Drugs and alcohol were his vices, and in 1988, Byrne publicly spoke about both his own addiction and his father's death fromcirrhosis of the liver (according toThe Washington Post). She has been married to her second husband, David Shire, since 1982. [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. Sadly, Blondell's last years during which she filmed "Grease" were spent struggling withrheumatoid arthritis, via Slant Magazine. Prior to Grease, she also starred in the premiere New York and Los Angeles productions of The Rocky Horror Show alongside Tim Curry. The Post has reached out to Newton-Johns rep for further comment. Donnelly added, "The movie was a joy to do," in large part because of the cast. Jeff Conaway, the long-troubled actor from Grease and TV's Taxi who waged a public battle with cocaine, painkillers and alcohol, died Friday at age 60. I have nothing really to complain about.. Trailer for the Musical classic hit Grease Dame Olivia Newton-John's appearance in Grease as good-girl-gone-bad Sandy will go down in movie history as one of the most iconic roles of all time. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, "And it does [keep going] because they keep asking, thank God," Avalon explained about his singing career. On May 11, 2011, Conaway was found unconscious and he was placed on life support at Encino Hospital Medical Center, per The Los Angeles Times. The actor, who played geeky Eugene Felsnic in the "Grease" musical films and Eddie in the 1980s sitcom "Punky Brewster," also has been transferred to the Maryland Department of Health for treatment, according to Allegany County Circuit Court records reviewed Monday by . He died overnight having fallen into a coma from an apparent drug . He was 91. [12], On May 26, 2011, Conaway's family took him off life support after doctors determined they could do nothing to revive him. In 1993, he appeared onstage in Real Life Photographs. "You were as kind and loving a person as there's ever been. My best friend, the devoted daughter captioned the snap, which showed the pair wandering across a field together. Additionally, Channing has also made a name for herself on Broadway, starring in a number of beloved musicals. Newton-John battled cancer on and off for three decades and poured vast amounts of her reported $60 million fortune into the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund in order to support cancer research. As the years have gone on, and the world has continued to turn and change, the actors from "Grease" have also evolved quite a bit actually. The pair split in 1995. After retiring from acting, Newton-John focused on philanthropy, founding the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Sadly on August 8, 2022, at the age of 73, Newton-Johndied at her California home, reported The New York Times. She began singing in the late 1960s, eventually releasing her first solo album, If Not for You, in 1971, with the title track originally written by Bob Dylan and recorded by George Harrison. Even if you aren't a huge fan of "Grease," you probably still know Olivia Newton-John as the actor behind Sandy, one of the main characters and love interests in the movie. Because, again, it's a decision How am I gonna deal with it? In the 1980s, the actor embarked on a healthy lifestyle journey that would ultimately help him live a very long life. Another famous character actress, Dody Goodman, played Eve Arden's character's sidekick, wacky high school secretary Blanche Hodel in "Grease" and its sequel. Shepassed away from leukemia on December 25, 1979, a little more than a year after "Grease" was released and two years after getting an Academy Award nomination for her film, "Opening Night." Lattanzi shared a photo to Instagram with her mom last Friday three days before the superstars death. [3] The 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning play was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and ran 333 performances and one preview from November 29, 1960, to September 16, 1961. Though Avalon has gotten older, he has remained a performer in every sense of the word, and that's pretty impressive. She stayed busy for the rest of the '80s, starring in the film version of the play, as well as parts in Ordinary People, and the horror movie Child's Play. Another huge star in "Grease" was John Travolta's Danny, heartthrob and love interest of Sandy. [26], On May 11, 2011, Conaway was found unconscious from what was initially described as an overdose of substances believed to be pain medication and was taken to Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Encino, California, where he was listed in critical condition. In fact, Deezen even returned for "Grease 2," but that's not the most impressive role he's had since "Grease." Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! She was 81. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. She was 73 years old. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) he wrote on Instagram. 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. Ward was the voice director, producer, and co-writer for "All Dogs Go to Heaven 2," the voice director, supervising story editor, and executive producer for "The Pink Panther" television series, and so much more. Ill miss you 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! Following the juggernaut success of the film, Travolta's next hit came with 1980's Urban Cowboy, but then a string of disappointments followed, and the actor's career hit a slump throughout the following decade. 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. 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. 3. This development caused the show's producers to realize that Conaway was expendable and contributed to his termination. "I was the first replacement on Broadway for Jan, and I played her for six months." or redistributed. A post shared by Chloe Lattanzi (@chloelattanziofficial). The show revealed that Conaway was addicted to cocaine, alcohol, and painkillers, and that he was in a codependent relationship with his girlfriend, who was also a user of prescription opiates. "Grease" was the word and one of the most beloved movies of the 1970s. Conaway died the following morning at the age of 60. in 2016. I went to McDonalds drive-thru for lunch but left with bags of cash instead, Prince Harry roasted at Critics Choice Awards 2023, Biden, Harris photo-op with Warriors team takes awkward turn: 'I'm not doing that', Listen to chilling 911 call ahead of Lisa Marie Presleys cardiac arrest, Marvin Gaye IIIs wife files restraining order after domestic violence arrest, Kanye Wests new wife Bianca Censori wasnt a fan of his music, Wife of 'Boy Meets World' star William Daniels details 'painful' 'open marriage'. [12] Conaway's doctor attributed his death to his addiction, stating, "What happens is, like with most opiate addicts, eventually they take a little too much and they aspirate so what's in their mouth gets into their lungs That's what happened with Jeff. Based on the 1971 . Like nobody else could do Louie or Jim, they were such defined characters. She has been married and divorced four times, and was in a long-term relationship with cinematographer Daniel Gillham until his death in 2014. The track which was accompanied by a steamy aerobics video clip, which won a Grammy for Video of the Year was eventually named the biggest song of the 1980s. If you're curious about what the cast of "Grease" is doing now, here's what you need to know. Last fall, Newton-Johntold Fox Newsthat she felt the track was a bit raunchy when it first came out. Arden also reprised the role in "Grease 2." Vanity Fair also noted back in 2016 that in the decade years since the release of "Grease," the film has grossed close to $400 million worldwide. The Hollywood legend was 70 years old when she died, according to The New York Times. Sadly, like so many stars, Byrnes struggled with addictive tendencies. The actor's husband John Easterling announced her death on her Facebook page on Monday afternoon (8 August).. Catch up with your favorite members of the iconic cast after they flew off in a convertible into the sky. Eddie Deezen, known for playing Eugene Felsnic in "Grease," has been found not competent to stand trial for allegedly burglarizing a nursing home. [25], In March 2010, shortly after the death of actor Corey Haim, Conaway told E! Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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.". Putzie, played by Kelly Ward, was another important member of the T-Birds in "Grease." Jeff Conaway was best known for his role as Kenickie in "Grease," as well as his role in the TV series "Taxi," alongside actors like Andy Kaufman and Danny DeVito. ", "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. In 2005, their on-off nine-year relationship became headline news following McDermotts mysterious disappearance while on a fishing trip off the coast of California. He had numerous guest-starring TV roles over the years as well. Deezen is facing charges relating to an April arrest for allegedly trespassing and burglarizing the neighbors at his Maryland home. In fact, in an interview with Broadway World, Channing explained that "Grease" was definitely her big break, and, it turns out, it was somewhat of a challenge. 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. "And I still enjoy what I'm doing." The actor was 60 years old when he died. 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