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.
Who was originally offered the role of Danny in Grease?
Henry Winkler was offered the role of Danny Zuko.
During an appearance on "The Rachael Ray Show" in 2019, the actor called it "one of the great decisions" of his life because Travolta "deserved" the role and ended up being so right for it.
The studio wanted Henry Winkler from Happy Days to play John Travolta's Danny Zuko. Paramount had wanted Henry Winkler, Fonzie on the popular sitcom Happy Days, as Danny, but Winkler, fearful of being typecast, passed.
The Grease Cast Passed on These Actors for the Lead Roles
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.
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.
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 actresses were considered to play Sandy in Grease?
Though Ann-Margret, Marie Osmond and Susan Dey were rumored to be in the running to play Sandy, "I said, 'There is only one person that should play this role, and it's Olivia Newton-John,' " Travolta told PEOPLE in 2018.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
Did Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta date in real life? Despite numerous rumours to the contrary – and some steamy pictures of the pair kissing at a party in 1978 (below) – there has been no romance between the two stars.
Tom Selleck had the job, but he also incurred an obligation to do a television series and he was unable to get out of that contract," Ford said during a panel discussion, as he was asked how he came to play Indiana Jones. "I became the second choice, and I'm very grateful for Tom.
Who was originally offered 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.”
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.
"There was a lot of press speculation about whether they were romantically involved or not. But Olivia insisted, and always said, that Andy was one of her dearest friends. And even when Andy was alive, he would say the same thing about her. Some people have speculated on whether they were more than friends.
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.
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.
