He also related that he was molested when he was seven years old. Donnelly added, "The movie was a joy to do," in large part because of the cast. We give each other a lot of support," he said. Los Angeles CNN -- Actor Jeff Conaway who was in the TV series Taxi and the movie Grease died Friday morning his manager said. Thanks to her soundtrack contributions "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights," she became the second woman to have two singles in the Billboard top five at the same time. This development caused the show's producers to realize that Conaway was expendable and contributed to his termination. She stayed busy for the rest of the '80s, starring in the film version of the play, as well as parts in Ordinary People, and the horror movie Child's Play. Conaway's dialogue for that episode was divided between his co-stars Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd, who delivered the jokes well enough so that Conaway's absence had little negative effect on the episode. Didi Conn, born Edith Bernstein, is the only cast member to appear in all three screen adaptations of Grease, having also appeared in 1982's Grease 2, and Fox's 2016 event Grease: Live!. "Now I enjoy doing what I want when I want to do it," he said. [5] Conaway remained for the entire run, then toured with the national company of the play Critic's Choice. She quickly falls in with her own clique the Pink Ladies and the two groups dance and sing their way through the ups and downs of adolescent love. Two weeks later, the decision was made to take him off life support. Watch "Dr. Drew" Friday night at 9 ET on HLN to hear about Dr. Drew's close relationship with Jeff Conaway. 1. The 1970s were good to John Travolta. Jeff Conaway, the long-troubled actor from Grease and TV's Taxi who waged a public battle with cocaine, painkillers and alcohol, died Friday at age 60. Rizzo also had a pretty important storyline with a pregnancy scare and the best song in the movie, "There Are Worse Things (I Could Do)," which was about her not being ashamed of her sexual desires. I dont think I was really aware of how raunchy it was when I was recording it until afterward, and thats when I freaked out.. In 1981, she released Physical, the biggest album of her career. Her character was known for her no-nonsense personality and penchant for delivering the daily morning announcements. In addition to playing fan favorite Kenickie in Grease, John Conaway was also known for his role as Bobby Wheeler inTaxiand security officer Zack Allan inBabylon 5. Grease wasn't his first time working with co-star John Travolta, as the two worked together on 1976's made-for-television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. 25 on the pop charts, and Newton-John went on to win three Grammys in the mid-1970s. One of the most memorable scenes from "Grease" starred Frankie Avalon as the Teen Angel who sang "Beauty School Dropout." His third marriage was to Kerri Young from 1990 to 2000. In the years since the movie came out, Travolta has been nominated for two Oscars. "I was the first replacement on Broadway for Jan, and I played her for six months." Seen here, the T-Birds prank on Eugene (wearing glasses and bow tie), played by Eddie Deezen. [3] The 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning play was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and ran 333 performances and one preview from November 29, 1960, to September 16, 1961. In 2011, the former actress was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. From 1989 to 1990, he played Mick Savage on The Bold and the Beautiful. They divorced when he was three,[3] and Conaway and his two older sisters lived with their mother. Trailer for the Musical classic hit Grease Dame Olivia Newton-John's appearance in Grease as good-girl-gone-bad Sandy will go down in movie history as one of the most iconic roles of all time. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Additionally, Channing has also made a name for herself on Broadway, starring in a number of beloved musicals. Played by Stockard Channing, Rizzo was confident and bold, and she knew what she wanted. Her husband, John Easterling, shared a statement via Newton-Jonh's Instagram account. Pearl and his onscreen love interest Didi Conn are the only two cast members from the 1978 film to appear in Grease: Live! "I was glad when it was over, to tell you the truth," the actress said. Travolta was married to the late Kelly Preston from 1991 until her death from breast cancer in July of 2020. Before "Grease," the legendary character actress was also known for her self-titled TV series, "The Eve Arden Show" and her role as Eve on The Mothers-In-Law," and she even played herself in the classic "I Love Lucy" episode, "L.A. at Last.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ill miss you every day. He was known for playing Kenickie in the film Grease and for his roles in two television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in Taxi and security officer Zack Allan on Babylon 5. Olivia Newton-John has died at the age of 73. or redistributed. Travolta married actressKelly Prestonin 1991, and theyhad three children together. In 2021, she released her first novel, The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold, through Star Alley Press. [12] Conaway's doctor attributed his death to his addiction, stating, "What happens is, like with most opiate addicts, eventually they take a little too much and they aspirate so what's in their mouth gets into their lungs That's what happened with Jeff. She was 73 years. Some of your favorite characters from the movie were played by actors who went on to find plenty of success, while others have stayed relatively quiet. Closing out a career that spanned six decades, Caesar died on February 12, 2014 at his Beverly Hills home, at the age of 91 (according to Variety), following a thankfully short period of ailing health. Market data provided by Factset. "Grease" was the word and one of the most beloved movies of the 1970s. Read on to find out what the class of Rydell High 1978 have been up to since the film's release. The cancer subsequently spread to her bones, with doctors diagnosing it as stage 4 and declaring that there was little chance of survival. The Celebrity Rehab alum had been in a . "[30], An autopsy performed on Conaway revealed that the actor died of various causes, including aspiration pneumonia and encephalopathy, attributable to drug overdoses. Arden died on November 12, 1990 at her Beverly Hills home at age 83, per The New York Times. After Grease, Donnelly took a break from acting for 20 years. In the 1950s, the multi-talented entertainment legend was one of television's very first stars as part of the pioneering live television series, "Your Show of Shows," which was quite an achievement for a kid who'd once earned a living as a saxophone player during the Depression (via Biography). The track which was accompanied by a steamy aerobics video clip, which won a Grammy for Video of the Year was eventually named the biggest song of the 1980s. "I mean, it's part of life. And for a lot of people, "Grease" is their absolute favorite musical and for good reason. [2][8] The two would reunite in the 1978 motion picture musical Grease, in which Travolta played Zuko and Conaway his buddy Kenickie. I love you so much. Edd Byrnes, who played TV dance show host Vic Fontaine in "Grease," was known for more than his flirty prom scene in the hit film. (Allegany County Sheriff's Office), LOS ANGELES - JUNE 16: The movie "Grease", directed by Randal Kleiser. The actor, who played geeky Eugene Felsnic in the "Grease" musical films and Eddie in the 1980s sitcom "Punky Brewster," also has been transferred to the Maryland Department of Health for treatment, according to Allegany County Circuit Court records reviewed Monday by . She continued to work onstage as well, eventually earning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Peter Nichol's A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, and nominations for her work in The House of Blue Leaves and Six Degrees of Separation. Played by Michael Tucci, Sonny was quite the character, and the movie definitely needed his humor and goofy grin. In fact, in a 2018 interview with V13, Donnelly explained that she was pretty prepared to play Jan. "I had played Jan on Broadway seven years before I did the movie," she explained. By the time she was cast as high school bad girl Rizzo, Stockard Channing had already amassed an impressive list of stage and screen credits, including a starring turn opposite Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson in Mike Nichols' The Fortune. After her son David was diagnosed with autism at an early age, she has become an outspoken advocate for autism awareness, and in 2008 she was named the National Celebrity Spokesperson for Autism Speaks. Clearly, "Grease" was memorable for him. Goodman's character was known for her musical contribution to the morning announcements via her trusty xylophone. Jeff Conaway. He made guest appearances on such shows as Barnaby Jones, George & Leo, and Murder, She Wrote. Here are a few other actors from the iconic Grease movie who you may not have known also died. You choose.". He was 46. In fact, Deezen even returned for "Grease 2," but that's not the most impressive role he's had since "Grease." He underwent treatment in the late 1980s and often spoke candidly about his addictions. She spent the last two decades of her life giving back, a source close to Newton-John told The Post. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, John Travolta is obviously a big name with a big reputation Paramount Pictures, Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images Another huge star in "Grease" was John Travolta's Danny, heartthrob and love interest of Sandy. He has gone on to become a voice director for Disney Television Animation, and a screenwriter for numerous cartoons, including the feature film All Dogs Go to Heaven 2. pic.twitter.com/Z1zkVe9CVb, Barbra Streisand also shared a photo and wrote, "Too young to leave this world. Already a Grammy-winning recording artist and country music star when she was cast as good-girl-gone-bad Sandy, Olivia Newton-John's career rose to greater heights after the movie became the biggest box office hit of 1978. In 2008, he appeared on Seasons 1 and 2 of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew for drug and alcohol treatment. Though she wasn't exactly someone's main love interest in "Grease," Rizzo was perhaps one of the movie's most important characters. We've received your submission. he wrote on Instagram. ", Conaway's struggle with alcohol and drug addiction was chronicled in 2008 on the TV reality show "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Now . Tucci's most recent role was in the thriller "PinkCity: A Psychedelic Meditation," which was in post-production as of 2020. Here's What The Cast Of Grease Is Doing Now, Paramount Pictures, Walter McBride/Getty Images, Paramount Pictures, G'day Usa/Getty Images, Paramount Pictures, Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images, Paramount Pictures, Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images, Paramount Pictures, Bobby Bank/Getty Images, Paramount Pictures, Robert Mora/Getty Images. Obviously, after "Grease," Tucci went on to appear in plenty of movies and television shows all throughout the 1980s and '90s, including "Diff'rent Strokes," "Groucho," "It's Garry Shandling's Show," and "The Paper Chase." Eve Arden, who had a long film and stage career, played Rydell High School Principal McGee in Grease. Most notably, Manoff starred in "Empty Nest" for several years before moving on to "State of Grace." , and Newton-John went on to find out what the class of Rydell High 1978 have been up since. 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