Web"Grease" came out in June 1978, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as Danny and Sandy. By the time Sid Caesar joined the "Grease" cast as Coach Calhoun, he had a long list of TV and film credits and two Emmy Awards to his name. Actor and dancer Dennis famously played the ultimate bad boy in Craterface, and he later returned for the sequel in 1982. Dennis eventually died of complications from Aids in April 1994. While she became famous for her role in "Grease," Charles only logged a few acting credits after the hit film, per IMDb, including an appearance on "The Incredible Hulk" TV series, and she appears to have pretty much left acting behind for good in 1987. Greasewasn't his first time working with costar John Travolta, as the two worked together on 1976's made-for-television movieThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Olivia Newton-John, who shot to superstardom in the 70s and remain a global icon for decades after, passed away on August 8 at the age of 73. Her cancer returned in 2013 and 2017, and on Aug. 8, 2022, her husband John Easterling announced the icon's death at the age of 73. ComicBook.com recently spoke to many of the folks involved withGrease: Rise of the Pink Ladies and asked their thoughts on Grease 2. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. She went on to a voice role on the TV series "Alvin and the Chipmunks," among other shows. He is deemed not competent to stand trial for mental health reasons. Jeff Conaway was best known for his role as The actress is survived by her 36-year-old daughter, Chloe, and her siblings., John Travolta played Danny Zuko in Grease (left), and he went on to have an incredibly successful career. Teefy hasn't acted much since the late '90s, except for one appearance in 2017's Hollywood Girl: The Peg Entwistle Story. Sonny is the brash, wise-cracking Italian, played in the movie by Michael Tucci, now 76. 'Coming to America' Cast: Where Are They Now? Dody Goodman, who shared scenes with Arden in the role of Rydell High School secretary Blanche Hodel, died on June 22, 2008, following a long battle with colon cancer. She wassurrounded by her family and friends, according to her husband, who announced her passing on her Facebook page., Easterling did not confirm the cause of her death. In addition to his work as an actor, Pearl has directed a number of theatrical productions, and taught film arts at Joey Travolta's Inclusion Film Company for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Prosecutors brought the charges of assault and disorderly conduct against him. The 1982 sequel toGrease (1978) was not the hit its predecessor was, sure, but the cult following of Grease 2 which follows a new class of Pink Ladies and T-Birds at Rydell High is unrivaled. "Love," Cheyenne Isabel Wells (Olivia) simply replied when we asked her opinion on Grease 2. I'd love to know yours as well, is the bowling alley number. Before "Grease," Goodman played Mary Hartman's mother on the late night soap of the same name, and after the film, she logged a recurring role on the NBC sitcom 'Diff'rent Strokes." And it took a long wait time to come back.". Read on to find out what the class of Rydell High 1978 has been up to since the film's release. So yes, big fan. Tragically Jeff, who played bad boy Kenickie died at age 60, in 2011, from pneumonia after years battling addiction. She died of complications in 2011 aged 63 - just three months after her co-star Jeff Conaway. Didi, now 71, regularly refers back to her Grease days and still loves wearing her pink ladies jacket. Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta starred as Sandy and Danny in the movie musical, The 1978 picture was a huge success and changed the cast's lives, Olivia Newton-John has spent years battling cancer, Olivia Newton John and husband Matt Lattanzi, John Travolta was devastated by the death of his girlfriend, and later his son Jett, Annette Charles died in 2011 - three months after Jeff Conaway, Dennis Stewart, who played Craterface, died of complications from AIDS in 1994. Conn and Shire also have a 30-year-old adopted son, Daniel Shire, who was diagnosed with autism when he was two. Allan was struck down by liver cancer and died in June 1999 at the age of 62. He has two upcoming projects slated for release, Travolta married fellow actor Kelly Preston in 1991, and they welcomed three children together: Jett, Ella Bleu, and Benjamin. In the years since, he has built a long list of guest star credits on TV shows likeAlfred Hitchcock Presents, Baywatch, Beverly Hills, 90210, andEven Stevens. They divorced in 1995, Just days before her death, Newton-John posted a heartwarming photo of herself with her second husband, John Easterling, whom she had been married to since 2008, The couple was married when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. The accomplished actor, who appeared in more than 60 movies and TV shows and earned 11 Emmy nominations, died in 2014 at the age of 91. Stockard, now 78, will forever be remembered for her iconic role as Rizzo. Barry Pearl played Doody in the musical (left). After tackling the lead role as strong-headed Stephanie After her oldest son, Dashiell, tragically died in a car accident in 2017, she began teaching acting at the Purdy Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Wash., as a way to deal with her grief. However, she was also a Tony-winning stage performer (perBroadway World), who would later go on to a recurring role on 'Designing Women," which scored her an Emmy nod, per Emmys.com. After two brief attempts at sitcom stardom in the early-1980s, Channing re-teamed with Nicholson and Nichols (as well asMeryl Streep) for the filmHeartburn, based onNora Ephron's best-selling novel. He's so sweet and wonderful and we were always, 'So how did you do it? Feel-good family film Grease changed the lives of its cast forever, but many were haunted by tragedy for years afterwards. The lead stars of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies made an appearance at Deadlines Contenders Television awards-season event to talk about their experiences on the musical.. Marisa Davila, who plays Jane Facciano in the Paramount+ series, said she might have been a little too young to have watched the 1978 film for the first time, but most of She died on December 18, 2008, from leukemia. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1993 and on April 4, 1994, died from pneumonia as a result of complications fromAIDS. John Travolta, now 68, is the biggest star to come from Grease after playing hunk Danny, fresh from his starring role as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever. He said a back injury while filming the 'Greased Lightnin' song had partly been to blame for starting his descent into addiction. 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Price played Rhonda, another member of the Pink Ladies. In 2022, Luft and her sister Liza Minnelli developed a Judy Garland fragrance for what would've been their mother's 100th birthday. Manoff has three children with her second husband, Arthur Mortell. Since its release in June of 1978, the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musicalGreasehas remained an enduring fixture of pop culture. But more than four decades have brought tragedy and heartache to a number of the original cast, the most recent being the passing of Olivia Newton John. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. The most Now: This former T-Bird has a In between acting he has also been a high school teacher and acting coach. She starred in The West Wing, The Good Wife, and is a regular on the Broadway stage. In 2008, he appeared on Seasons 1 and 2 of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew for drug and alcohol treatment. However, the actor mainly worked on the stage, with two Tony Award nominations for Eastern Standard and Our Country's Good. 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.". She was 93 years old at the time of her death. He's had several successes over the last couple of decades, from Wild Hogs, Hairspray, From Paris With Love and Get Shorty,The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. ", He added, "But simultaneously, it makes it that much tougher to see that you've been benched. 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A year later, they welcomed their only child together, Chloe Rose Lattanzi (right), who is now 36. The singer-actress passed on August 8, 2022, after a 30-year-long battle with breast cancer (via People). Kenickie, the T-Birds second-in-command, was brought to the screen by Jeff Conaway. His death is Frechette has been together with his partner, theater and TV director David Warren, since 1988. Her cause of death was reported as heart disease. 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). He was 87. She was best known in the States for her long running role in Empty Nest, a spin off from The Golden Girls, from 1988 to 1995. Grease Actors You May Not Know Passed Away Edd Byrnes (Vic Fontaine) died in January 2020. In the 1980s, the actor embarked on a healthy lifestyle journey that would ultimately help him live a very long life. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. "I know when I spoke with Anabel Oaks, our showrunner and writer, like Kenickie is sort of the archetypal character that I'm loosely based on, and start off with. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Its soundtrack, featuring the songs "You're the One That I Want," "Summer Nights," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," as well as the self-titled theme song sung by Frankie Valli, was also a major chart topper in the late 1970s disco era. 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. Occupation(s) Actor, dancer Years active 19771993 Dennis Cleveland Stewart(July 29, 1947 April 20, 1994) She won her fourth Grammy for her 1981 hit single Physical. I love you so much. WebA few of the Boy Greasers and Girl Greasers in Grease 2 also were dancers in Grease: Andy Tennant as Arnold ( Artie ), John Robert Garrett as Bubba ( R.G. 'My Cousin Vinny' Cast: Where Are They Now? The stars have also had their fair share of ups and downs in the decades years after Greasedebuted in theaters. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Sadly, that wasnt the only personal tragedy to rock his life. Grease 2 hit theatres in 1982 and despite launching the career of Michelle Pfeiffer, the movie became a flop at the box office after receiving poor reviews (it's currently on Rotten Tomatoes with a 35% critics score). She has been married and divorced four times, and was in a long-term relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham until his death in 2014. Best known for his roles as Jay O'Neill in Bachelor Party (1984) and Vince Romano on T.J. Hooker, the actor most-recently appeared in 2016's Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens. 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