By Megan Riedlinger
10:00pm PDT, Apr 13, 2023
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"Grease" is the word… back in 1978 and today! There's a new installment of the iconic franchise — the new 1954-set series "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies," which takes place four years before the events of the first "Grease" movie, debuts on Paramount+ on April 6, 2023 — so we're taking a look back at the stars of the original film to find out what's happened to them over the last 45 years…
Keep reading to see the cast then and now...
MORE: Big-name models still working: then and now
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John Travolta continues to be a major presence in Hollywood. Some of the actor's most notable roles came after "Grease" in projects like 1980's "Urban Cowboy," 1994's "Pulp Fiction" and 1995's "Get Shorty," delivering a performance that earned him a Golden Globe Award. More recently, John earned his first Primetime Emmy for producing "The People v. O.J. Simpson" in 2016 and also picked up a nomination for his acting work on the series as lawyer Robert Shapiro.
John has suffered a lot of heartbreak since graduating from Rydell High. He married actress Kelly Preston, with whom he had three children, in 1991. Their oldest, Jett, passed away at 16 in 2009. Kelly died at 57 in 2020 after a secret two-year battle with breast cancer.
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Olivia Newton-John played darling Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson in "Grease." She has a fling with hunky Danny Zuko before school starts.
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Olivia Newton-John was best known for her work in the music world, though her turn in "Grease" did pave the way for more acting. The Australian star earned four Grammys during her career and became one of the bestselling music artists of all time thanks to hits including her "Grease" tunes and solo efforts like the hit "Physical." Tragically, Olivia passed away in 2022 at 73 following a decades-long battle with breast cancer. She left behind her only child, daughter Chloe Lattanzi — whom she shared with former husband Matt Lattanzi — and her husband of 14 years, John Easterling.
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Stockard Channing played Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies, in "Grease."
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Stockard Channing has had an illustrious career since hanging up her Pink Ladies jacket. The actress earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in "Six Degrees of Separation" in 1993 and a Tony Award in 1985 for her performance in the Broadway revival "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg." She's also won two Emmys — both in 2002 — for her work on "The West Wing" and in the TV movie "The Matthew Shepard Story." Stockard has been married four times but is currently single and reportedly residing in London.
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Jeff Conaway portrayed Kenickie, one of the T-Birds alongside Danny Zuko.
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Jeff Conaway followed up his "Grease" success with a role on the popular TV series "Taxi" from 1978 to 1982 and a four-year stint on "Babylon 5" from 1994 until 1998. He popped up on various shows, including the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful," over the years, but ultimately battled substance abuse issues that led him to do two seasons on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." He passed away at 60 in 2011.
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Everyone remembers Frenchy! The lovable Pink Lady played by Didi Conn befriended new student Sandy in 1878's "Grease."
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Didi Conn followed up "Grease" with… more "Grease!" She's the only actor who appeared in all three adaptations in the franchise, also enjoying roles in "Grease 2" in 1982 and "Grease: Live" in 2016. She's also found success in some television roles — most notably as Denise on "Benson" in the early '80s and Stacy in "Shining Time Station" in the late '80s and early '90s. She continues to act, most recently popping up on an episode of "Blue Bloods" in 2022. The actress has been married to composer David Shire since 1984.
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Jamie Donnelly (left) played Jan, one of the Pink Ladies in the original film.
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Jamie Donnelly played Jan in the Broadway musical and big screen versions of "Grease" and notably performed in another classic stage musical — "The Rocky Horror Show" — in which she portrayed Magenta and the Usherette (though she didn't reprise her role for the "Rocky Horror" film adaptation). She continued to work on the stage and took occasional film and television roles, popping up on a 2009 episode of "Monk" and doing a 2014 stint on "Ray Donovan." She currently works as an acting coach. Jamie is married to novelist Stephen Foreman, with whom she shares two kids.
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The most glamorous of the Pink Ladies, Marty Maraschino, was portrayed by Dinah Manoff (left).
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Dinah Manoff went on to have a successful stage career after "Grease," winning a Tony Award in the '80s for her performance in "I Ought to Be in Pictures." She also had some notable television roles including a seven-year stint on "Empty Nest." The actress currently lives in Washington state with realtor husband Arthur Mortell, with whom she shares three sons. Their eldest, Dashiell, tragically passed away in a car accident in 2017.
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Kelly Ward, who played Putzie in "Grease," was one of the T-Birds at Rydell High.
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Kelly Ward appeared on a few television series — he was on an episode of "Magnum P.I." and "Bret Maverick" — before hanging up his acting hat in 1983. Despite leaving the craft behind, he remained in the entertainment world, shifting to work as a voice director for Disney. He's directed voices for kid shows like "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and "Jake and the Never Land Pirates." He's also ventured into education, teaching musical theater at the University of Southern California. He's been married to Annette Marie Foster since 1978. The couple share three children.
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Barry Pearl (second from left) brought the funny T-Bird, Doody, to life.
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Barry Pearl got back into the "Grease" mix in 2016 when he had a cameo in TV's "Grease: Live." Aside from that, he's largely found work in the children's television space including a role on "Barney's Imagination Island" and an episode of the Disney Channel series "Even Stevens." He got married for the third time in 2016, tying the knot with Cindy Pearl.
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Who could forget Principal McGee? Rydell High's fearless leader was played by Eve Arden.
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Eve Arden was already a prolific actress before signing on to star in "Grease," working in radio, on the stage and in film and television for decades. Her final movie came when she reprised her part as Principal McGee in "Grease 2" in 1982. She passed away at 82 in 1990, leaving behind four children.
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Dody Goodman played Blanche Hodel, a member of the Rydell High staff, in the beloved original film.
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Dody Goodman reprised her role as Blanche in 1982's "Grease 2" and appeared in 1984's "Splash" and 1988's "Splash, Too." Prior to "Grease," she'd been a fixture on television, working on "The Mary Tyler Moore Hour" and lending her voice to the TV series "Alvin and the Chipmunks" as Miss Miller. She passed away at 93 in 2008.
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Sid Caesar played Coach Vince Calhoun in the high school-based film.
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Sid Caesar was already a successful actor before joining the cast of "Grease" (He earned 11 Emmy nominations during his prestigious career). Following "Grease," he appeared in the 1982 sequel as well as 1984's "Cannonball Run II" and 1997's "Vegas Vacation." He was a widower when he passed away at 91 in 2014.
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Frankie Avalon played the Teen Angel during Frenchy's tune "Beauty School Dropout" in "Grease."
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Frankie Avalon was already well known, having risen to fame as a teen idol in the '50s. He followed up his role in "Grease" with appearances on popular shows like "The Love Boat," "Happy Days," "Full House" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." He also appeared as himself in the flick "Troop Beverly Hills." He married Kathryn Diebel, with whom he shares eight children and 10 grandchildren, in 1963.
