Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Grease’ Fears Eased by Sweet Words From John Travolta: ‘Don’t Worry About It’
Olivia Newton-John was unsure about taking on the role of Sandy Olsson in the 1978 motion picture Grease. However, John Travolta eased her fears. The actor, fresh off a superstar role in Saturday Night Fever, segued into the part of greaser Danny Zuko. Newton-John, primarily a singer, feared looking foolish in her breakout role. Travolta calmed her and told her not to worry about one of the key reasons she didn’t want to step into Sandy’s shoes.
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta fondly recall their favorite ‘Grease’ memory
When asked by E! News about his favorite memory from the making of the 1978 film, Travolta said “beyond the shadow of a doubt” that it was meeting Newton-John.
“I have to say the same,” Newton-John agreed.
She shared that Travolta was the one who “talked me into” taking the role of Sandy Olsson to his Danny Zuko.
“That was a magical, magical day,” Newton-John said.
Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Grease’ Fears Eased by Sweet Words From John Travolta
Newton-John hesitated to take on the Grease role as she had never acted on film.
In an interview with Parade Magazine, Newton-John revealed Travolta eased her fears.
“The last time I watched it was last year when John Travolta and I did the Grease sing-alongs in Florida,” the singer said.
“When I see myself on screen in Grease now, I wonder why I was so worried. When asked to do the movie, I was nervous that I was too old. Now I look at it and think about how silly that was. It’s all relative. I was 29 and concerned, but as John Travolta told me then, “Listen, none of us are teenagers. Don’t worry about it.”
“John wanted me to do it, and that was one of the deciding factors,” Newton-John said in a separate interview with The Telegraph.
“He’s a lovely man. We became great friends, and he was very helpful to me on set, as I was not an experienced actor.” The script, of course, was adjusted to accommodate her Aussie accent.
Did the former co-stars remain friendly after ‘Grease’ wrapped?
The actors remained very close after filming on Grease wrapped in 1977.
To E! News, Travolta noted that he and Newton-John often saw one another “two to three times a year.”
“More than that,” he added, “it’s texting and emails.”
In the wake of Newton-John’s death, Travolta, 68, penned a heartfelt tribute to his “dearest” friend on Instagram.
He shared how she “made all our lives so much better.”
“Your impact was incredible. I love you so much,” Travolta penned.
“We will see you down the road, and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!”
He added in his signoff, “Your Danny, your John!”
