When ventriloquist and author Mallory Lewis began to portray the ageless sock puppet Lamb Chop, she had inherited the character from one of the giants of children’s television: her mother, Shari Lewis. Debuting before Fred Rogers and Jim Henson, Shari helped usher in the genre’s golden age by creating Lamb Chop, a high-voiced avatar with the outspokenness and curiosity of the average 6-year-old American girl—not coincidentally the character’s target audience.
After Shari died, in 1998, Mallory continued her mother’s legacy, extending Lamb Chop’s reach into the internet age. She performs as Lamb Chop on TikTok and Instagram and at live venues such as state fairs, performing arts centers and military bases; she has also penned 20 children’s novels. And thanks to the second-annual Boca International Jewish Film Festival, she’s coming to Boca Raton later this month.
While the Festival won’t begin its regular run of films until Feb. 23, its organizers have planned a series of pre-festival screenings and events, including the Cinebash premiere of “Shari & Lamb Chop,” a documentary chronicling Shari Lewis’ groundbreaking work in creating and developing America’s favorite sock puppet. Starting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, Mallory and Lamb Chop will present a show alongside the movie premiere. Tickets run $25.
We spoke to Mallory on Zoom from a boat, amid a three-week vacation in the British Virgin Islands.
Growing up with a famous mother, how early did you know or discover that your mom was a beloved public figure?
When I was a little kid in New York, mom had a daily television series, but I don’t remember that meaning anything to me. There’s a family story that one day my dad was on a game show when I was about 2, and I walked over to the TV and said, “silly daddy, only mommies are on TV!” But I don’t remember that.
Then when we moved to Beverly Hills, I was going to school with Shirley Jones’ kid, Roger Moore’s kid … mom wasn’t particularly famous compared to the other parents that I was in school with. But I used to travel with my mom when she did state fairs and performing arts centers. I never really had a particular realization that “oh, my mom’s different; she’s famous.” Because that was just my world.
At what point did you determine that you would follow her into the family business?
I always worked in the family business. I was a ghostwriter for my mom’s column when I was 12. I used to tour with my mom, and a smart, nice child is a huge asset backstage—because you can only be in one place at a time. And then I was a writer on “Lamb Chop’s Play Along,” and by the end I was a producer on “Play-Along” and “The Charlie Horse Music Pizza.” I never thought about taking up Lamb Chop. But when mom died, people kept sending me emails or letters, saying, is Lamb Chop dead too? So I simply put her on.
Why is Lamb Chop such an important icon in our culture?
Because she’s an incredibly well-crafted character. People will often ask me, do you have to think about what Lamb Chop’s going to say? I don’t. I know her well; I know her the way anybody knows their sibling.
Mom started in 1957, when there were three channels. So when mom was on TV, odds were, a third of the country was watching. And then they passed that love onto their children.
Lamb Chop is a very authentic character. We talk a lot about how on social media, authenticity matters. Lamb Chop and I have half a million followers. Weirdly, we are mega influencers. How is that even possible? But it’s because Lamb Chop is very authentically who she is. She speaks her mind, and I think that’s appealing.
The design of the character is primitive compared to today’s standards.
I would say simple—but again, authentic. In our society, we really focus on how the outside looks, and not who the inside person is. And I think Lamb Chop is a case in point on that. She is a simple sock puppet, but nobody falls in love with the sock; they fall in love with her personality; they fall in love with genuineness. It’s probably a lesson that we could learn.
Why is this the time to revive interest in your mother’s legacy through this documentary?
I think 10 years ago would have been a better time—I just didn’t think of it. I was busy raising a kid and touring. But I think the world is a hot mess, both figuratively and literally. And I think a documentary that harkens back to something that was a little more … I won’t say a simpler time, but that reminds us of a time that we were simpler, because we were younger. Mom’s story is the story of a woman fighting against misogyny to be taken seriously. In this 2025 Trump 2.0 era, that continues to be something that women have to fight against. This is the story of a woman who refused to hear the word “no,” and refused to go away when she went out of fashion for a bit. And it is the story of a warrior and a story of a mother and a wife.
People like to think of my mom as the nice little lady who played with puppets. Well, that was her persona. Lucille Ball was not a wacky redhead. She was a businesswoman. Mom had one of the first female-owned production companies at the same time Lucille Ball had hers. So there is so much more to my mother’s story than people know—and nothing disappointing. It’s not like there’s anything in the documentary about Shari eating kittens for breakfast; there’s no “Mommie Dearest” moment. But it is the story of a real woman struggling against real issues. And the saddest part of it is that these are issues that we are still struggling with today.
I noticed with delight that there were no men in the main cast or crew of this movie. I feel like you’re honoring your mother’s tradition as a female entrepreneur by having only women at the top.
When my mom’s senior producer retired on, I think it was “Play-Along,” with the exception of my producing partner, Sean Williamson, who was the most amazing human being ever, I basically got rid of all the male department heads and hired their female second-in-commands, and for the first time in 10 years we came in under budget and ahead of schedule. … Nobody was arguing with each other. They were trying to help each other to make things work.
Beyond this documentary, how do you personally keep the legacy of lamb chop alive?
We are all over TikTok. My TikTok handle is @YourFavLambChop, and my Instagram handle is @mallorylewisandlambchop. Plus, I tour performing arts centers.
What’s the plan for the evening in Boca Raton on Jan. 27?
I don’t really know. I know that there’s going to be a dinner; I think there’s going to be a red carpet. Lamb Chop’s definitely going to be there. … One of my favorite things of the documentary is that mom was one of the first people to do a Hanukkah or Passover special. And though we are not and were not religiously Jewish, we are culturally Jewish. And so [Director] Lisa D’Apolito very carefully pulls the Jewish thread through the documentary, and I know that Boca, although a mixed town, tends to lean toward my people. I think it’s going to be fun.
When you present the character, has she evolved with the times, and do you get into different issues than your mother would have?
Totally. Lamb Chop is annoyed that there is still no woman president—as she was in 1956! But Lamb Chop’s concerns are the same concerns a 6-year-old would have today, whatever those are. Lamb Chop’s concerned about climate change. I just posted a TikTok where Lamb Chop thinks the word “yesterday” is ridiculous. It should be lasturday. And tomorrow should be nexturday, because that’s what a 6-year-old would think about. And quite frankly, I agree with them.
She also relates to me differently, because mom was her mom, whereas I’m her big sister. So she doesn’t have quite as much respect for me as she did mom.
Has anything changed in the art of ventriloquism?
Nah—still a mouth and a tongue.
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