GREASE, Jeff Conaway, Olivia Newton-John, John Travolta, Stockard Channing, 1978, fair
A fun fact: in 2 years, Grease will be a middle-aged man since it will turn 40ty.
We have all loved this movie at one point in our lives. It’s a classic: a stud, a goody-goody and their perky friends always ready to sing and dance around.
Grease is the reason, why we think real-life would be much interesting if it was a musical ( Tell me more, Tell me more)
However, take a look how the cast from Grease looks like now.
John Travolta as Danny Zuko
Then: John Travolta pulled off the leather jacket and greasy hairstyle, like no one, could, and become an icon and movie symbol of the 70s. After Grease, Travolta has been insanely busy, some of his most notable works being Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, Sean Archer/Caster Troy in Face/Off, and when he donned a fat suit to play Edna Turnblad in Hairspray!
Now: He still has that greasy look, but it’s far from appealing, and the fatsuit now? All Natural. Except for, creeping out everybody at the Oscars 2014 and being a Scarlet Johanson and Idina Menzel, nightmare, he’s currently on the new hit show American Crime Story and will voice Gummy Bear in Gummy Bear the Movie.
Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson
Then: By the time Grease came out, Olivia Newton-John was already a well know name.The Australian singer, 64, was already a star before playing the good girl-turned-bad-girl Sandy in Grease, but she went on to release her biggest hit Physical in 1981.
Now: Her music career blossomed even more, having released 15 albums post-Grease, the most recent being the 2012 This Christmas, which she sang on with John Travolta. In 2014, she had a residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas and in 2015 she was a guest judge onRuPaul’s Drag Race.
Stockard Channing as Rizzo
Then: Stockard has been putting in work since her days as Queen of the Pink Ladies, Rizzo. She was the First Lady on The West Wing, Aunt Frances in Practical Magic, and Ouisa Kittredge in Six Degrees of Separation (which earned her an Oscar nod)
Now: More recently she’s been Veronica Loy on The Good Wife. You can currently find her on the Broadway stage in It’s Only A Play, which opened in the fall of 2014 with her,Rupert Grint, Megan Mullally, Nathan Lane, and Matthew Broderick.
Jamie Donnelly as Jan
Then: “Brusha, brusha, brusha!” Donnelly played the silly Jan, who famously impersonated a toothbrush commercial at the Pink Ladies’ sleepover. via
Now: Jan is still doing her thing, you just might not have recognized her! Her biggest roles after Grease are from Can’t Hardly Wait and Cyrus. More recently she’s been on the show Ray Donovan, as Peggy (Catherine’s Mom). In 2015 she’ll be in the film Black Mass, which stars Johnny Depp and on the show Made-Up Again as Dr. Kildare. Since 2008, she’s been popping up at many Rocky Horror Picture Show and Greaseconventions, because she’s a fangirl at heart too.
Kelly Ward as Putzie
Then: Ward, now 56, played Putzie, another one of the T-Birds.
Now: Kelly Ward hadn’t been in front of a camera since 1986. But he hasn’t been doing nothing! He’s been working behind the scenes, beginning as a story editor and working his way up to dialogue director on several different productions over the years, such as: Back to the Future the TV series, The Pink Panther the TV series, All Dogs Go To Heaven, and more recently Jake and the Neverland Pirates. This year he was on the show 7D.
Susan Buckner as Patty Simcox
Then: She played the beautiful T-Bird member Patty Simcox who wears blue of the time.
Now:Directly after Grease, Susan went on to guest star on the shows When the Whistle Blows and The Love Boat. Her last acting credit is from the 1981 horror film Deadly Blessing. She’s appeared in a few things as herself, such as Behind the Music, VH-1 Where Are They Now?, and the last being a 2007 episode of 1 vs. 100.
Lorenzo Lamas as Tom Chisum
Then: He was only 18 when they filmed Grease.
Now: Lorenzo Lamas looks pretty much unrecognizable these days and not at all in a bad way! Out of the supporting cast, he’s done the best for himself post-Grease. His best known work since then is as Lance Cumson in Falcon Crest, as Reno Raines in Renegade, and as Hector Ramirez in The Bold and the Beautiful. More recently, he’s voiced Meap on Phineas and Ferb and will appear in Boone: The Bounty Hunter in 2015.
Didi Conn as Frenchy
Then: Conn, 61, played the optimistic Frenchy who harbored dreams of being a beautician.
Now: She continued acting after Grease, her most notable roles being: Denise Stevens Downey in Benson and Stacy Jones in Shining Time Station. In 2015 she’ll be in the film Paper Dreams, as Marianna. After her son Daniel was diagnosed with Autism, she became a celebrity spokesperson on behalf of raising awareness. In 2008 she was named the national celebrity spokesperson for Autism Speaks and before that she was a spokesperson for National Alliance for Autism Research (now a part of Autism Speaks).
Barry Pearl as Doody
Then:Doody was the cheeky guy who goes out with Frenchy and provides comic relief to all that darned romance.
Now: Unlike some of his co-stars, Barry Pearl’s career did not really take off after Grease. However, he did find some success in children’s theater and as a television actor, playing Professor Tinkerputt in Barney’s Imagination Island. He’s had guest spots onEven Stevens, Baywatch, Criminal Minds, and House, M.D. Most recently, he was part of the series Summer with Cimorelli.
Dinah Manoff as Marty Maraschino
Then: Marty was one of the ditziest of the Pink Ladies, which is saying something. Still, she was lovable, if only for her truly impressive mountain of hair.
Now: Manoff went on to win her first Tony award after Grease, for her role of Libby Tucker in IOught To Be In Pictures. She reprised that role for the film version as well. She’s been in the films Child’s Play, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, and Ordinary People. She focused on TV work for a while, her best known work being on Empty Nest as Carol Weston (which she also portrayed on the show The Golden Girls andNurses). Her most recent acting credit is from 2009’s Bart Got A Room.
