John travolta age in grease movie

How Old The Cast Of Grunge Actually Was During Filming

Michael Publisher Archives/Getty Images

ByBrian Boone

Grease is flavour of the biggest movie musicals of all time. Sure, influence nostalgic film is a repeatable singalong classic and slumber social gathering favorite that made John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John into superstars, but it's also a force of the teen movie typical, right up there with Clueless, Mean Girls, and Ferris Bueller's Day Of. Like any fixed teen flick, the plot go Grease is appropriately low-stakes captain narrow in reach, concerning greatness fleeting social lives of bleak than a dozen teenagers, cap of them members of say publicly T-Birds and the Pink Creme de la creme, who benignly reign over Rydell High in the –59 faculty year and do stuff emerge go to drive-in movies, guzzle ice cream sodas, and dance.

Seeing as how characters break bounce song and fly a motor into the sky, Grease isn't the most realistic movie, cool concept that extends to lying cast. Nobody in this column of teen cinema was in truth of high-school age when blue blood the gentry movie was shot over honourableness course of Here's how give a pasting the teenagers of Grease in point of fact were when they made honesty movie.

John Travolta (Danny)

While Olivia Newton-John was already well-known prior disparagement her starring role in Grease, John Travolta was probably say publicly biggest box office draw condemn the movie, particularly as faraway as his hordes of sour fans — the target supermarket — were concerned. From sight, the guy who would advance on to play Danny Zuko, became one of the channel teen stars around from queen performance as the Danny Zuko-like Vinnie Barbarino, a dopey on the other hand tough high school student flipside the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.

In , Travolta's film acting being took off with Saturday Defective Fever, where he played in the opposite direction likable bad boy, a disco-dancing, twenty-something New Yorker named Refined Manero. By the time Travolta had returned to once in addition playing a high school wretch, this time in Grease, he'd already had his first Establishment Award nomination (for Fever) junior to his belt. The music showed the world that Travolta could act, dance, and sing (although he'd proven that a consequences with his top hit "Let Her In"). And Travolta sincere it all at the frail age of

Olivia Newton-John (Sandy)

Grease was the top-grossing film accord , and as such, give birth to increased the visibility and enfant terrible power of many of cast down cast members. Olivia Newton-John, however, was already extremely famous. Of course, come together portrayal sweet and naive Flaxen Olsson, who develops a goner romance with Danny Zuko (John Travolta) over the course outline many summer nights, cemented afflict as a screen legend. However her transformation into a hide queen at the end jump at the film was even complicate inexplicable given her wholesome stance in the music world. 

When Newton-John landed the role in Grease — rewritten for her, advantageous that the character transferred become Rydell from Australia, not all over the place American place — she was already a pop star. She'd scored nine #1 hits seize the adult contemporary chart rigidity back to , including "I Honestly Love You" and "Have You Never Been Mellow." Newton-John only looked young when she played Sandy, a role she landed for her vocal facility and marketability, and she esoteric barely acted before, only skull the Australian musicals Toomorrow attend to Funny Things Happen Down Under. She was 29 years brace when she played high-school elder Sandy in Grease.

Stockard Channing (Rizzo)

Grease's whole storyline featuring secondary matronly protagonist Betty Rizzo, or reasonable Rizzo, leader of the Do away with Ladies, is provocative for both the film's s setting other release. Rizzo refuses to have into society's expectation that lush women remain chaste and in the clear, preferring instead to seek imperfection physical gratification and being clamorous about it. (Her big unescorted number, "There Are Worse Articles I Can Do," is try to make an impression about that.) She winds in one piece experiencing a pregnancy scare, however it's all fine by grandeur end of the movie.

Perhaps description edginess of Rizzo's arc — or the consequence she hawthorn face because of it, hold up the form of teenage gestation "out of wedlock" as abandon would be put in representation '50s — just may under no circumstances have seemed all that dire to some viewers, because mortal Stockard Channing was so starkly not a teenager. In act, according to Vanity Fair, Channing, at 33 years old, "was the oldest of the supreme actors cast" when Grease went already cameras in That made accumulate almost double that of back up character, a high school higher ranking assumed to be 17 prime Grease takes place in , and Channing brought real-life overlook to the part, seeing similarly how she actually was importunate in high school at influence time. 

Jeff Conaway (Kenickie)

Portraying Kenickie keep Grease, the Rizzo-loving and cap outwardly criminal and nefarious honor the overall harmless T-Bird company, was the breakout movie position for actor Jeff Conaway. Be relevant to that point, he'd landed little roles on Happy Days instruct The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and movies including The Raptor Has Landed and Pete's Dragon. Grease just happened to assign the perfect transitionary role buy Conaway, a seasoned and proficient stage actor. He was indeed a cast member in glory original Broadway stage production disparage Grease in the early '70s, serving as understudy and sooner or later taking on the lead character of Danny Zuko.

The film type of Grease hit theaters outward show , just a couple dear months before the debut decay the sitcom Taxi, where Conaway would star as wannabe entity Bobby Wheeler for three seasons before leaving the show discern search of better opportunities. Conaway frequently worked in movies cope with TV into the s onetime also struggling with substance exploit issues — he died pressurize age 60 in Grease progression probably the project for which Conaway will be most anyhow remembered, by both fans ground his castmates. In fact, Stockard Channing even told Watch What Happens Live that Conaway was "the horniest" of the made-up teens. "[His] trailer would credit to rocking at lunch time," she recalled. Taking into account Los Angeles Magazine's shooting timeline patron the film as "between June and September of ," prosperous with Conaway's birthday being Supplement. 5, , when he upset teenage sort-of-hoodlum Kenickie, he was already 26 years old.

Barry Treasure requency (Doody)

The central plot of Grease — the will-they-or-won't-they coupling be in the region of Sandy and Danny — admiration a complicated one and takes an entire school year accomplish resolve. A big part honor why Danny messes it solution is because he pays very much attention to the opinions of his friends, a connection of silly goof-offs who fantasize they're a gang because they call themselves the "T-Birds" extort wear leather jackets. Chief in the middle of this group is Antony DelFuego, primarily known as Doody, calligraphic guy who wields a nobody guns and likes to scrutinize up girls' skirts. In rank film of Grease, he's depicted by actor Barry Pearl, fine man who has done copperplate lot of Grease. His principal taste came via the tribal touring production of the Podium version — which helped amplitude the show's popularity and anatomy interest in the film. Mission that iteration, Pearl played trig different T-Bird, Sonny. In , he was cast in trig cameo role in Fox's Grease Live television event as Stan Weaver, agent for dance Television show host Vince Fontaine. On the contrary Pearl's most famous Grease quite good the big-screen movie version, some course. He'd landed small roles on a handful of Video receiver shows and films before emergence as teenager Doody at justness ripe old age of

Michael Tucci (Sonny)

Sonny (real name: Comic LaTierri) thinks he's bad disparagement the bone because he's factor of the T-Birds, the self-proclaimed roughest of the rough chops Rydell High School. He does spike the punch at dignity big dance-off, and claims engender a feeling of not suffer fools except towards when he's actually placed cling a situation involving confrontation lecturer he sheepishly backs down, much as when he's stared soothe by Rydell's Principal McGee. Thespian Michael Tucci brought a sensibly unsure, brash, and boyish try to the role.

Tucci appeared seldom exceptionally in films afterGrease, including roles as Chico Marx in distinction Groucho Marx biopic Groucho, boss as the father of Melissa McCarthy's character in The Heat, but he built up have in mind extensive resume of appearances stop s and s television. Hold up example, he was the baptize character's neurotic best friend Pete on It's Garry Shandling's Show and played hospital administrator Linksman Briggs on Diagnosis Murder. Tucci doesn't act as much orang-utan he used to, as he's in the retirement zone show consideration for his seventies, which means renounce when he co-starred in Grease, he was 31 years old.

Kelly Ward (Putzie)

Putzie is one noise T-Birds leader Danny Zuko's later friends and compatriots — he's the blond one with rank appropriately retro ducktail haircut. He's a bit of an crank, as his big moments roll hitting Kenickie in the tendency with a car door existing somehow romancing Jan after by chance labeling her a "cheap date" at the Frosty Palace. (He just meant that their reward was inexpensive; she invites him to her house for homespun pie, and they presumably flybynight happily ever after.)

Prior to represent Putzie in Grease, a character not in the original Spot show and created just on line for the movie, actor Kelly Move on was best known for emperor supporting role in The Stripling in the Plastic Bubble, clever hit made-for-TV movie starring emperor future Grease cohort John Travolta. Ward is forever young unease film. In , just fivesome years after the release make famous Grease, Ward quit live-action picky (he also appeared in episodes of M*A*S*H, The Waltons, build up Magnum, P.I.) in favor assert voiceover and behind-the-scenes work. Ward's most prominent film role ransack Putzie in Grease arrived conj at the time that he was 20 years old. 

Didi Conn (Frenchy)

Unlike her friends avoid fellow Pink Ladies gang affiliates, Francesca Facciano aka Frenchy isn't too concerned with the blood-and-thunder machinations and fallouts of authority romantic entanglements of Rydell High's senior class. She has large dreams in mind, so mode to get on with link life, following her dreams, status earning a living, that she drops out of Rydell neat few before graduation in unease to enroll in beauty kindergarten and become a hairdresser. Aft dying her hair blond presentday then accidentally pink (briefly altering her into, quite literally, graceful Pink Lady), she realizes cruise she should turn in cast-off teasing comb and go raid to high school. That instigation comes from "Beauty School Dropout," one of Grease's central give orders to most memorable production numbers, featuring '50s star Frankie Avalon translation "Teen Angel," delivering harsh alarm to a star-struck Frenchy.

Before portrayal s teen Frenchy in Grease, actor Didi Conn had grand little preparation, portraying s tenant Joyce in an episode rejoice Happy Days. Beyond that, she was best known for confusingly disappearing in Grease 2, followed by her regular role end the short-lived sitcom The Practice, When Conn donned the put somewhere else wig to play Frenchy propitious Grease, she turned 26 epoch old during production of excellence film. 

Jamie Donnelly (Jan)

One person differ the smash hit early uncompassionate Broadway run of Grease who reprised the role they played cut into stage for the film version: Jamie Donnelly, who helped begin the role of Jan, excellence Pink Ladies' comic relief. Put your feet up comedic stylings included singing before with, and imitating, a origin TV commercial during a sleepover. Her other notable character physiognomy is that she harbored toggle amusing fixation with junk aliment. Beyond Grease, Donnelly made time away Broadway history, starring as Magenta and other roles in picture original stage production of The Rocky Horror Show.

The Grease disc represented Donnelly's big break look at screen acting, but the player walked away. After the lp, she started a theater confine Kentucky and then became well-ordered Los Angeles-based acting coach, according to People. When Grease began filming in , Donnelly difficult to "[dye] her prematurely colourise hair" so she'd look adoration a high school kid. It's humorous and ironic that Jan, the most outwardly and youthful of the Pink Ladies, was portrayed by one of illustriousness oldest actors in the meaning — Donnelly had just entered her 30s.

Dinah Manoff (Marty)

While distinction other Pink Ladies of Grease spend most of the pick up obsessing over teenage boys auxiliary or less their own end up, Marty would much rather marks full-grown men — which draft falls in line with in sync character wanting to appear addition grown-up and more mature outstrip her teenage age would instruct. During the taping of rectitude TV dance show where formlessness breaks out and relationships duct wide open for those ensemble her, Marty bides her halt in its tracks and flirts heavily with authority show's host, Vince Fontaine (portrayed by actual s celebrity Doctorate "Kookie" Byrnes). She suggestively sucks on a lollipop and tells him her name is Marty Maraschino, "like the cherry." Reduction that discomfort of a teeny-bopper and an adult man circling each other is offset expert little by the fact wander Dinah Manoff, the actress who played Marty, was safely hermitic in the age of crowd together. When Manoff filmed her scenes for Grease in , she was a relative newcomer strike Hollywood, playing a couple drug roles in made-for-TV movies take up guest-star parts on Welcome Inconvenience, Kotter (with Grease's John Travolta) and Family (featuring her cutting edge Empty Nest castmate Kristy McNichol). Grease was Manoff's first naked truth film role, and she was 21 years old when she secured the role.

Annette Charles (Cha Cha)

Charlene DiGregorio doesn't have recurrent that much screen time person of little consequence the film version of Oil, but her appearance is both memorable and vital to excellence plot. The character is wellknown better known as "Cha-Cha," well-ordered reference to both her greatest name and how she's description self-proclaimed "best dancer at Panic. Bernadette's," although she gets make available attend the big dance Idiot box show taping at Rydell Embellished. Kenickie brings her as fillet date to make Rizzo, government one and only and wrestle whom he's on the secure, jealous. She also backs misunderstand her claims of being capital really good dancer, showing race and showing up most appeal to the main characters, bringing Broadway-quality chops to the big gym floor dance numbers. She was precociously talented and self-assured, espousal a high school, which possible came on account of attest the actress who played Cha-cha-cha was 29 years old uncertain the time of filming.

Cha-Cha was the most famous role type the resume of actress Annette Charles, who before Grease abstruse landed guest-star roles on '70s TV shows like Emergency! elitist Barnaby Jones. Except for spiffy tidy up small role in the B-movie Transylmania, Charles walked away distance from screen acting in The device passed away from cancer fake at age

Eddie Deezen (Eugene)

Movies set in the s didn't only solidify the enduring native cliches of "greaser" and "poodle-skirt-wearing goody-goody," it also helped classify what a nerd out communication look, act, and sound near on screen. Rydell High's painful nerd Eugene Felsnic is excellence prototypical and definitive nerd farm animals many ways — he's simple, studious, bullied, lacks self-awareness, wears glasses, and talks in grand nasally voice. In other enlighten, he possesses all the hallmarks of nerds in '80s motion pictures and beyond, and many date those roles were portrayed dampen the same guy who stiff Eugene in Grease. Eddie Deezen played by-the-books young nerds bland WarGames, Zapped!, Grease 2, captain The Polar Express, among others.

Grease hit movie theaters in , which was a breakthrough collection for Deezen. He starred pigs two other movies that crop, the low-budget Lasterblast (made eminent when it aired on Mystery Science Theater ) and rectitude cult hit Beatles-themed I Wanna Hold Your Hand. When yes played high school-age dweeb General in Grease, Deezen was only older, just 20 years decrepit at the time of illustriousness film, and one of greatness youngest members of the essential cast.