also worked as a busker and her tap dancing is often noted as the reason why she was cast as Columbia in the original production of The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
. She reprised the role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, released in 1975, and starred as Nurse Ansalong in the 1981 sequel, Shock Treatment
Shock Treatment
Shock Treatment is a 1981 musical-black comedy film and a follow-up to the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the movie does feature several characters from the movie portrayed by different actors and several Rocky Horror actors portraying new characters...
.
After The Rocky Horror Picture Show, she signed a recording contract with A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, producing three singles. “Do the Swim” was a moderate hit in 1976, perhaps helped by a live performance on British television in which she accidentally (and repeatedly) exposed her breasts . She also created a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
version of the song "Fever
Fever (1956 song)
"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
" in 1978. A fifth and last single, "Tropical Isle", was released in 1980.
Campbell has also appeared in several stage productions, including the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
play You Should Be So Lucky and the Broadway musical NINE
Nine (musical)
Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
. She co-starred as Sandra LeMon in the British TV series Rock Follies of '77.
From the mid-1980s to 1998, Campbell owned three nightclubs in New York: Kiosk, E&O, and most famously Nell's
Nell's
Nell's was a nightclub located on 246 West 14th Street in downtown Manhattan. It opened in 1986 and closed May 30, 2004.Nell's (or Nells) was a nightclub located on 246 West 14th Street in downtown Manhattan. It opened in 1986 and closed May 30, 2004.Nell's (or Nells) was a nightclub located on...
. Nell's was sold in 1998 to Noel Ashman and his business partner actor Chris Noth
Chris Noth
Christopher David "Chris" Noth is an American actor. He is known for long-running television roles as Det. Mike Logan on the police procedural and legal drama television series, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and as Big on Sex and the City. For the latter role, he has been...
, right before she gave birth to daughter Matilda Violet in June 1998 to ex-boyfriend and business partner Eamonn Roche.
Campbell has written several magazine articles, including regular segments called "MamaTalks" and "FirstLook" in the now defunct Talk
Talk (magazine)
Talk was an American magazine published from 1999 to 2001.When it was launched as a joint venture between Miramax and Hearst Publishing, under the editorship of Tina Brown , it generated notoriety for its celebrity profiles and interviews...
magazine, starting in the December 1999 issue. She returned to Australia after selling her Boerum Hill house in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in December 2005, and is now retired and living with her daughter in the Northern suburbs of Sydney.
Discography
Singles / EPs- The Musical World of Little Nell (Aquatic Teenage Sex & Squalor)The Musical World of Little Nell (Aquatic Teenage Sex & Squalor)Little Nell's debut single was released in the UK and Australia in 1976 but did not chart in either country.This recording was produced and written by the team of Richard Hartley and Brian Thomson, who both played a major part in the creation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Shock Treatment...
(A&MA&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, 1976) - "Do the Swim" (A&M, 1977)
- "Fever" (A&M, 1978)
- "Beauty QueenBeauty Queen (song)Little Nell's fourth and final single was released in 1980 by Charisma Records subsidiary, Pre Records, for the movie The Alternative Miss World, a documentary about a British drag pageant of the same name. The film's title was changed to I Wanna Be A Beauty Queen for its American home video...
" (Pre Records, 1980) - "Tropical Isle" (1980)
Guest vocals
- Tuff Little Surfer Boy (featured as "Roxanne" for the song by Truth & Beauty) (1974)
Soundtracks & Cast Recordings
- The Rocky Horror ShowThe Rocky Horror ShowThe Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
(Original London Cast) (1973) - The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
(1975) - Shock TreatmentShock TreatmentShock Treatment is a 1981 musical-black comedy film and a follow-up to the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the movie does feature several characters from the movie portrayed by different actors and several Rocky Horror actors portraying new characters...
(1981)
Films
- 1974: Barry McKenzie Holds His OwnBarry McKenzie Holds His OwnBarry McKenzie Holds His Own is the 1974 sequel to the 1972 Australian comedy film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie.Returning from the original film is Barry Crocker in the title role, as well as Barry Humphries in the role of Barry's aunt, Dame Edna. Also returning in the director's chair is Bruce...
as Nerida Brealey - 1975: The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
as Columbia (A Groupie) - 1975: Lisztomania as Olga
- 1975: Alfie DarlingAlfie DarlingAlfie Darling is a 1975 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Hughes. It is the sequel to the 1966 film Alfie. This time Alan Price takes over Michael Caine's role of Alfie....
as a party guest - 1976 SebastianeSebastianeSebastiane is a controversial 1976 film written and directed by Derek Jarman and Paul Humfress. It portrays the events of the life of Saint Sebastian, including his iconic martyrdom by arrows. Most of the controversy surrounding the film derives from the homoeroticism portrayed between the soldiers...
as the Emperor's guest (uncredited) - 1977: JubileeJubilee (1977 film)Jubilee is a 1977 cult film directed by Derek Jarman. It stars Jenny Runacre, Ian Charleson, and a host of punk rockers. The title refers to the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977.-Plot:...
as Crabs - 1977: Journey Among Women as Meg
- 1978: Summer Of SecretsSummer of SecretsSummer of Secrets is the second part of 21st century Austen series by Rosie Rushton. It was published in 2007 by Piccadilly Press Ltd. It is an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.- Plot summary :...
as Kym - 1981: Shock TreatmentShock TreatmentShock Treatment is a 1981 musical-black comedy film and a follow-up to the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the movie does feature several characters from the movie portrayed by different actors and several Rocky Horror actors portraying new characters...
as Nurse Ansalong - 1981: Pink Floyd The WallPink Floyd The Wall (film)Pink Floyd—The Wall is a 1982 British live-action/animated musical film directed by Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters. The film is highly metaphorical and is rich in symbolic imagery and sound...
as a groupie. - 1984: Stanley: Every Home Should Have One as Amy Benton
- 1984: The Killing FieldsThe Killing Fields (film)The Killing Fields is a 1984 British drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists: Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. The film, which won three Academy Awards, was directed by Roland Joffé and stars Sam Waterston as...
as Beth - 1985: I Wanna Be a Beauty Queen as the opening act
- 1998: Great ExpectationsGreat Expectations (1998 film)Great Expectations is a 1998 contemporary film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft and Chris Cooper. It is known for having moved the setting of the original novel from 1861...
as Erica Thrall - 1999: Joe Gould's SecretJoe Gould's Secret (film)Joe Gould's Secret is a 2000 American drama film directed by Stanley Tucci. The screenplay by Howard A. Rodman is based on the magazine article Professor Sea Gull and the book Joe Gould's Secret by Joseph Mitchell.-Plot:...
as Tamara - 2000: The InternThe InternThe Intern is a 2000 comedy satire film directed by Michael Lange about the shallow world of fashion magazines. It stars Dominique Swain, Joan Rivers, Peggy Lipton and Kathy Griffin...
as the host
Theatre
- 1973: The Rocky Horror ShowThe Rocky Horror ShowThe Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
, at The Royal Court Theatre Upstairs - 1975: And They Used to Star in Movies, at the Soho Theatre
- 1977: A Street Car Named DesireA Streetcar Named Desire (play)A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
, at the Oxford Playhouse - 1978: Stoop, in London
- 1985: Women Behind BarsWomen Behind BarsWomen Behind Bars is a play by Tom Eyen.A camp spoof of the exploitation films produced by Universal, Warner's, and Republic Pictures in the 1950s, this black comedy is set in the Women's House of Detention in Greenwich Village...
, at the Footbridge Theatre at Sydney University - 1994: You Should Be So Lucky, off-Broadway
- 2003: NINENine (musical)Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. The story is based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8½...
, on Broadway - Censored Scenes From King Kong, at the Open Space Theatre
Television roles
- 1977: Rock Follies of '77 as Sandra LeMon
- 1977: It'll be Alright on the NightIt'll be Alright on the NightIt'll be Alright on the Night is a British television bloopers show screened on ITV and produced by London Weekend Television. It was one of the first shows created with the specific purpose of showing behind the scenes bloopers from film and TV and it has been running since 18 September 1977...
as Herself - 1979: HazelHazelThe hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
as Pamela - 1979: Shoestring as Joanna Lomas
- 1980: Dead Man's Kit as Zoe Summers
- 1983: BergeracBergerac (TV series)Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
as Mrs. Moberley - 1984: TV's Bloopers & Practical JokesTV's Bloopers & Practical JokesTV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes is a television series and a group of television specials that aired in the United States by NBC and, later, ABC from the 1980s to the mid-2000s...
as Herself - 1987: Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
as Herself - 1993: Tracy Takes On New York
- 1995: Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show as Herself
- 2001: Visible Panty Lines as Herself