Marisha Wallace says King told her he was ‘proud’ of her British citizenship

West End star Marisha Wallace has said the King told her he was “proud” of her for applying for British citizenship, which she received in a ceremony on Thursday.

The 39-year-old said she met Charles after singing God Save The King at last year’s Royal Variety Awards, and told the PA news agency she felt the encounter might have sped up her application.

US-born Wallace, who is starring as Sally Bowles in Cabaret, told PA: “I feel like I’ve been adopted, because as soon as I got here eight years ago, I was just embraced.

“This kind of felt like the final adoption papers, so I felt like I got my parents, I’m really proud to be British now, I feel I’ve already felt British.

“I sang the British national anthem at the Royal Variety (last) year, and got to meet the King, and he was like, ‘I hear you’re getting a British citizenship, I’m so proud of you’.

“So it was amazing to finally do the whole thing, and getting his seal of approval was pretty amazing, I think that’s why it went through so fast.”

The actress and singer, who has also appeared in West End shows such as Robin Hood as the Sheriff Of Nottingham, Something Rotten! as Bea, and Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle, said the UK had allowed her to achieve her dreams.

Wallace added: “I felt like I was seen (in the UK), I always wanted to be a leading lady, and I didn’t get that opportunity in America.

“I was in the ensembles of shows, which is great, but I always wanted to lead shows, and here it was just never even in doubt, it was never even a question.

“It was just kind of like, ‘we love your talent, come on’, and I’ve never had to second guess it, and I got to play some iconic roles, Miss Adelaide (in Guys And Dolls), Sally Bowles, roles that I don’t think I would have been able to play on Broadway.

“But the UK was open to change, and they’ve been open to taking the risk, and the risks have paid off, and I’ve been really successful.

“I got two Olivier nominations for best actress, so it’s just been all my dreams come true here, and I didn’t even know that this was the place I was supposed to be, but sometimes you don’t know that’s where you’re supposed to be until you land, and then you make it your home.”

The star received her citizenship in a ceremony at Bromley Civic Centre in south-east London, attended by Cabaret co-star Billy Porter, former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips and TV presenter Zeze Millz.

Wallace said: “I was crying at the ceremony, because I was just, like, wow.

“It felt like everything that I’ve been through brought me to that moment.”