The late Olivia Newton-John, who costarred as Sandy, was 29 at the time Grease was filmed; Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo, was the principal cast's oldest member at 33 during filming, according to a 2016 Vanity Fair article about the production.
Kelly Ward brought the youngest member of the T-Birds, Putzie, to life in a role specifically created for the film. Grease wasn't his first time working with costar John Travolta, as the two worked together on 1976's made-for-television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.
Olivia was 28-years-old and John was 23-years-old when they filmed Grease and the pair were on the edge of superstardom while shooting the movie. "I think it was good, because I think it kept the tension there and the chemistry.
Did John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John get along during Grease?
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta as Sandy and Danny in 1978's “Grease.” Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta were a couple only when they appeared together on the big screen. But their platonic love for each other endured long after they played Sandy and Danny in the hit 1978 movie “Grease.”
Grease (1978) Cast THEN AND NOW 2023, All cast died tragically!
Did Sandy and Danny date in real life?
Though the actors stayed in character as Sandy and Danny on set, their romance was limited to the script. In her autobiography, Newton-John recalls having a mutual "attraction" with Travolta but explains that they were both committed to other people.
In addition to giving stellar performances, the stars of the film had palpable chemistry and a lifelong bond. Newton-John, who died in August 2022 after a battle with breast cancer, had maintained a friendship with Travolta from their “Grease” days until her passing.
The late Olivia Newton-John, who costarred as Sandy, was 29 at the time Grease was filmed; Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo, was the principal cast's oldest member at 33 during filming, according to a 2016 Vanity Fair article about the production.
Why didn't John Travolta go to Olivia Newton-John's funeral?
'Travolta's close relationship with Olivia, which he talked about publicly and often, may not have sat well with her husband,' alleged an insider. Easterling was said to be uncomfortable with Travolta's loving tributes to Olivia after her death, which he shared to social media.
“They weren't acting in that moment, it was like he had his chance and he was going to take it. It was real, it really was.” Newton-John explained that the timing was never right for romance. “We were both with other people when we were filming,” Newton-John said in 2018.
Hollywood star Henry Winkler revealed on Thursday the surprising reason he turned down John Travolta's star-making role as Danny Zuko in Grease. The comedian, 77, told Kyle and Jackie O that he declined the role of the cheeky greaser because it felt too similar to his iconic Happy Days character The Fonz.
The 17- or 18-year-old Putzie famously hits Kenickie in the head with his car door ahead of the T-Birds' drag race with the Scorpions. Putzie is a bit clumsier and less cool than the other T-Birds.
"People might say the cast is too old, but Grease is not a documentary; it's a fantasy," Joel Thurm told The Guardian. "It is a non-PC fairytale that is better for the cast not being teens. The only thing that was important was that the cast all looked about the same age as each other, which they did."
Originally Answered: Does John Travolta sing in the movie Grease? Yes, he did sing all of his own parts. He also sang again with Olivia Newton-John in a reunion in 2002.
A host of international stars and dignitaries paid tribute to the late Australian star Olivia Newton-John in at a state memorial service in Melbourne on Sunday. Thousands gathered at Hamer Hall and video tributes came from Elton John, Hugh Jackman, Dolly Parton, Pink, Barry Gibb and Mariah Carey.
Following her passing, Travolta shared an emotional Instagram post dedicated to his onscreen love interest and close friend. "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much.
"My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better," Travolta wrote in a post that included a photo of Newton-John. "Your impact was incredible. Love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again.
Grease was shot in various locations across the Los Angeles area, from the lively South Bay to the charming Silverlake neighborhood. Much of the production was filmed on-site, including exterior shots of Rydell High, taken at Venice High School, Huntington Park High School, and John Marshall High School.
They would call it Grease, an homage to the era's greasy hair, greasy engines, and greasy food. The gritty, profanity-laced, raunchy story of teenage attitude—for which Jacobs and Casey collaborated on the book, the lyrics, and the music—opened on February 5, 1971, in a former trolley barn in Chicago.
Travolta was already famous by the time Grease was released, as his breakthrough hit Saturday Night Fever came out in 1977. John Travolta was 23 years old when he filmed the part of 18-year-old Danny Zuko.
Henry Winkler says fears of being typecast prompted him to turn down the lead role in 1978's "Grease." "I was dumb," Winkler told People magazine in this week's issue. "I spent so much energy, so much time … I spent so many sleepless nights thinking, 'How do I not get typecast?
Henry Winkler Opens Up About Rejecting Grease: 'I Spent Most of My Adult Life Being Frightened' (Exclusive) Andrea Mandell is the Senior Editor of Entertainment Projects at PEOPLE Magazine. She joined the brand in 2022 and helps lead special projects, film coverage, festivals, awards and more.
What happened to the actress who played Rizzo in Grease?
All things considered, Stockard Channing is definitely a success story. After playing Rizzo in Grease, Channing played First Lady Abbey Bartlet in The West Wing for seven years, as well as racking up TV credits in Batman Beyond, Out Of Practice and, recently, The Good Wife.
