[5] Conaway remained for the entire run, then toured with the national company of the play Critic's Choice. 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." While pneumonia was the cause of death, the doctor who treated him for drug addiction for years says it was his dependence on prescription painkillers that eventually cost him his life. 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. 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. He acted steadily throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, in a 2018 interview with V13, Donnelly explained that she was pretty prepared to play Jan. "I had played Jan on Broadway seven years before I did the movie," she explained. The legendary star, who began her movie career in the 1930s, appeared in a plethora of Warner Bros. films,perSlant Magazine, effortlessly crossing genres. She originally co-starred on the sitcom alongside Richard Mulligan and Kristy McNichol, and was featured in every episode of its seven-season run. Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. That's what happened with Jeff.". The Physical songstress is survived by her husband of 14 years, John Easterling, and her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, 36. Five years after that, she revealed that the cancer had metastasized. He died overnight having fallen into a coma from an apparent drug . Olivia Newton-John, the beloved singer and actor known for her 1970s and '80s hits and the movie "Grease," died at her ranch in Southern California on Monday at age . 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. Univision fires anchor for racist Michelle Obama insult, 'Star Wars Episode 8' to be released May 2017, Talking Barbie is too 'creepy' for some parents, Scammer tries to swindle top tax-crime fighter, Conaway suffered from pneumonia and sepsis, Life support was removed Thursday, his manager says. Newton-John was born in England in 1948, before relocating to Australia at the age of 5. Legal Statement. "Physical," "Xanadu," and "Please Mister Please" are some of her most recognized hits, but her performances in "Grease" are some of her best. Still, Deezen recognizes that "Grease" really set him up for success as an actor. He was married to Olivia Newton Johns older sister, Rona Newton-John, for five years. Conaway appeared in VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, but was forced to leave and entered rehabilitation. Catch up with your favorite members of the iconic cast after they flew off in a convertible into the sky. The cancer subsequently spread to her bones, with doctors diagnosing it as stage 4 and declaring that there was little chance of survival. Most notably, Manoff starred in "Empty Nest" for several years before moving on to "State of Grace." One of the most lovable characters in "Grease" was definitely Frenchy, the charming, sweet, beauty-loving Pink Lady played by Didi Conn. "Grease" was hardly Conn's first acting gig, and after the movie ended, she never really stopped working. Played by Dinah Manoff, Marty was the perfect addition to "Grease." He says I'm the only choice for a white actor, but that they'd had a meeting and thought that maybe Bobby should be black and that now they're looking at black actors. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. When it came to the Pink Ladies in "Grease," Jan was probably the most laid-back of the crew. Deezen criticized her appearance and called her an "attention w----.". 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.". Dame Olivia Newton-John passed away peacefully at her ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends. She spent the last two decades of her life giving back, a source close to Newton-John told The Post. Food was the one thing I could be in control of.. His most recent acting credentials include a short film called "Squeeze," the movie "The Silent Natural," a stint on the short series "BlindDateMe," and the comedy "Boomers. On Nov. 12, 1990, she died from heart disease. Stewart tragically died from complications relating to AIDS on April 20, 1994 (via Facebook). When Grease hit theaters in June 1978, it was an instant hit and its cast members became instant stars. It was frustrating. Last fall, Newton-Johntold Fox Newsthat she felt the track was a bit raunchy when it first came out. He posted a lengthy rant on Facebook about a server at a local restaurant, Kara Lashbaugh. Rydell High's auto shop teacher Mrs. Murdock was a familiar face to "Grease"viewers at the time of the film's debut. Additionally, Channing has also made a name for herself on Broadway, starring in a number of beloved musicals. Putzie, played by Kelly Ward, was another important member of the T-Birds in "Grease." Seen here, the T-Birds prank on Eugene (wearing glasses and bow tie), played by Eddie Deezen. After appearing in the 1978 film, Stewart reprised his role for Grease 2 in 1982. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. ", Travolta posted a tribute to her on Instagram, writing: "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Sadly, along with all of the fanfare, there has been tragedy. [3], While at NYU, Conaway appeared in television commercials and had the lead in a school production of The Threepenny Opera. Following his film success in "Grease," Stewart logged a series of guest spots on popular TV shows of the era, including "Wonder Woman" and "CHIPs." Goodman's character was known for her musical contribution to the morning announcements via her trusty xylophone. Clearly, Travolta has been doing a lot since "Grease," and he's been through a lot as well. Sadly on August 8, 2022, at the age of 73, Newton-John died at her California home, reported The New York Times. I love you so much. My mother. Your impact was incredible. "Grease" was the word and one of the most beloved movies of the 1970s. In 2008, he appeared on Seasons 1 and 2 of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew for drug and alcohol treatment. He made guest appearances on such shows as Barnaby Jones, George & Leo, and Murder, She Wrote. Conaway was featured in the first and second seasons of the reality television series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. And this grown a-- old man has the balls to post this on facebook about me im losing my mind," Lashbaugh wrote. While his character in "Grease" had eyes for Dinah Manoff's Marty Maraschino, two decades earlier, young fans had their eyes on him. While she was arguably most known for playing Sandy in the cult classic, Newton-John had an incredible music career that earned her four GRAMMY awards out of 12 nominations. She competed on the hit British series Dancing on Ice in 2019, but was eliminated in week four. ", "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. Jeff Conaway Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway [1] (October 5, 1950 - May 27, 2011) [1] was an American actor. Conaway played struggling actor turned cab driver, Bobby Wheeler, on and off for four seasons, starting in 1978. She was 81. JEFF Conaway, who played T-Bird Kenickie in the iconic musical "Grease," has died at the age of 60. [14] In 2000, he released the album It Don't Make Sense You Can't Make Peace on the KEGMusic label. In addition to the box office and Billboard success brought on by the musical, her performance in Grease also landed her a Golden Globe nomination. Ward added that he mostly bonded with "creative visionaries, Pat Birch and Randal Kleiser," the movie's choreographer and director, respectively, which makes sense considering his affinity for producing and writing. The actor was 60 years old when he died. The actor first shot to fame in the 1950s detective series "77 Sunset Strip," where he played the comb-obsessed nightclub valet, Kookie, decades before Fonzie of "Happy Days" incessantly combed his own signature ducktail. The woman responded with a post of her own on Twitter, however. Another huge star in "Grease" was John Travolta's Danny, heartthrob and love interest of Sandy. (directed by) Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) Produced by Cinematography by Bill Butler . She went on to a voice role on the TV series "Alvin and the Chipmunks," among other shows. [2][7], He played the role for 2 1/2 years while his friend John Travolta, with whom he shared a manager, later joined the show, playing the supporting role of Doody. She wanted Sandy to belong and be part of the Pink Ladies," she said of how she admired her character, according to theDaily Mail. Part of the reason was his drug abuse after season one. "Hope you're all doing the same during these trying times.". You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Joan Blondell had a huge acting resume under her belt when she appeared in "Grease" as the waitress, Vi. In 2013, however, an X-ray taken after a car accident revealed Newton-John had cancer in right shoulder. He signed it, "Your Danny, your John!". Kenickie, the T-Birds second-in-command, was brought to life by Jeff Conaway. After appearing in the movie,Manoff went on to star in many projects, writing, directing, and producing here and there. In addition to acting, Conaway dabbled in music. It was annulled. There was no evidence he ever intentionally overdosed, Pinsky said. While pneumonia was the cause of death, the doctor who. 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. They call it reinventing yourself, the superstar said about how fans looked at her differently following the release of the single. [27] After initial reports, Drew Pinsky, who had treated Conaway for substance abuse, said the actor was suffering not from a drug overdose, but rather from pneumonia with sepsis, for which he was placed into an induced coma. In 2010 he provided voice-over for the English version of the animated short film Dante's Hell Animated (released in 2013), in which he is credited as "Hollywood legend Jeff Conaway". Played by Jamie Donnelly, Jan had a very sweet and authentic demeanor. Grease wasn't his first time working with co-star John Travolta, as the two worked together on 1976's made-for-television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. Travolta was married to the late Kelly Preston from 1991 until her death from breast cancer in July of 2020. Manoff has three children with her second husband, Arthur Mortell. Lattanzi shared a photo to Instagram with her mom last Friday three days before the superstars death. But the actors behind those beloved teenage characters aren't so young anymore. Since its release in June of 1978, the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Grease has remained an enduring fixture of pop culture. She also began abusing cocaine and chugging down a bottle of vodka every day. Pearl and his onscreen love interest Didi Conn are the only two cast members from the 1978 film to appear in Grease: Live! We're still ridiculously childish I think.". Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by "Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Movies. No cause of death was given in a statement on her official Facebook page, but Newton-John had been open about her decades-long battle with breast cancer. [25], In March 2010, shortly after the death of actor Corey Haim, Conaway told E! ; and the upcoming Paramount+ spin-offs Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and Summer Lovin'. Your Danny, your John!" Clearly, "Grease" was memorable for him. [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. I have a wonderful husband, I have all the animals I adore, I have an incredible career. Not only was Olivia a dear friend, but one of the nicest people I had the pleasure of recording and performing with," wrote Dionne Warwick. Byrnes died on January 8, 2020 at his home in Santa Monica, California, with his family reporting it was natural causes (via ABC). Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. It was the greatest, most visceral feeling in the world,"he said. On May 11, 2011, Conaway was found unconscious and taken to an Encino, California hospital. The pair split in 1995. [3] His mother, Helen, an actress who went by the stage name Mary Ann Brooks,[2] taught music at New York City's Brook Conservatory. But I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to record it. Channing appeared in shows like "The Good Wife" and "The West Wing" and starred in movies like "The First Wives Club" and "Practical Magic." To this day, it remains one of the highest-selling records of all time. Needless to say, Caesar was widely known as a comedian and musician long before playing the Rydell High coach who (hilariously) tries to help John Travolta's Danny Zuko become a jock. 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. Conaway died the following morning at the age of 60. Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 1992 when she was just 43. She was 93. "I mean, it's part of life. Mary K. Jacob contributed to this report. She has been married and divorced four times, and was in a long-term relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham until his death in 2014. After all, Travolta played the handsome stud in the film, and people were understandably taken with him. Grease (1978) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Randal Kleiser . "And I still enjoy what I'm doing." She went into remission for several years, until she was told the cancer was back in 2013. / CBS News. Olivia Newton-John passed away at the age of 73. My heartfelt thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this very difficult time. "I was so much older than she was in life, but I could not think about that so I sort of threw myself back to what I felt when I was her age," she said of playing Rizzo. Tucci's most recent role was in the thriller "PinkCity: A Psychedelic Meditation," which was in post-production as of 2020. 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. She returned to the profession in the late '90s and has appeared on television in series like Monk, Veep, and Ray Donovan, as well as the feature films Black Mass with Johnny Depp, and Cyrus, with Marisa Tomei. [18] Conaway stated that he had been an addict since he was a teenager. 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