Monica Evans

Monica Evans (born 7 June 1940) is an English actress known for her portrayal of Cecily Pigeon in Neil Simon's The Odd Couple.[1] She was in the original Broadway cast for its entire run, then appeared in the film version in 1968, and finally appeared in some episodes of the first season of the television series based on the play, all in the same role, alongside Carole Shelley as her sister Gwendolyn Pigeon.[2][3] She also provided voices for the two animated films for Walt Disney Productions, such as The Aristocats (1970), as Abigail Gabble (the Goose) (alongside Shelley as Amelia Gabble) and Robin Hood (1973) as Maid Marian, a vixen (again alongside Shelley as her handmaiden, Lady Kluck, a chicken).[4]

Monica Evans
Evans as Cecily Pigeon in the Broadway production of The Odd Couple, 1965
Born (1940-06-07) 7 June 1940
Camberwell, London, England
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1960–present
Spouse(s)Leo Maguire
(m. 1962 ;div ?)
Dave Cash
(m. 1973; div. 2010)

Evans trained at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in the 1950s and was the stand-in for Joan Plowright in Rhinoceros. She took over the role from Plowright when Plowright's's relationship with Laurence Olivier became public.[5] She was also one of the stars in a soap opera for BBC Television called Compact, set in the office of a magazine, and starred in The Severed Head in the West End.[6][7] Evans was the maid of honor at Carole Shelley's wedding in 1967.[8]

She lived in the United States for several years. After her return to the UK she married BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Cash. Her brother-in-law is Charles Hayward, the drummer of This Heat.

In 2018, she was at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival, reuniting with her old friend, Carole Shelley.

TV and filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1960 Make Mine Mink 2nd Shop Assistant Uncredited
1961 You Can't Win Iris TV series
The Escape of R.D.7 David's Secretary TV series
1962–1963 Compact Sally Henderson / Harmon TV series
1964 No Hiding Place Elaine Holmes TV series
1965 Be My Guest Dyllis
1968 The Odd Couple Cecily
1970–1971 The Odd Couple Cecily TV series
1970 Here Come the Brides Renee TV series
The Aristocats Abigail Gabble, the Goose Voice
1973 Robin Hood Maid Marian, the Vixen Voice, (final film role)

References
  1. "Monica Evans – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  2. "The Odd Couple (1968) - Gene Saks | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
  3. "Monica Evans | TV, Documentary and Other Appearances". AllMovie.
  4. "Monica Evans". BFI. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018.
  5. "Production of Rhinoceros | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  6. "Compact[04/01/62] (1962)". BFI. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019.
  7. "Monica Evans | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  8. Barnes, Mike; Bartlett, Rhett (2 September 2018). "Carole Shelley, One of the Pigeon Sisters From 'The Odd Couple,' Dies at 79". Billboard. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
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