“Grease” first premiered in 1971 and has become a staple of pop culture over the past 50 years. Though Olivia Newton-John passed away in 2022 after a brave fight with breast cancer, she lives on in her co-stars’ hearts. John Travolta remembers her every day.
In a new interview, John Travolta revealed he played a pivotal role in convincing Newton-John to star alongside him.
John Travolta Wanted Olivia Newton-John to Play Sandy From the Start
Talk show host Kelly Clarkson eagerly invited Hollywood icon John Travolta to appear on her show. During the conversation, Clarkson addressed a rumor she heard. She heard that Travolta actually had to convince Olivia Newton-John to work on “Grease” with him.
“Olivia Newton-John forever our Sandy 😇” “The Kelly Clarkson Show” captioned a new Instagram post, depicting the interview.
“Everybody was in love with Olivia before the movie,” Travolta explained. “She was like the biggest recording star in the world and just gorgeous and lovely. And I had a serious crush on her. And having done the Broadway show… I always fantasized if this is ever a movie, [Olivia Newton-John] should play Sandy. She’s perfect for Sandy.”
The 72-year-old described manifesting other dreams that eventually come true.
“Suddenly I get offered the movie and they’re suggesting a lot of people,” Travolta remembered. “And I said, ‘Nope, there’s only one person, Olivia Newton-John. If she doesn’t do it, we shouldn’t do it.’ She’s got to do it.”
The actor remembered that Newton-John wasn’t initially interested in the role because she was nervous about being onscreen. She only agreed to be in the film if she liked the screen test.
“So we did [the screen test] and I made sure she liked herself,” John Travolta proudly explained. “I’m so thankful she did. I couldn’t imagine it with anybody else.”
Fans went wild in the comments, noting that it wouldn’t have been the same film without Olivia Newton-John or John Travolta.
“John and Olivia are the ONLY ones who could’ve made the lasting impact they did with ‘Grease’- they were the reason we loved it most ….and they still are!!!!” one fan wrote in the comments.
“John and Olivia will always be Danny and Sandy. They were both fantastic in the movie 🍿 ‘Grease!'” another chimed in.
“John has always been such an amazing supporter of Olivia 😍❤️” a viewer sweetly noted.
‘Grease’ Star Didi Conn Fondly Remembers Olivia Newton-John
Didi Conn starred alongside John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the iconic film as Frenchie. Years after the movie, she maintained a strong friendship with Newton-John.
When Olivia Newton-John went on to establish a fruitful singing career, she would often invite Didi Conn to perform onstage at her concerts.
“Whenever I think about Olivia, I think about when I would see her [at] her concerts,” Conn remembered while speaking to PEOPLE.
“She’d always do a ‘Grease’ set at the end of her concert, and right before that, she’d talk to the audience,” the 75-year-old added, sharing that Olivia Newton-John would tell fans, “Sometimes in life you make a friend and then you have that friend your whole life and I have one like that here today.”
“The place would go nuts and then I’d come on the stage, and I became like a rock star for five minutes,” the “Grease” alum recalled.
