Kleiser and Carr mulled other possibilities, including The Partridge Family's Susan Dey, model turned actor Deborah Raffin, and America's Mormon sweetheart Marie Osmond, who became the front-runner until she objected to Sandy's transformation from good girl to bad girl and dropped out in protest.

Who auditioned for Danny in Grease?

Henry Winkler was offered the role of Danny Zuko.

Henry Winkler's "Happy Days" character, Fonzie, basically was Danny Zuko, so he was a natural first thought for the film. But Winkler had been playing the ABC role for a decade, so he passed on "Grease."

Who turned down Grease role?

Henry Winkler said his fear of being typecast after years playing “The Fonz” led to him rejecting the lead role in 1978 hit film Grease.

Who was offered the role in Grease?

Henry Winkler missed out on some serious greased lightning in a bottle. In an interview with CNN's Chris Wallace that aired over the weekend, the 77-year-old actor said he was offered the role of Danny Zuko in 1978's musical film Grease, which would go on to help cement John Travolta's icon status in Hollywood.

What other actors were considered for Grease?

Grease Movie Clip 5: Danny Zuko's Sports Tryouts

Who turned down the role of Sandy in Grease?

Osmond became the front-runner but dropped out in protest over Grease's ending and Carr turned to Olivia Newton-John instead. Rather than her be flattered, Newton-John was reluctant to commit because her musical career was going well and her film debut, Toomorrow, had tanked and she didn't want to make another flop.

Who did they want to play Sandy in Grease?

According to Vanity Fair, the iconic role of doe-eyed Sandy was almost given to late Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016 at the age of 60.

Who turned down role of Danny Zuko?

Henry Winkler felt 'so dumb' to have turned down the part of Danny Zuko in 'Grease'

Who turned down the role of Forrest Gump?

John Travolta – 'Forrest Gump'

Travolta almost filled Forrest Gump's Nikes in the iconic film before Hanks was slated for the role. Speaking to MTV in 2007, Travolta shared that he did not have any regrets about turning down the part.

Who turned down the role of Indiana Jones?

Tom Selleck: Indiana Jones in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'

Harrison Ford took the lead role in the franchise as the archeologist, but it could've been Tom Selleck. Karen Allen, who played Marion Ravenwood opposite Ford as Indiana Jones, revealed the Friends alum's TV career forced him to turn down the gig.

Who is the annoying cheerleader in Grease?

Susan Buckner: Patty Simcox.

What happened to the actress who played Rizzo in Grease?

She made her London theatre debut at the Royal Court Theatre in the 90s, in John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation. She's returned for stints since, in 2017 for Apologia at the Trafalgar Studios and again in 2021 in Night Mother at the Hampstead Theatre. The star has been married and divorced four times.

Why did they cast Grease so old?

In a recently published oral history of Grease, Thurm, 80, has admitted the reason why a decision to cast older actors was made. “People might say the cast is too old, but Grease is not a documentary; it's a fantasy,” he told The Guardian. “It's a non-PC fairytale that is better for the cast not being teens.

Was Marie Osmond supposed to be in Grease?

Carrie Fisher was considered to play Sandy.

Susan Dey, Deborah Raffin, and Marie Osmond were also in the running, but Osmond protested Sandy's transition from a good girl to a sexy biker chick.

Why didn't John Travolta do Grease 2?

By the time Grease was a hit – and the studio realised a sequel might not be such a bad idea after all – Travolta and Newton-John had moved on to other things. Director Randal Kleiser also gave it a miss. Instead, Patricia Birch, choreographer of the original stage musical and the first film, was put at the helm.

Did Stockard Channing really sing 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.

Who turned down the Matrix?

Nicholas Cage also turned down the role due to family obligations, and Val Kilmer, one of the producers' top picks, turned down both the role of Neo and Fishburne's Morpheus. Instead, he worked on the poorly received At First Sight. Interestingly, Sandra Bullock was also considered for the role, with Warner Bros.

Which actor almost got the role of Indiana Jones?

Before there was Harrison Ford, there was Tom Selleck. “Three Men and a Baby” alum Selleck, 78, was the first choice to play Indiana Jones in 1981's “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Who was originally offered the role in Pretty Woman?

Pretty Woman made a megastar of Julia Roberts, but it could have been a different story if the role had been accepted by Molly Ringwald. The Breakfast Club star was originally offered the part of Vivian Ward in the 1990 movie, but turned it down because she just didn't feel like it was right.

Is Fonzie in Grease?

Winkler turned down 'Grease,' but calls reports of Travolta tension 'baloney' Yes, Winkler was offered the Danny Zuko role in "Grease," but turned it down in a financially painful attempt not to be Fonzie typecast.

Was Henry Winkler supposed to be in Grease?

Winkler was then offered the “Grease” role of Danny Zuko, but the character's similarities to the Fonz made Winkler nervous about being typecast. Little did Winkler realize at the time that the Fonz was so iconic that he was going to be typecast no matter what, regardless of if he accepted “Grease” or not.

How old was John Travolta in Grease?

John Travolta, who starred as Danny Zuko in Grease, famously stood out as younger than much of the rest of Grease's principal cast during filming in summer 1977 at age 23.

Did Sandy become a pink lady?

Is Sandy part of the Pink Ladies? Sandy doesn't become part of the Pink Ladies officially because Rizzo thinks Sandy is “too pure to be pink”. By the end of the movie though she is accepted as a female greaser.

Is Sandy from Grease Mormon?

Yes, in this version of Grease, Sandy is from Salt Lake City, the home of Mormons and people explaining constantly that they're not Mormons, they're just from Salt Lake City. But Sandy is probably Mormon.

How old was Stockard Channing when she filmed Grease?

In 1977, at the age of 33, Channing was cast for the role of high school teenager Betty Rizzo in the hit musical Grease. The film was released in 1978 and her performance earned her the People's Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Supporting Actress.