Bernadette's' As Cha Cha DiGregorio, the bad girl with the best moves, Annette Charles burned up the dance floor with John Travolta in Grease.

Who was the Spanish dancer in Grease?

Annette Charles (née Cardona; March 5, 1948 – August 3, 2011) was an American actress, dancer, and educator best known for her role as Charlene "Cha-Cha" DiGregorio in the 1978 feature film Grease. She made several appearances on television as well.

What happened to Cha Cha from Grease?

Another Grease actor has died. Annette Charles, who played Cha Cha Digregorio in the 1978 movie musical, lost her battle with cancer at age 63 on Wednesday, Access Hollywood reports.

Is Cha Cha a big part in Grease?

Cha Cha, despite having two names, is a fairly minor character. She's a catalyst in Sandy and Danny's breakup, although we're not sure why. Sandy gets mad at Danny when she asks about Cha Cha.

How old was the actress who played Cha Cha in Grease?

Actress Annette Charles was 29 at the time.

She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and theater from Antioch University Los Angeles and a master's degree in social work from New York University, according to California State University, Northridge, where she was a professor. Cardona died in 2011 at the age of 63.

The High School Dance Contest Gone WILD! | Grease | CLIP

Who was the oldest cast member in Grease?

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.

How old was the oldest cast member in Grease?

Among the principal cast, Stockard Channing's Rizzo was the oldest, as she was 33 during filming. Didi Conn, who played Frenchy, recalled bonding with her costars and putting their true ages behind them to get into character.

Was Patrick Swayze a dancer in Grease?

Patrick Swayze's first professional appearance was as a dancer for the Disney Theatrical Group in a show called Disney on Parade. He then starred in the role of Danny Zuko in one of the replacement casts for the long-running Broadway production of Grease.

Did everyone do their own singing in Grease?

A rep for the series confirmed to POPSUGAR that each and every one of the actors sings all their own parts.

Did John Travolta dance in Grease?

He originally danced with Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 classic “Grease.”

Who couldn't dance in Grease?

Apparently, actress Dinah Manoff was such a bad dancer in real life that the directors left her character, Marty, out of the scene entirely! She also didn't get to be a part of all the hand-jiving — it looked like so much fun!

Was Cha Cha sick during Grease?

During the Thunder Road sequence in Grease (1978), she was experiencing terrible pain due to a tubular pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg begins growing in the fallopian tube rather than the uterus. This explains why she is frequently seen leaning against the cars.

Who turned down 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. When director Randal Kleiser was on the search for his leading lady, he went to his former college roommate director George Lucas for assistance.

Where was Grease filmed?

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.

Who is the curly haired girl in Grease?

Olivia Newton-John in 'Grease'

These memorable curls were only in the last scenes of Grease, but they made a lasting impression. Olivia Newton-John's curls were teased to create the ultimate big hair.

What type of dancing was in Grease?

Forty years ago, the movie musical Grease introduced audiences around the world to Grease lightning and an iconic hand jive. Would anyone guess now that all those unforgettable rock-n'-roll style dances were choreographed by a former Martha Graham Dance Company soloist? (Was John Travolta actually in a contraction?)

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.

What was the biggest hit from Grease?

The most successful songs from the soundtrack were written specifically for the film. They included the Billboard number-one hits "Grease", "You're the One That I Want" and the Academy Award-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You".

Who wrote most of the songs for Grease?

Did Patrick Swayze teach John Travolta how do you dance?

Swayze, who taught John Travolta the art of the smooth two-step, moved to California after the success of the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy," which she choreographed. But she was from Houston, where most of the film was shot, and she always considered herself a Texan, said her daughter-in-law Lisa Niemi Swayze.

Who choreographed the dances in Grease?

The woman behind its mobile magic? Choreographer Patricia Birch, who celebrated her contributions to both the stage and screen versions of Grease on Thursday night, when the original 1978 film screened in 35mm at the Metrograph as part of the Academy's ongoing residency.

Is John Travolta a dancer?

His mother, herself an actress and dancer, enrolled him in a drama school in New York, where he studied voice, dancing and acting. He decided to combine all three of these skills and become a musical comedy performer.

Did the cast of Grease get along?

The Grease co-stars were still very close up until Olivia's death in August 2022, and even famously reunited in LA in 2002 to sing their classic hit 'You're The One That I Want'. John Travolta was a huge support to Olivia Newton-John as she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

Who was the youngest actor in Grease?

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.

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.