Oliver! (film) in the United States, and Oliver Reed, who played Bill Sikes, had just begun to make a name for himself. Producer John Woolf suggested Oliver Reed for the role to the director Reed, without knowing that the two were in fact related. Ron Moody, who was also well known in Britain but not the US, recreated his London stage performance, after Peter Sellers, Dick Van Dyke and Peter O'Toole reportedly turned down the role. Elizabeth Taylor turned down the role of Nancy as well. Julie Andrews was also considered. Director Reed also had Shirley Bassey in mind, but his choice
Brian Oliver (basketball, born 1968) Brian Oliver (basketball, born 1968) Brian Darnell Oliver (born June 1, 1968) is an American-Italian retired professional basketball player. A 6'4" (1.93 m) and 210 lb (95 kg) shooting guard out of Georgia Tech, he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA in the 2nd round (32nd overall) of the 1990 Draft. Oliver played four years in the league, mainly with the 76ers from 1990–1992 and two brief stints with the Washington Bullets (1994–95) and Atlanta Hawks (1997–98). His best year as a pro came during his rookie year with the Sixers, appearing in 73 games and averaging