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.
Susan Stockard of Park Avenue hadn't planned on being an actress until studying American history at Radcliffe, where she first smelled the greasepaint. At Harvard, she became hooked. Joining Theatre Company of Boston, she combined her maiden name with her married name to become Stockard Channing.
How old was Stockard Channing when she played in Grease?
After being raised by wolves, Lucan strikes out on his own in search of his identity. In 1977, at the age of 33, Channing was cast for the role of high school teenager Betty Rizzo in the hit musical Grease.
What happened to the actress who played Rizzo in Grease?
Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo
Following her Grease days, Channing really hit her stride in the world of TV, playing the Emmy-winning role of First Lady Abbey Bartlet on The West Wing for seven years. She's also a frequent player on the Broadway stage, appearing in shows like It's Only a Play and Other Desert Cities.
Stockard Channing really did break her ankle in real life (it was a hiking accident). Rather than shelving the character or severely limiting where she could be shown, it was decided to give the First Lady the same injury in the show. The Assistant Secretary of State, played by Hal Holbrook, refers to the U.S.S.
What Really happened to STOCKARD CHANNING - Star in The West Wing
What did Will Smith say about Stockard Channing?
“My character was in love with Stockard Channing's character. And I actually fell in love with Stockard Channing. So the movie was over and I went home, and I was dying to see Stockard.
Did Stockard Channing and Will Smith have a relationship?
Smith — who had just welcomed son Trey with his then-wife Sheree Zampino — remained in character even while off the set of the 1993 film. As his romantic feelings for Channing grew, their relationship remained professional, the star writes.
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.
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.
Did Stockard Channing do her own singing in Grease?
Stockard Channing sings lead on two of the tracks; the two tracks remain her only significant contribution to recorded popular music to date. The title track is featured twice on the soundtrack and performed by Frankie Valli, who had no other connection with the film.
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.
Smith starred opposite Channing in one of his first major dramatic roles, playing a charming con artist in the 1993 film adaptation of “Six Degrees of Separation.” The film gave Channing an Academy Award nomination and apparently Smith, who went full method for the role, a major crush on Channing.
Did Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta get along Grease?
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John met through their roles as Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson in "Grease," but their real-life friendship went far beyond the hit 1978 musical film. The costars continued to remain close in the years that followed the movie's release.
Who was supposed to sing Grease Lightning in Grease?
One of these was “Greased Lightnin'”, and in the original version of the musical, it is Kenickie who sings the number in reference to the car he is modifying. However, audiences will notice that it is Danny who takes center stage to sing “Greased Lightnin'” in the movie.
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.
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.
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.
Will Smith may have fallen in love with Stockard Channing on the set of 1993's Six Degrees of Separation, but Channing only felt “motherly” to the rising star, who was 23 and a newly married, first-time father at the time.
"My character was in love with Stockard Channing's character. And I actually fell in love with Stockard Channing." He added that the experience caused him to quit Method acting. "That was my last experience with Method acting, where you're reprogramming your mind," he shared.
