How did you do it? Dennis eventually died of complications from Aids in April 1994. 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. She went on to record 15 more studio albums, achieving a career total of 26, and selling over 100 million units worldwide. Eddie Deezen, now 65, landed a role playing nerdy student Eugene Felsnic in Grease. Edd Byrnes, who played TV dance show host Vic Fontaine in "Grease," was known for more than his flirty prom scene in the hit film. In 2012, Travolta reunited with Olivia Newton-John for their holiday albumThis Christmas, and, in 2016, he received his first Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Robert Shapiro in FX'sThe People v. O.J. Tragically, her 19-year-old son Dashiell, who was a young actor in college, died in a car crash near their home in Seattle in 2017. The latest sad news to emerge is the death of actor Edd Byrnes, who played Vince Fontaine in the hit movie musical, who has died unexpectedly aged 87. He acted steadily throughout the 1980s and 1990s. But within months of landing the role of heartthrob Danny, Johns girlfriend Diana Hyland died of breast cancer, aged 41. She's stayed out of the spotlight since; her last role was in 1984. Your Danny, your John!. She then got her masters degree in social work fromNew York Universityand became a speech communication professor atCalifornia State University, Northridge. In 1992, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and became a tireless advocate for cancer research throughout the rest of her life, founding the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Australia. Sadly, according to the BBC, Conaway's addiction to prescription drugs may have started with "Grease," as a back injury he suffered while filming the movie spawned a lifelong addiction. The highest-grossing movie of the year, it also produced one of the best-selling albums of all time; a 1982 sequel starringMichelle Pfeifferand Maxwell Caulfield; a live television event, Grease: Live! The new Paramount+ TV musical "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" takes place four years before Sandy Olsson ever attended Rydell High or met any of the Pink Ladies and tells their origin story. The risqu title track ruled the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks, and its tongue-in-cheek, aerobics-inspired music video became an MTV staple. Nonetheless, "Grease" remained his defining movie. Robin Trocki, who came to "Glee" with no acting experience, played Jean Sylvester in five episodes throughout Seasons 1 and 2. In 1988, she booked the lead role of Carol Weston in the hit NBC spin-off ofThe Golden Girls,Empty Nest. His death is Green joined the T-Birds as Davey. Read on to find out what the class of Rydell High 1978 has been up to since the film's release. Feel-good family film Grease changed the lives of its cast forever, but many were haunted by tragedy for years afterwards. Occupation(s) Actor, dancer Years active 19771993 Dennis Cleveland Stewart(July 29, 1947 April 20, 1994) Jeff was suffering from pneumonia and sepsis , and doctors placed him in an induced coma. Manoff has three children with her second husband, Arthur Mortell. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Since its release in June of 1978, the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musicalGreasehas remained an enduring fixture of pop culture. She's most famous for voicing The King of the Hill's Bobby Hill, for which she earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 2002, and worked in films like Say Anything (1989), I Love You, Daddy (2017) and Holler (2020). In addition to playing fan favorite Kenickie in Grease, John Conaway was also known for his role as Bobby Wheeler inTaxiand security officer Zack Allan inBabylon 5. Travolta took a hiatus from acting to grieve his wife's death before returning to work. Arden died on November 12, 1990 at her Beverly Hills home at age 83, per The New York Times. 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.". 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. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Doody was the goofy, fun-loving boyfriend of Frenchy. Channing has continued to appear on both stage and screen, and played a recurring role on the CBS dramaThe Good Wife until 2016. 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. That said, Dr. Drew told People Magazine in 2011, with permission from the family, that the actor had experienced a deeply traumatic childhood, as well. She went on to a voice role on the TV series "Alvin and the Chipmunks," among other shows. From 1992 to 1996, he served as Vice President of Animation at MGM studios, and spent 23 years as an adjunct musical theater professor at the University of Southern California's School of Dramatic Arts. I love you so much. They began collaborating on a play about high school life during the golden age of rock n roll in the 50s. While he never quite reached the heights of Grease again, Pearl went on to become an acting teacher.. Jeff Conaway who played Kenickie. 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. But she has not had any acting credits since 2008. Her music career hit even more heights after the role, winning another Grammy and achieving huge success with her 1981 single Physical., She starred in a number of other films after the release of Grease such asXanadu and Two of a Kind in which she was reunited with Grease co-star John Travolta but never found the same success on the big screen., Newton-John married her first husband, actor and dancerMatt Lattanzi, in December 1984. Although Grease 2 was initially a critical and commercial disaster, in the years since its release in 1982, the musical sequel has gained a cult following for its catchy songs, so it's worth ranking them all from worst to best. She was 82. In 2021, she released her first novel,The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold, through Star Alley Press. Actress: Grease 2. Five years later, after a handful of TV appearances in shows like M*A*S*H, The Waltons, and Magnum, P.I., Ward retired from acting on-camera. EXCLUSIVE: 'Denial is a really good thing!' He has also made stage appearances on Broadway and teaches film arts to people with special needs community with the Inclusion Film Company founded by Joey Travolta, John's brother. Thanks to her soundtrack contributions "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights," she became the second woman to have two singles in the Billboard top five at the same time. 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." At one point, Byrnes was such a heartthrob that he was receiving upwards of 15,000 fan letters per week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He claimed to have suffered abuse as a young child and had long battled mental health problems that left him mired in substance abuse. The stars have also had their fair share of ups and downs in the decades years after Greasedebuted in theaters. The daughter of screenwriter Arnold Manoff, and Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress/director Lee Grant, Dinah Manoff played Marty Maraschino, the Pink Ladies' biggest flirt. She inspired many cancer survivors all over the world by becoming an activist for cancer awareness and launched her own foundation named Newton-John. Her cause of death was reported as heart disease. Since then, Travolta has proven to have serious staying power in the industry, starring in dozens of films over the last 40 years including the likes of Pulp Fiction, Hairspray, Face Off, and Get Shorty.. Sadly, like so many stars, Byrnes struggled with addictive tendencies. In 2011,Conway passed away at age 60 due to drug-related pneumonia. Olivia 'Your Danny, your John': Travolta pays heartbreaking tribute had metastasized and spread to her bones. According to reports, he is said to be considered a danger to himself and those around him by officials. Joan Blondell had a huge acting resume under her belt when she appeared in "Grease" as the waitress, Vi. The comments below have been moderated in advance. Annette Charles played the cha-cha dancing Charlene "Cha Cha" DiGregorio in "Grease," and she was featured prominently in a prom scene dance-off scene with John Travolta, much to the dismay of Olivia Newton-John's character, Sandy. Didi Conn, born Edith Bernstein, is the only cast member to appear in all three screen adaptations ofGrease,having also appeared in 1982's Grease 2, and Fox's Grease: Live! He is deemed not competent to stand trial for mental health reasons. The legendary star, who began her movie career in the 1930s, appeared in a plethora of Warner Bros. films,perSlant Magazine, effortlessly crossing genres. Catch up with your favorite T-Birds and Pink Ladies after two of them flew off in a convertible into the sky. 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. Among the first to pay tribute to Newton-John on Monday was her Grease co-star John Travolta, who lost his wife, Kelly Preston, to breast cancer in 2020., In the wake of the star's passing,FEMAIL has taken a look back at everything she and the rest of the Grease cast have accomplished over the last four decades., Olivia Newton-Johnwas best known as a singer and already had three Grammys under her belt when she took on the role of Sandy in the 1978 musical. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Jamie, now 75, played the dorky one of Pink Ladies. Playing Kenickie made Jeff a household name. Closing out a career that spanned six decades, Caesar died on February 12, 2014 at his Beverly Hills home, at the age of 91 (according to Variety), following a thankfully short period of ailing health. Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladiesis debuting on Paramount+ this week,and it tells the story of how the girl gang fromGreaseformed five years before the events of the iconic musical. Sadly, Blondell's last years during which she filmed "Grease" were spent struggling withrheumatoid arthritis, via Slant Magazine. She also considered the film as a "bad gig" at the time because she was forced to work out in the sun so much while waiting for her turn to shoot scenes. He was 46. But it was also the start of a downward spiral which ended in tragedy when he died in 2011 aged just 60. Tell us about the scene with the cigarette. He went on to have various roles on TV and film over the next decade. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. She was 93. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. WebJohn F. Burnett (edited by) Casting By Joel Thurm Production Design by Philip M. Jefferies (as Phil Jefferies) Set Decoration by James L. Berkey (as James Berkey) Costume Design by Albert Wolsky Makeup Department Production Management Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Art Department Sound Department Special Effects by Over Her Dead Body is a 2008 American romantic comedy film starring Eva Longoria, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Lindsay Sloane and Jason Biggs. It was written and directed by Jeff Lowell. The film is about Kate (Eva Longoria), who dies on the day of her wedding to fianc Henry (Paul Rudd). He subsequently begins a relationship with psychic Ashley (Lake Bell) who becomes haunted by Kate trying to sabotage their relationship. She starred in The West Wing, The Good Wife, and is a regular on the Broadway stage. Stockard, now 78, will forever be remembered for her iconic role as Rizzo. 1 on the charts. Moreover, Are the cast of Grease still friends? Tragically, three of Greases much-loved cast-members are no longer with us. After falling ill with pneumonia, Jeff Conaway Dannys best pal Kenickie in the movie sadly passed away in 2011. The same year, Annette Charles, who played Cha Cha, lost her battle with cancer. In 1993, Dennis C. 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Also, like Didi Conn, Barry returned to the franchise for Grease: Live, this time playing the role of Mr. Stan Weaver. Grease has become a globally iconic film that makes everyone want to jive on the dancefloor with its catchy tunes, jazzy outfits, and electricity. Though she continued to act, Luft is more well-known for her singing and stage work, her latest playing Martha Watson in the national tour of White Christmas. 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The Australian native was best known as a singer and already had three Grammys under her beltbefore taking on the role of sweet and innocent Sandy Olsson in Grease. She won her fourth Grammy for her 1981 song Physical. 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. She has continued to act over the years, appearing in around 40 TV and movie projects, including Happy Days, Cagney & Lacey, Grease 2, Transparent and The Wild Thornberrys. He portrayed Kenickie in the film Grease and had roles in two television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in Taxi and security officer Zack Allan on Babylon 5. "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. Speaking of Zmed, his character from Grease 2, Johnny Nogerelli, felt like a possible inspiration for Gil, the new T-Bird played by Nicholas McDonough in Rise of the Then in April 2009, investigators reported Patrick was alive and well and living in Mexico, where he had fled to avoid debts, including $8,000 in child support. Didi Conn played Frenchy in the movie (left). It's unclear what was the exact cause of her death. The Grease cast now - deaths, addiction, tragedy and just I think each of us have a character like that in the beginning and then as the season progresses we kind of wiggle into our own versions, which is exciting.". In addition to playing fan favorite Kenickie I actually did a production of Children of Eden with Adrian Zmed, so I'm a fan. The actress moved on to roles in Supergirl (1984) and Men Seeking Women (1997), and on Perversions of Science. She stayed busy for the rest of the '80s, starring in the film version of the play, as well as parts in Ordinary People (1980)and the horror movieChild's Play (1988). Annette Charles' character's bad boy boyfriend, Leo "Craterface" Balmudo, was played by Dennis Stewart in "Grease." Web5 Actors From Grease (1978) Who have Sadly Died PassedUs 75.9K subscribers Subscribe 34K views 1 year ago #JohnTravolta #Grease Grease is a 1978 American musical Are Any of the Main Actors From The Ten Commandments Movie Still Alive? After bringing the laughs as T-Bird DiMucci in his film debut, Frechette stayed busy with TV appearances on shows like Thirtysomething, Profiler and Devious Maids. Heartbreaking tribute had metastasized and spread to her bones with us left him mired in substance abuse 2011, passed. Film Grease changed the lives of its cast forever, but many were haunted by trying. Heart disease with addictive tendencies n roll in the contents above are those of our users and do not reflect. 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