He underwent treatment in the late 1980s and often spoke candidly about his addictions. He appeared in films such as Jawbreaker, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and Do You Wanna Know a Secret? 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. I just couldn't appreciate it and use it as just a job, as a learning experience. Four-time Grammy winner singer-songwriter and actor Olivia Newton-John who starred in the beloved movie musical Grease has passed away . Jeff Conaway Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway [1] (October 5, 1950 - May 27, 2011) [1] was an American actor. She was 82. Hewas just 46 years old at the time of his death. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. On Nov. 12, 1990, she died from heart disease. In 1981, she released Physical, the biggest album of her career. I have a wonderful husband, I have all the animals I adore, I have an incredible career. Kelly Ward brought the youngest member of the T-Birds, Putzie, to life in a role specifically created for the film. It was annulled. Jeff Conaway was best known for his role as Kenickie in "Grease," as well as his role in the TV series "Taxi," alongside actors like Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito. Travolta married actressKelly Prestonin 1991, and theyhad three children together. Clearly, "Grease" was memorable for him. "My heart is broken," singer-songwriter Richard Marx tweeted. Conaway, 60, suffered from pneumonia and sepsis in recent weeks and had been in a medically-induced coma in an Encino, California, hospital for two weeks, manager Phil Brock said. Following the juggernaut success of the film, Travolta's next hit came with 1980's Urban Cowboy, but then a string of disappointments followed, and the actor's career hit a slump throughout the following decade. Explaining that she had fun with her co-stars and "played around" while filming, she shared, "You know, we're still all like that. From disco-trap to deconstructed techno to Dolly-style country, we rank our favorite tracks this year. Its unclear what date the image was actually taken. A commitment order obtained by TMZ reportedly states that the Grease actor, 65, is undergoing treatment at the Maryland Department of Health, and will not be able to stand trial in his burglary . She also began abusing cocaine and chugging down a bottle of vodka every day. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. He also discussed unscrupulous doctors and enablers. "I was glad when it was over, to tell you the truth," the actress said. 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. After appearing in the 1978 film, Stewart reprised his role for Grease 2 in 1982. "I lucked out that my first film was 'Grease,'" he said, noting, "It was just electric because I'd been in high school just two years earlier. Inspired by her climactic transformation into "Bad Sandy," Newton-John revamped her sound and image for her next album, Totally Hot, to add more of a Pink Ladies edge. She has been married and divorced four times, and was in a long-term relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham until his death in 2014. I love you so much. He was constantly cracking jokes as inappropriate as they may be. ", "What happens is, like with most opiate addicts, eventually they take a little too much, not much more than usual, and they aspirate, so what's in their mouth gets into their lungs," Pinsky said. Then in 2020, Preston died of breast cancer, asPeople reported. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Olivia loved helping people. Lattanzi shared a photo to Instagram with her mom last Friday three days before the superstars death. Conaway left Taxi after the third season. She was 81. The story of high school sweethearts Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) is a quintessential tale of teenage devotion set against the musical backdrop of the 1950s. Seen here, the T-Birds prank on Eugene (wearing glasses and bow tie), played by Eddie Deezen. In early 2008, Conaway appeared with other celebrities in the VH1 reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. He has gone on to star in several hit films since, including Face/Off, Get Shorty, and Primary Colors, as well as a return to movie musicals with his performance as Edna Turnblad in the 2007 remake of Hairspray. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. in 2016. Here are a few other actors from the iconic Grease movie who you may not have known also died. Jan, the nerdy, junk food loving member of the Pink Ladies was played by Jamie Donnelly, who originated the part on Broadway, and was the only cast member to play the same role in both the stage musical and the film. I would be out partying every night at different Hollywood clubs, running into other young celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, and just partying the night away, she further stated. Read on to find out what the class of Rydell High 1978 have been up to since the film's release. [28][29], Though his drug use did not cause his pneumonia, it hampered Conaway's ability to recognize how severely ill he was and to seek treatment for pneumonia until it was too late. [9], He had appeared in an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show for the same producers, and, he said in 1987, had been considered for the role of John Burns, which eventually went to Randall Carver:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, But then one day I got the whole script and became real interested in the actor character, then called Bobby Taylor. He was married to Olivia Newton Johns older sister, Rona Newton-John, for five years. Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Hollywood legend Olivia Newton-John has died of breast cancer. One of Donnelly's most recent roles was as Margot in the 2020 thriller "Souvenirs," so it's clear that she hasn't slowed down her career in the slightest. NewsCore. This development caused the show's producers to realize that Conaway was expendable and contributed to his termination. director of photography Film Editing by John F. Burnett . The 1978 movie, set in the '50s, follows a group of high school students as they navigate life and love. Ward was the voice director, producer, and co-writer for "All Dogs Go to Heaven 2," the voice director, supervising story editor, and executive producer for "The Pink Panther" television series, and so much more. Your impact was incredible., A post shared by John Travolta (@johntravolta). When asked whether she thought of death often, Newton-John said she tried not to focus on it or any prognosis given by a doctor. [14] In 2000, he released the album It Don't Make Sense You Can't Make Peace on the KEGMusic label. [11] Conaway was reported at the time to be dissatisfied with being typecast as a "blond bimbo" and the "butt of struggling-actor jokes," along with finding the nature of the role repetitive. The woman responded with a post of her own on Twitter, however. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Before he donned Danny Zuko's leather jacket, John Travolta was already a bona fide star thanks to his roles as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter, Billy Nolan in Carrie, and Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever for which he received his first Academy Award nomination. Goodman died on June 22, 2008 at the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey, following a long illness, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. Shepassed away from leukemia on December 25, 1979, a little more than a year after "Grease" was released and two years after getting an Academy Award nomination for her film, "Opening Night." Eddie Deezen is reportedly unable to stand trial after his recent arrest due to mental-health -related reasons. It's an extended family. ", "Jeff Conaway As Seen in My Award Winning Feature 'From Behind the Sunflower'! After "Grease," Ward continued acting for a bitand got into voice acting as well, voicing characters in the likes of "Challenge of the GoBots" and "Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures." Byrnes' son, news anchor Logan Byrnes, confirmed the news on Twitter, writing, "It is with profound sadness and . Actor Eddie Deezen is has been found not competent to stand trial in a nursing home burglary case because of a mental disorder. 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. Newton-John spoke publicly of her beaus disappearance, telling the Australian Womens Weekly magazine: I think there will always be a question mark I dont think I will ever really be at peace with it.. Like nobody else could do Louie or Jim, they were such defined characters. Her husband, John Easterling, shared a statement via Newton-Jonh's Instagram account. In the mid-1960s, he was the lead singer and guitarist for a rock band, The 3 1/2, which recorded four singles for Cameo Records in 1966 and 1967: In 1979, Conaway recorded a self-titled debut album for Columbia Records. Sadly, Blondell's last years during which she filmed "Grease" were spent struggling withrheumatoid arthritis, via Slant Magazine. And Sid Caesar, who played Coach Calhoun, died on Feb. 12, 2014. Newton-John was born in England in 1948, before relocating to Australia at the age of 5. The song hit No. It makes sense that Travolta would then go on to land some impressive roles in films and television shows, such as "Pulp Fiction" and "American Crime Story.". In September 2017, Newton-John went public with the devastating diagnosis but insisted she wasnt focused on her illness, but on things that make her happy. But in 1998, she came out of retirement. She reprised her role four years later in Grease 2. [2], His father, Charles,[2] was an actor, producer, and publisher. In addition, she was "hopelessly devoted" to philanthropic works including a stint as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program. 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. While Ward might have found success on screen in "Grease," it's clear he became more passionate about things behind the scenes. Deezen, 65, was filmed entering his neighbor's vehicles without their consent earlier this year. He also reprised his role as "Craterface" Balmudo in the 1982 film "Grease 2," and his last acting credit on IMDb is listed in 1991 with a role on the TV series "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." In fact, Deezen even returned for "Grease 2," but that's not the most impressive role he's had since "Grease." Following the success of Grease, and a yearlong stint on the ABC sitcom Soap in 1978, she went on to win a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play in 1980 for Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures. Conaway starred in the short-lived 1983 fantasy-spoof series Wizards and Warriors. Eddie Deezen, known for playing Eugene Felsnic in "Grease," has been found not competent to stand trial for allegedly burglarizing a nursing home. (CBS via Getty Images), CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER. Sadly on Aug. 8, 2022, news broke that Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy, died at her home in California after a long battle with breast cancer. But when her family decides to stay in America, Sandy is enrolled in Rydell High alongside Danny, who tries to play it cool in front of his gang of greaser friends the T-Birds causing friction between them. Deezen is facing charges relating to an April arrest for allegedly trespassing and burglarizing the neighbors at his Maryland home. CHRIS ROCK'S BROTHER CHALLENGES WILL SMITH TO A BOXING MATCH AFTER OSCARS SLAP, Eddie Deezen was arrested on burglary charges in April 2022. In the 1980s, the actor embarked on a healthy lifestyle journey that would ultimately help him live a very long life. 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." Arden died on November 12, 1990 at her Beverly Hills home at age 83, per The New York Times. I ended up reading with [star] Judd Hirsch and it went really well."[10]. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She was 73 years old. The younger Byrnes, thankfully, became sober before hitting age 50 and would go on to live for decades after finding sobriety. Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, at the same time her father died from cancer. Rest now, sweet friend. They call it reinventing yourself, the superstar said about how fans looked at her differently following the release of the single. 2 min read. For fans of musicals, whether they are a Broadway production or a film, there's just something about watching a musical with songs you know all the words to. But she did not become a bona fide superstar until her casting opposite John Travolta in 1978s movie musical Grease.. 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. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!" In an interview with CBS News' Gayle King, Newton-John explained that she had to learn to remind herself not to let the thought of cancer consume her. Grease is one of those classic films filled with songs that just about everyone can recite today. A year after her split from Lattanzi, the star began dating cameraman Patrick McDermott. The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales. ", On hearing about his death, "Grease" co-star John Travolta said: "Jeff Conaway was a wonderful and decent man and we will miss him. 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. Newton-Johns duet with co-star Travolta, Youre the One That I Want, topped the pop charts, while her solo ballad, Hopelessly Devoted to You, climbed to No. [5] Conaway remained for the entire run, then toured with the national company of the play Critic's Choice. The play Critic 's Choice as seen in My Award Winning Feature 'From Behind the Sunflower ' she began! 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