:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/grease-olivia-newton-john-john-travolta-051426-a393ad08870544d0b76f997ddcc694a3.jpg "What happened to the cast of Grease? See the T-Birds and Pink Ladies nearly 50 years later")
Born to hand jive, forced to grow up. &34;Grease&34; turns 48 on June 16. What happened to the cast of Grease? See the TBirds and Pink Ladies nearly 50 years later Born to hand jive, forced to grow up. &34;Grease&34; turns 48 on June 16. By Andrew Walsh, James Mercadante, and Ilana Gordon :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ILANAGORDONHEADSHOT80577598f8ed442cacff5de184ceb9f5.jpg) Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles. EW's editorial guidelines June 8, 2026 10:41 a.m.
Born to hand jive, forced to grow up. "Grease" turns 48 on June 16.
What happened to the cast of Grease? See the T-Birds and Pink Ladies nearly 50 years later
Born to hand jive, forced to grow up. "Grease" turns 48 on June 16.
By Andrew Walsh,
James Mercadante,
and Ilana Gordon
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ILANA-GORDON-HEADSHOT-80577598f8ed442cacff5de184ceb9f5.jpg)
Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
EW's editorial guidelines
June 8, 2026 10:41 a.m. ET
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Dinah Manoff as Marty, Michael Tucci as Sonny, Olivia Newton-John as Sandy, John Travolta as Danny, Didi Conn as Frenchy, Barry Pearl as Doody, Jeff Conaway as Kenickie, and Stockard Channing as Rizzo in 'Grease'. Credit:
Paramount Pictures
- *Grease* premiered in 1978 and became a cultural phenomenon with its catchy songs and memorable performances.
- The film elevated the acting careers of stars like John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
- Discover what the iconic cast members are doing now, including those who stepped away from the spotlight.
The high school musical romance *Grease* hand-jived its way into theaters during the summer of 1978. The movie, which turns 48 on June 16, became the highest-grossing film of the year, and dominated radio airwaves with singles like "You're the One That I Want," "Grease," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," and "Summer Nights."
An adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, which premiered in 1972, *Grease* stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson, an American greaser and an Australian good girl who meet and enjoy a summer fling, only to find themselves enrolled at the same Los Angeles high school in the fall. Set in the late-‘50s, the music tells the story of postwar teen angst in all its poodle-skirted, greased-hair glory.
The cast has kept busy in the almost five decades since the film's release. Find out what the Rydell High School class of 1959 is up to today.**
John Travolta (Danny Zuko)
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John Travolta as Danny Zuko in 'Grease'; John Travolta attends the L.A. premiere of Quiver Distribution's 'The Fanatic' on Aug. 22, 2019. Everett Collection; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Before he donned Danny Zuko's leather jacket, John Travolta was already a bona fide star thanks to his roles as Vinnie Barbarino on *Welcome Back, Kotter*, Billy Nolan in *Carrie* (1976), and Tony Manero in *Saturday Night Fever* (1977) — for which he received his first Academy Award nomination. Following the juggernaut success of the film, Travolta's next hit came with 1980's *Urban Cowboy*.
*Pulp Fiction* (1994), directed by Quentin Tarantino, sparked Travolta's career resurgence, earning him his second Oscar nomination in the process. He has gone on to star in several hit films since, including *Get Shorty* (1995), *Face/Off* (1997), and *Primary Colors* (1998), as well as a return to movie musicals with his performance as Edna Turnblad in the 2007 remake of *Hairspray*.
In 2012, Travolta reunited with Olivia Newton-John for their holiday album *This Christmas*, and, in 2016, he received his first Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Robert Shapiro in FX's *The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story*.
Travolta made his directorial debut in 2026 with the family adventure film *Propeller One-Way Night Coach*, which was adapted from a children's novel he published in 1997. He appears in the movie, as does his daughter, Ella Bleu. The film premiered at Cannes, where Travolta was given an honorary Palme d’Or, much to his surprise.
Travolta was married to the late Kelly Preston from 1991 until her death from breast cancer in July 2020. The couple had three children together: Jett, who died from a seizure in 2009, Ella Bleu, and Benjamin.
Olivia Newton-John (Sandy Olsson)
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Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson in 'Grease'; Olivia Newton-John attends the VIP reception for 'Property of Olivia Newton-John' auction event in L.A. on Oct. 29, 2019. CBS via Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Already a Grammy-winning recording artist and country music star when she was cast as good-girl-gone-bad Sandy, Olivia Newton-John's career rose to greater heights after the movie became the biggest box office hit of 1978. 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. 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.
Inspired by her climactic transformation into "Bad Sandy," Newton-John revamped her sound and image for her next album, *Totally Hot*, to add more of a Pink Ladies edge. Her big screen follow-up, *Xanadu* (1980) — costarring Gene Kelly — was a critical and commercial failure, but produced a hit soundtrack and a slew of top 20 singles, including "Magic," which spent five weeks at No. 1 on the charts. The movie musical was also where she met her first husband, Matt Lattanzi, and in 1986, gave birth to their daughter, Chloe Rose.
In 1981, she released *Physical*, the biggest album of her career. The risqué title track ruled the *Billboard* Hot 100 for 10 weeks, and its tongue-in-cheek, aerobics-inspired music video became an MTV staple. She went on to record 15 more studio albums, achieving a career total of 26, and selling more than 100 million units worldwide.
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. She was "hopelessly devoted" to philanthropic works, including a stint as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program. Her cancer returned in 2013 and 2017, and on Aug. 8, 2022, her husband John Easterling announced the icon's death at the age of 73.
Stockard Channing (Betty Rizzo)
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Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo in 'Grease'; Stockard Channing poses at the opening night afterparty for the play 'Apologia' in NYC on Oct. 16, 2018. CBS via Getty Images; Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
By the time she was cast as high school bad girl Rizzo, Stockard Channing had already amassed an impressive list of stage and screen credits, including a starring turn opposite Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson in Mike Nichols' *The Fortune* (1975).
Channing reteamed with Nicholson and Nichols (as well as Meryl Streep) for the film *Heartburn *(1986), based on Nora Ephron's best-selling novel. She continued to work onstage as well, earning a Tony award in 1985 for Best Actress in a Play for Peter Nichols' *A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, *and nominations for her work in *The House of Blue Leaves,* *Six Degrees of Separation*,* Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, The Lion in Winter, Pal Joey*, and *Other Dessert Cities*.
In 1993, she reprised the role of Louisa "Ouisa" Kittredge for the film version of *Six Degrees* and received both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her performance. She worked steadily through the '90s before joining the cast of the celebrated drama *The West Wing* in 1999 — which brought her six Emmy nominations and one win. She went on to win one more Emmy for the made-for-television movie *The Matthew Shepard Story* in 2002, which also earned her a Screen Actors Guild award.
Channing has continued to appear on both stage and screen, and played a recurring role on the CBS drama *The Good Wife* until 2016. She will reprise her role as Aunt Franny in *Practical Magic 2*, which will arrive in September 2026.
She has been married and divorced four times, and was in a long-term relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham until his death in 2014.
Jeff Conaway (Kenickie)
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Kenickie; Jeff Conaway during the Ball of Fire holiday party benefiting Project Angel Food in Hollywood on Dec. 7, 2006. CBS via Getty Images; Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage
Kenickie, the T-Birds second-in-command, was brought to the screen by Jeff Conaway. He appeared in the original cast of *Grease* on Broadway, serving as an understudy for several of the roles, eventually taking over the part of Danny Zuko. Conaway followed his time on the Great White Way with guest-star turns on a number of television shows before joining the cast of the *Grease *film and becoming a series regular on the sitcom *Taxi*.
After three seasons on *Taxi*, and two Golden Globe nominations, Conaway left the hit show due to both creative differences with the producers and his struggles with drug use on set. Throughout the rest of the '80s and early '90s, he primarily worked in guest spots on TV and small supporting parts in films*, *until he booked the role of Zack Allan on *Babylon 5* from 1994 to 1999.
Conaway relapsed from substance abuse in the mid-2000s and turned up on reality TV as a star of the VH1 shows *Celebrity Fit Club* and *Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew. *Conaway died in May of 2011 from complications of pneumonia.
Didi Conn (Frenchy)
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Didi Conn as Frenchy in 'Grease'; Didi Conn attends the STL Pop Culture Con in St. Charles, Mo., on Aug. 17, 2018. CBS via Getty Images; Bobby Bank/Getty Images
Didi Conn, born Edith Bernstein, is the only cast member to appear in all three screen adaptations of *Grease*,* *having also appeared in 1982's *Grease 2*, and Fox's *Grease: Live!* (2016).
After her turn as beauty school dropout Frenchy in the original 1978 film, she went on to star in television shows like *The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang*,* Benson*, and the PBS series *Shining Time Station* *— *alongside Ringo Starr, and, later, George Carlin. Conn has appeared on series such as *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *Transparent*, and *Blue Bloods*. She competed on the hit British series *Dancing on Ice *in 2019, but was eliminated in week four. She currently appears on the Fox medical dramedy series *Best Medicine.*
After her son David was diagnosed with autism at an early age, she became an outspoken advocate for autism awareness, and, in 2008, she was named the National Celebrity Spokesperson for Autism Speaks. She has been married to her second husband, David Shire, since 1982.
The 52 best teen movies of all time
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The 15 best Olivia Newton-John songs
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Dinah Manoff (Marty Maraschino)
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Dinah Manoff as Marty Maraschino in 'Grease'; Dinah Manoff attends the 2nd annual Jewish Image Awards in L.A. on Sept. 24, 2002. CBS via Getty Images; Albert L. Ortega/WireImage
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. 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*. 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 movie *Child's Play* (1988).
In 1988, she booked the lead role of Carol Weston in the NBC spinoff of *The Golden Girls*, *Empty Nest. *She costarred on the sitcom alongside Richard Mulligan and Kristy McNichol, and was featured in every episode of its seven-season run.
Manoff has three children with her second husband, Arthur Mortell. After her oldest son, Dashiell, tragically died in a car accident in 2017, she began teaching acting at the Purdy Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Wash., as a way to deal with her grief. In 2021, she released her first novel, *The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold,* through Star Alley Press.
Barry Pearl (Doody)
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Barry Pearl as Doody in 'Grease'; Barry Pearl attends the Chiller Theatre Expo in Parsippany, N.J. on April 29, 2018. CBS via Getty Images; Bobby Bank/Getty Images
Frenchy's troublemaking boyfriend, Doody, was portrayed by Barry Pearl, who performed in the first national tour of *Grease* prior to joining the cast of the film. In the years since, he has built a long list of guest star credits on TV shows like *Alfred Hitchcock Presents*, *Baywatch*, *Beverly Hills, 90210**,* and *Even Stevens. *Pearl and his onscreen love interest Didi Conn are the only two cast members from the 1978 film to appear in *Grease: Live! *in 2016. Most recently, he appeared in an episode of Netflix's *Nobody Wants This *and the film* Rock and Doris (try to) Write a Movie *(2024).
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.
Kelly Ward (Putzie)
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Kelly Ward as Putzie in 'Grease'; Kelly Ward attends the STL Pop Culture Con in St Charles, Mo. on Aug. 19, 2018. CBS via Getty Images; Bobby Bank/Getty Images
Kelly Ward brought the youngest member of the T-Birds, Putzie, to life in a role specifically created for the film. *Grease* wasn't his first time working with costar John Travolta, as the two worked together on 1976's made-for-television movie *The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. *Five years later — after a handful of TV appearances on shows like *M*A*S*H*, *The Waltons*, and *Magnum, P.I. —* Ward retired from acting on camera.
He has become a voice/dialogue director for Disney Television Animation and a screenwriter for numerous cartoons, including the feature film *All Dogs Go to Heaven 2* (1996). 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.
Jamie Donnelly (Jan)
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Jamie Donnelly as Jan in 'Grease'; Jamie Donnelly attends the Tramaine Dance Conventions 35th Anniversary Tour in L.A. on April 3, 2016. CBS via Getty Images; Tara Ziemba/Getty Images
Jan, the nerdy, junk food-loving member of the Pink Ladies, was played by Jamie Donnelly, who originated the part on Broadway, and was the only cast member to play the same role in both the stage musical and film. Prior to *Grease*, she also starred in the premiere New York and Los Angeles productions of *The Rocky Horror Show* alongside Tim Curry.
After the success of the movie, Donnelly took an almost 20-year break from acting, working as a theatrical coach in the Los Angeles area. She returned to the profession in the late '90s and has appeared on series like *Monk*, *Veep*, and *Ray Donovan*, as well as the feature films *Cyrus *(2010) with Marisa Tomei, *Black Mass** *(2015) with Johnny Depp, and *Stationed at Home* (2025).
Susan Buckner (Patty Simcox)
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Susan Buckner as Patty Simcox in 'Grease'; Susan Buckner attends the Chiller Theatre Expo in Parsippany, N.J., on April 28, 2018.
Paramount Pictures/Courtesy: Everett; Bobby Bank/Getty
Before her breakout role as Patty Simcox — Rydell High's perky, do-good cheerleader — in *Grease*, Susan Buckner held the title of Miss Washington in 1971 and competed for her state at the following year's Miss America competition. She later joined the Golddiggers (an all-female performance troupe featured on *The Dean Martin Show*) and made appearances on various shows like *Sonny and Cher* and *The Brady Bunch Variety Hour*.
***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***
Post-*Grease*, Buckner earned credits for the series *The Love Boat*, *The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries*, *B.J. and the Bear*, and *When the Whistle Blows*. On the silver screen, she acted in Wes Craven's *Deadly Blessing* (1981) and *Police Academy 6: City Under Siege *(1989) — the latter of which would be her final role.
Buckner died at age 72 on May 2, 2024. She is survived by her longtime partner Al, as well as her two children and their families.
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Born to hand jive, forced to grow up. &34;Grease&34; turns 48 on June 16. What happened to the cast of Grease? See the TBirds...
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