- Auditioned for the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), which went to Carrie Fisher.
- Nickerson's career was temporarily put on hold in November 1976 when she was struck by a car while crossing the street. The injury landed her in a full leg cast for eight months.
- In June 2018, she suffered a massive stroke and was hospitalized in critical condition. She was paralyzed on her right side, and could not speak.
- She was considered for the role of Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist (1973), but her mother refused to allow her to screen-test for this after reading the screenplay. The role went to Linda Blair.
- On June 8, 2019, she accessed and ate various medications while her son and daughter-in-law were out of the house. Her son took her to a hospital in respiratory distress. In the intensive care unit, she developed pneumonia. On July 9, she had a massive seizure and went comatose. On July 10, her family removed her from life support; she died later that day at age 62.
- Though most people remember her as the gum-chewing brat Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Denise played a very different character in a famous stage disaster--a musical production of Lolita (1962) (called "Lolita, My Love", which also starred Leonard Frey and Dorothy Loudon). The musical was written by John Barry and Alan Jay Lerner, and although this failed, many of its songs have since been recorded.
- Denise worked as an accountant in Colorado. She sometimes attended autograph shows and Dark Shadows (1966) fan conventions.
- Had one son with her ex-husband Mark Willard: Josh Willard.
- The first of the five major child-actors from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) to pass away.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content