Grease could've had very different cast members. According to Vanity Fair, Henry Winkler of Happy Days fame was offered the lead role of Danny Zuko and Travolta only stepped in after Winkler turned down the opportunity.

Who turned down roles 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.

Who was originally asked to play 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 was the original choice for Sandy in Grease?

Director Randal Kleiser saw rushes from a new film his old college buddy George Lucas was making, titled Star Wars, to see if its female lead, Carrie Fisher, could be a fit. She wasn't. Marie Osmond (left) and Carrie Fisher (right) were both considered for Olivia Newton-John's Sandy.

What other actors were considered for Grease?

What Happened To The Grease Cast?

Who rejected 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.

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.

Who was supposed to play John Travolta in Grease?

As part of a three-picture deal with Stigwood, Travolta was given the lead role after Henry Winkler turned down the role for fear of being typecast as a greaser, having been playing the similar bad-boy greaser Arthur Fonzarelli on Happy Days since 1974. (Winkler would later regret the decision.)

Did John Travolta really sing in Grease?

"Greased Lightnin'" is a song from the 1971 musical Grease which was also adapted into the 1978 film Grease. A soundtrack recording from the film version, with John Travolta on lead vocals, peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.

What was Sandy's famous line in Grease?

“You're A Fake And A Phony, And I Wish I Never Laid Eyes On You!”

Who turned down Danny Zuko Grease?

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

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 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.

What happened to Rizzo out of Grease?

Stockard Channing: Betty Rizzo

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.

How old was 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.

Where did they film Grease?

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.

Did Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta get along Grease?

Danny and Sandy forever. Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta were friends for more than four decades before she passed away at the age of 73. The actress and the Welcome Back, Kotter alum hit it off on the set of Grease, which hit theaters in 1978, portraying unlikely couple Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson.

Where is Rydell high in Grease supposed to be?

Is Rydell High School a real school? Not only is Rydell High School fictitious, but the school scenes in Grease were also actually filmed in three different places—Venice High School, Huntington Park High School and John Marshall High School. Of the three schools, Venice High was used for its aesthetics.

Does John Travolta get royalties from Grease?

Although the movie came out in 1978, Travolta still receives royalties from everything Grease-related.

Was Sandy a pink lady in Grease?

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.

Was Debbie Gibson in Grease?

Gibson debuted on Broadway in 1992, playing Eponine in Les Misérables. She then went to London and starred as Sandy in Grease—a role for which 800 other people tried out before producers chose Gibson—in a West End production.

How old is Cha Cha in Grease?

Leo's girlfriend, Charlene "Cha-Cha" DiGregorio, is also 17 or 18 in the movie. Cha-Cha is a student at a different school in town, St. Bernadette's. She says in the movie, "They call me Cha-Cha because I'm the best dancer at St.

Why did Marie Osmond turned down Grease?

“Initially the script came to me, and the script was much edgier then what Olivia (Newton-John) came up with. But I was at a place in my life where I wanted to have children and I didn't like the fact that the girl had to turn bad to get the guy.