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{{short description|American film, TV and stage actor and author (born 1951)}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = Ray Shell
| other_names = Ayries Shell
| caption =
| birth_name = Ayries Lancaster
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|22 September 1951}}
| birth_place = [[Wilson County, North Carolina]], US
| nationality =
| alma_mater = [[Emerson College]]
| occupation = Actor, author, producer
| notable_works =''Iced'' (1993)
}}
'''Ray Shell''' (born 22 September 1951)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXLsNuPiVF4|title=Ray Shell {{!}} Starlight Express Alumni|first=Peter|last=Liciaga|via=[[YouTube]]|date=1 December 2019}}</ref> is an American film, TV and stage actor, as well as an author, singer, director and producer. He is known for creating the roles of Nomax in ''[[Five Guys Named Moe]]'' (1990) and [[Rusty the Steam Engine|Rusty]] in ''[[Starlight Express]]'' (1984). He is a Creative Director of the [[Giant Olive Theatre Company]], resident company at the [[Giant Olive Theatre Company|Lion & Unicorn Theatre]] in [[Kentish Town]], [[London]]. Shell is the author of the 1993 novel ''Iced''.

== Early life ==
Born in [[Wilson County, North Carolina]], Shell moved with his mother to [[Brooklyn, New York]], when he was two years old; in a 2018 interview, he said: "My name should be Ayries Lancaster because James Lancaster Jr. was my biological father. Charles Shell is the name of my father who adopted me at 13. I named myself Ray because I got tired of people murdering my first name."<ref name="PopMatters interview">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/ray-shell-interview-2525808736.html|title=Back to Bond Street: An Interview with West End Legend Ray Shell|website=[[PopMatters]]|first=Christian John |last=Wikane |date=16 January 2018|access-date=15 January 2023}}</ref>

In 1970, Shell went to [[Emerson College]] in [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], where he studied acting, literature and mass communications, graduating with a BFA in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.giantolive.com/ray-shell/|website=Giant Olive|title=Ray Shell|access-date=15 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="Paris Review">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/03/21/when-crack-was-wack-ray-shells-lost-drug-novel/|title=When Crack Was Wack: Ray Shell's Lost Drug Novel|first=Michael A. |last=Gonzales|magazine=[[The Paris Review]]|date=21 March 2018|access-date=15 January 2023}}</ref>

After graduation, Shell toured in the national companies of national companies of ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]'' and ''[[The Me Nobody Knows]]'', before being cast in the title role of "the first soul gospel musical" ''Little Willie Jr’s Resurrection'', Oscar L. Johnson and [[Lon Satton]], traveling with the show to [[London]], England, in November 1978.<ref name="PopMatters interview" />

==Career==
After arriving in London in 1978 with ''Little Willie Jr's Resurrection'', Shell immediately became part of London's New Wave music scene, recording as a vocalist with [[Howard Devoto]]'s [[Magazine (band)|Magazine]], covering [[Kate Bush]]'s "[[Them Heavy People]]". He went on to record with his own band The Street Angels featuring a "pre-[[Simon Cowell]]" [[Sinitta]], Carl McKintosh and Charita Jones.<ref>{{cite news|title=Momma Cherri|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article554237.ece|first=Charita|last= Jones|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|date=21 August 2005|access-date=26 July 2008}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

On the UK stage, Shell originated lead roles in the musicals ''[[Starlight Express]]'' (1984) and ''[[Five Guys Named Moe]]'' (1990).<ref name="PopMatters interview" />

In 1993, Shell's novel ''Iced'' was first published by [[HarperCollins|Flamingo/HarperCollins]] in the UK ([[Random House]] in the US), to commercial success. Described in a cover blurb by [[Maya Angelou]] as "a powerhouse",<ref name="Paris Review" /> ''Iced'' tells the story of an upper-middle-class black American man destroying himself with crack-cocaine. In 1997, The [[Black Theatre Co-operative]] toured a stage adaptation of the book, in collaboration with the [[Nottingham Playhouse]], including a sell-out run at the [[Tricycle Theatre]].<ref>{{cite book | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VfdpdZ9DwH0C&pg=PA66 | first=Lynette |last=Goddard | chapter=Black Theatre Co-operative | title=Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture | isbn=9781134700257 | editor-last1=Donnell | editor-first1=Alison | editor-link=Alison Donnell | date=2002 | pages=48–49 | publisher=Routledge }}</ref>

In 2008, Shell wrote about his appearance in, and the closure of, the musical ''[[Gone with the Wind (musical)|Gone with the Wind]]'' for ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ray|last=Shell|title=Goodbye, cruel wind|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/jun/12/culture.theatre|newspaper=The Guardian|date=June 12, 2008|accessdate=26 July 2008}}</ref>

In summer 2011, Shell was the performance coach for [[Adrian Grant (writer and producer)|Adrian Grant]]'s ''Respect La Diva'' starring [[Sheila Ferguson]], [[Zoe Birkett]], Katy Satterfield, [[Denise Pearson]] and [[Andy Abraham]]. In winter 2011, Shell was [[James Earl Jones]]'s understudy for in the London [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''[[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|Driving Miss Daisy]]'', starring [[Boyd Gaines]] and [[Vanessa Redgrave]] in the title role.

In March 2012, Shell's TAIP (Total Artist in Production) produced ''The Gaddafi Club'', a new play. In spring 2012, Shell toured the UK as MC Romeo Marcell in ''Dancing in the Streets''. In 2012, he directed ''A Dream Across the Ocean'', a new British musical produced by Samuel Facey and Dave Prince from ChurchBoyz Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afridiziak.com/theatrenews/interviews/july2012/ray-shell.html |title=Ray Shell, Dream Across the Ocean|website= Afridiziak|first=Gillian|last= Fisher|date= 23 July 2012}}</ref>

Also in 2013, Street Angels Books published ''[[Spike Lee]]: The Eternal Maverick'', a biography by Shell. In 2015, Shell began production of the film version of ''Iced'' and published ''Feedin' Miranda'', a new novel. He also appeared as Bill Devaney in the newly created West End musical ''[[The Bodyguard (musical)|The Bodyguard]]'', based on the movie of [[The Bodyguard (1992 film)|the same name]].<ref>[http://www.westendtheatre.com/tag/ray-shell/ "Ray Shell | The Bodyguard"], ''West End Theatre''.</ref> He appeared as The Bishop in the [[Bush Theatre]]'s 2014 production of ''Perseverance Drive'';<ref>{{cite news|first=Matt|last= Trueman|title=Perseverance Drive, Bush Theatre, review: 'profound'|newspaper=[[Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/10961410/Perseverance-Drive-Bush-Theatre-review-profound.html|date=11 July 2014|access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> Shell also established his popular London TAIP (Total Actor In Production) sessions at the Ripley Grier Studios in New York City.

Shell is also the author of the novels ''Carolina Red'' and ''An Eye, A Tooth''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://streetangelsbooks.co.uk/about/|title=About Street Angels Books|website=Street Angels Books|access-date=15 January 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Shell was married to restaurateur Charita 'Momma Cherri' Jones; their eldest daughter Katryna Thomas-Shell is an actress and producer, while their youngest daughter Krystin Thomas-Shell Gravitt is married to Zack Gravitt and is a health executive in Houston Texas. Shell has three grandchildren - Tyler McCurdy, Elle Skatch and Eden Ayries Thomas-Shell.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.zola.com/wedding/krystinandzachery/wedding_party | title=Krystin Thomas-Shell and Zachery Gravitt's Wedding Website - Zola }}</ref>

==Credits==
{{columns-start|num=2}}

===Theatre===
* [[Rusty the Steam Engine|Rusty]] in ''[[Starlight Express]]''
* Poppa in ''[[Starlight Express|The New Starlight Express]]''
* Pork in ''[[Gone With the Wind (musical)|Gone With the Wind]]''
* Narrator in ''Dancing in the Streets''
* ''[[Ain't Misbehavin' (musical)|Ain't Misbehavin']]''
* ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]''
* ''[[Miss Saigon]]''
* ''Mass Carib''
* ''Little Willies Jr''
* ''[[Children of Eden]]''
* ''125th Street''
* ''[[The Lion King (musical)|The Lion King]]''
* ''[[Golden Boy (musical)|Golden Boy]]''
* Nomax in ''[[Five Guys Named Moe]]''
* [[Sweeney Todd]] in ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]''
* ''[[Vernon God Little]]''
* ''[[Happy End (musical)|Happy End]]''
* ''[[Two Trains Running]]''
* ''Perseverance Drive''
* ''The Barber Shop Chronicles''
* ''[[Hair (musical)|Hair]]''
* ''[[Driving Miss Daisy (play)|Driving Miss Daisy]]''
* Bill Devaney in ''[[The Bodyguard (musical)|The Bodyguard]]''

===DVD and video===
* ''[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration''

{{column}}

===Film and TV===
* ''American Voices'' as Elmer Thomas
* ''Too Much Sun'' as Transvestite <small>(episode: "Cross Purposes)</small>
* ''[[Velvet Goldmine]]'' as Murray
* ''Pirate Prince'' as Darbo
* ''[[Young Soul Rebels]]'' as Jeff Kane
* ''[[Breakfast with Frost]]'' as himself
* ''[[Screen Two]]'' as From the Rear Window <small>(episode: "The McGuffin")</small>
* ''[[The Apple (1980 film)|The Apple]]'' as Shake

===Recordings===
* ''[[Starlight Express]]: Original London Cast Recording''
* ''[[Only You (Pearl and Rusty)|Only You]]''
* ''[[The Apple (1980 film)|The Apple]]''
* ''[[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration''
* ''[[Children of Eden]]: Original London Cast Recording''

===Contributor===
* "A Higher Calling" in [https://www.aurorametro.com/product/encounters-with-james-baldwin/ ''Encounters with James Baldwin: Celebrating 100 Years.'']

===Own work===
* ''Iced''
* ''Flatshare''
* ''Frederick Avery Visits''
* ''Street Angels''
* ''ZIP''
* ''The Gaddafi Club''
* ''White Folks''
{{columns-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0791137}}
* [http://www.lastminute.com/site/entertainment/theatre/interview/ray-shell.html Lastminute.com Interview] 13 October 2005.
* Peter Liciaga, [https://www.peterliciaga.com/ray-shell-starlight-express-greatest-volume-1/ "Ray Shell, Starlight Express’ Greatest Volume 1"], PeterLiciaga.com, 14 July 2021.
* [https://ownit.london/ray-shell/ Ray Shell] at OWN IT!.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shell, Ray}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American writers]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:African-American directors]]
[[Category:African-American male writers]]
[[Category:African-American novelists]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]

Ray Shell - Revision history

imported>Evataperboyd at 12:32, 4 June 2025