Olivia Newton-John almost said 'no' to one of her most iconic roles ever
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The electrifying movie Grease captivated the hearts of many when it was released in 1978. The catchy tunes, the flamboyant hairdos, and the story took audiences for a wild ride – but there was one star that everyone couldn’t get enough of.
Olivia Newton-John played Sandy in the blockbuster musical, but as it turns out, it almost wasn’t meant to be.
Olivia Newton-John said she didn’t want to work on the movie initially.
‘She didn’t leap at the opportunity,’ said casting director Joel Thurm. Mr Thurm shared his story of bringing the beloved movie musical to life in his new memoir, Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director.
He claimed that John Travolta was ‘set’ before anyone else was attached to the movie, further stating that the production company Paramount Pictures figured that they could make the film happen if John Travolta was in it.
‘John really wanted Olivia for the role of Sandy,’ Mr Thurm stated. He added that he spoke with the actor about this proposition, and he agreed that it was ‘a great idea’.
‘But my problem was to make Olivia work.’
According to the casting director, the Aussie megastar was ‘embarrassed’ and ‘humiliated’ over how she came across in a British science-fiction she made a couple of years prior. The movie, Toomorrow, was told the bizarre tale of aliens that kidnapped the pop group Toomorrow. In the film, the aliens needed the pop group’s ‘vibrations’ emitted from their instruments in order to survive.
‘She met John and she liked him. She also liked the role of Sandy but was really cautious,’ Mr Thurm claimed.
According to Mr Thurm’s account, Olivia said: ‘I was embarrassed by the last movie that I did, and I don’t want that to happen again.’
At this point in time, Olivia was already a huge star and was busy touring. But everyone involved in the production of Grease thought that she was perfect for the role. She had to be their Sandy.
‘So, she said, “alright, well, in that case, I’d like a screen test”. That is the first and only time I’ve ever heard of an actor or actress asking for a screen test,’ Mr Thurm remarked.
There were other reasons why the Aussie actress was worried about the role. Mr Thurm claimed that Olivia didn’t consider herself an actress, and was wary of acting in general. She was also hesitant to take on a leading role in a high-profile film opposite a much younger man.
‘She was 28 and Travolta, 23. She really should have had no worries about that. Forty years later in her Sandy costume, she looked remarkably the same up until her passing,’ Mr Thurm explained.
The crew finally prepared her screen test in the hopes of finally winning over the actress. The comical scene, which was the drive-in where John Travolta’s character, Danny, makes a move on her and she rebuffs his advances, was met with silence.
This had Mr Thurm worried since after a couple of takes none of the crew found the scene funny.
‘This is a full movie crew on a sound stage… At this point, I’m getting really worried. I’m thinking, “If she thinks it’s her fault that nobody’s laughing, what’s going to happen?”,’ Mr Thurm recalled.
It was then that Mr Thurm pulled out a copy of the original dialogue from the musical that was playing in New York at the time. As it turns out, the scene’s dialogue was all changed. So, Mr Thurm gave the play dialogue instead to the actors and the result cemented Olivia’s involvement in the film as Sandy.
And the rest is history.
This reveal comes after the singer released a posthumous duet with Dolly Parton, singing a cover of the hit song Jolene.
The duet had been released alongside a video of the duo singing the song, which was first recorded by Dolly in 1973 and then covered by Olivia in 1976.
Dolly Parton shared the video on her Instagram page with the caption: ‘I love you, and thank you for shining your light on us.’
You can watch the cover below:
The country singer shared that she and Olivia had stayed close throughout the years and that she was proud to be singing with her.
Olivia Newton-John said in the video that she’s ‘excited’ to work with Dolly Parton.
The Aussie singer passed away at the age of 73 after a long and brave battle with breast cancer. Her daughter Chloe also revealed the final words her mum said to her before she passed.
‘The last words she could say to me was “My sunshine”,’ Chloe shared in a recent interview for a TV program. She appeared on screen together with her father, John Easterling.
Chloe added that right before the Grease star lost the ability to speak, she was still making jokes. Mr Easterling also revealed that he still speaks to Olivia as if she was still with them – six months after her death.
‘I’ll just be walking around the house, or throwing the ball for the dogs and just speak to her out loud,’ he shared.
Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. It went into remission but reappeared in 2013 and back again in 2017. Olivia was an incomparable entertainer and a loving and supportive presence for those battling cancer.
Chloe also paid tribute to her mum in an Instagram post after the interview. She wrote: ‘Half of my heart is missing, but I know you're holding it for me. Waiting to give it to me when we meet again.’
A memorial service devoted to the actress will take place in Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on February 26. Entrance is free of charge. However, the state memorial is expected to be packed to capacity, so the public will need to secure a ticket, which will become available from midday on February 10. More details about Olivia Newton-John’s state memorial service can be read here.
Have you watched the movie Grease, members? Can you imagine someone else playing the role of Sandy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments – we’d love to read them!
Olivia Newton-John played Sandy in the blockbuster musical, but as it turns out, it almost wasn’t meant to be.
Olivia Newton-John said she didn’t want to work on the movie initially.
‘She didn’t leap at the opportunity,’ said casting director Joel Thurm. Mr Thurm shared his story of bringing the beloved movie musical to life in his new memoir, Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season: Confessions of a Casting Director.
He claimed that John Travolta was ‘set’ before anyone else was attached to the movie, further stating that the production company Paramount Pictures figured that they could make the film happen if John Travolta was in it.
Can you imagine Sandy being played by another actress? Credit: Shutterstock
‘John really wanted Olivia for the role of Sandy,’ Mr Thurm stated. He added that he spoke with the actor about this proposition, and he agreed that it was ‘a great idea’.
‘But my problem was to make Olivia work.’
According to the casting director, the Aussie megastar was ‘embarrassed’ and ‘humiliated’ over how she came across in a British science-fiction she made a couple of years prior. The movie, Toomorrow, was told the bizarre tale of aliens that kidnapped the pop group Toomorrow. In the film, the aliens needed the pop group’s ‘vibrations’ emitted from their instruments in order to survive.
‘She met John and she liked him. She also liked the role of Sandy but was really cautious,’ Mr Thurm claimed.
According to Mr Thurm’s account, Olivia said: ‘I was embarrassed by the last movie that I did, and I don’t want that to happen again.’
Olivia was hesitant to take on the role. Credit: Shutterstock
At this point in time, Olivia was already a huge star and was busy touring. But everyone involved in the production of Grease thought that she was perfect for the role. She had to be their Sandy.
‘So, she said, “alright, well, in that case, I’d like a screen test”. That is the first and only time I’ve ever heard of an actor or actress asking for a screen test,’ Mr Thurm remarked.
There were other reasons why the Aussie actress was worried about the role. Mr Thurm claimed that Olivia didn’t consider herself an actress, and was wary of acting in general. She was also hesitant to take on a leading role in a high-profile film opposite a much younger man.
‘She was 28 and Travolta, 23. She really should have had no worries about that. Forty years later in her Sandy costume, she looked remarkably the same up until her passing,’ Mr Thurm explained.
Olivia allegedly didn’t consider herself an ‘actress’. Credit: Shutterstock
The crew finally prepared her screen test in the hopes of finally winning over the actress. The comical scene, which was the drive-in where John Travolta’s character, Danny, makes a move on her and she rebuffs his advances, was met with silence.
This had Mr Thurm worried since after a couple of takes none of the crew found the scene funny.
‘This is a full movie crew on a sound stage… At this point, I’m getting really worried. I’m thinking, “If she thinks it’s her fault that nobody’s laughing, what’s going to happen?”,’ Mr Thurm recalled.
It was then that Mr Thurm pulled out a copy of the original dialogue from the musical that was playing in New York at the time. As it turns out, the scene’s dialogue was all changed. So, Mr Thurm gave the play dialogue instead to the actors and the result cemented Olivia’s involvement in the film as Sandy.
And the rest is history.
Olivia Newton-John was born to play Sandy. Credit: Shutterstock
This reveal comes after the singer released a posthumous duet with Dolly Parton, singing a cover of the hit song Jolene.
The duet had been released alongside a video of the duo singing the song, which was first recorded by Dolly in 1973 and then covered by Olivia in 1976.
Dolly Parton shared the video on her Instagram page with the caption: ‘I love you, and thank you for shining your light on us.’
You can watch the cover below:
The country singer shared that she and Olivia had stayed close throughout the years and that she was proud to be singing with her.
Olivia Newton-John said in the video that she’s ‘excited’ to work with Dolly Parton.
The Aussie singer passed away at the age of 73 after a long and brave battle with breast cancer. Her daughter Chloe also revealed the final words her mum said to her before she passed.
‘The last words she could say to me was “My sunshine”,’ Chloe shared in a recent interview for a TV program. She appeared on screen together with her father, John Easterling.
Chloe added that right before the Grease star lost the ability to speak, she was still making jokes. Mr Easterling also revealed that he still speaks to Olivia as if she was still with them – six months after her death.
‘I’ll just be walking around the house, or throwing the ball for the dogs and just speak to her out loud,’ he shared.
Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. It went into remission but reappeared in 2013 and back again in 2017. Olivia was an incomparable entertainer and a loving and supportive presence for those battling cancer.
Chloe also paid tribute to her mum in an Instagram post after the interview. She wrote: ‘Half of my heart is missing, but I know you're holding it for me. Waiting to give it to me when we meet again.’
A memorial service devoted to the actress will take place in Melbourne’s Hamer Hall on February 26. Entrance is free of charge. However, the state memorial is expected to be packed to capacity, so the public will need to secure a ticket, which will become available from midday on February 10. More details about Olivia Newton-John’s state memorial service can be read here.
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