Tony Winner Janie Sell Dies at 86
The Broadway performer won a Tony Award for Over Here! in 1974 and appeared in productions including George M!, Pal Joey and Moon Over Buffalo
(Photo: Joseph Abeles/NYPL)
What to Know
- Tony Award-winning Broadway actor Janie Sell has died at age 86 following a brief illness
- Sell won the 1974 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Over Here! and appeared on Broadway in productions including George M!, Pal Joey, I Love My Wife, Happy End and Moon Over Buffalo
- Born in Detroit in 1939, Sell later earned a psychology degree from Hunter College and is survived by her son, Jason Fries
Janie Sell, a Tony Award winner, has died following a brief illness, according to published reports. She was 86.
Sell was born on October 1, 1939 in Detroit, Michigan. She made her Broadway debut in 1968, playing a supporting role in George M!, the George M. Cohan biomusical starring Joel Grey and Bernadette Peters. In 1973, she understudied the titular role in a revival of Irene. Sell won a Tony Award in 1974 for her performance as Mitzi in Over Here!
Following her Tony win, Sell was seen in the musicals Pal Joey, I Love My Wife and Happy End. Her final Broadway credit was standing by for the roles of Ethel and Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo in 1995. Following her career on stage, Sell enrolled at Hunter College and graduated with honors and a degree in psychology. She then transitioned to working as a receptionist, and later as a personal assistant, at Young & Rubicam Worldwide. Sell is survived by her son, Jason Fries.