Olivia Newton-John has sadly passed away and left behind a doting husband and leagues of devoted fans, as many remember her as Sandy Olsson, the lead role in hit musical Grease. She lit up the screen alongside John Travolta, and many thought their romance on screen was too good to be left a fiction - but the pair remained tight lipped for years.
Then, as the hit film turned 40-years-old, Olivia spoke to MammaMia No Filter and shared the reason why she never dated Travolta. She said although the pair had chemistry, they were both dating other people at the time. She insisted that their performances were better thanks to the fact they weren't dating, as it created a tension on set that translated well into the finished film.
Speaking on the podcast, she said: "We were both with other people when we were filming and I think, respectfully, it just didn’t happen.
"I think it was good, because I think it kept the tension there and the chemistry. It might have been a real disaster had we decided to date or we had a falling out or something. So I think it was just as well that it didn’t happen. But we’re still great friends."
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Olivia, who went on to have a successful singing career, was just 28-years-old when filming Grease, while John was 23.
The duo reunited in August for a special anniversary screening of Grease and a Q&A session where, Olivia revealed she almost turned down her iconic role.
She said: "I really wasn't sure I wanted to do the movie because I'd made a movie before in England, which was a musical, and it didn't work, so I was very frightened about doing a movie."
But ultimately John knew she was the best option for the part and managed to convince her to step into Sandy's shoes.
"If you were a young man in the '70s, and I'm sure many of you were, out there, if you remember that album cover of Olivia with that blue shirt on, with those big blue eyes staring right at you, every boy's, every man's dream was, 'Oh, I'd love for that girl to be my girlfriend," he explained.
"So when I had the privilege to have input on the casting, I said, 'There is no other person in the universe other than Olivia Newton-John to play Sandy. You must cast her.' So I held tight, didn't I, and I got my way."
They were joined at the event by fellow cast members Didi Conn, 67 (Frenchy) and Barry Pearl, 68 (Doody) and the film's director Randal Kleiser, 72.
Olivia has now passed away at the age of 73 surrounded by family and friends after battling breast cancer for 30 years.
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In the statement announcing her death, her husband John Easterling told fans the star's final request was for donations to be made to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, "in lieu of flowers".
The foundation uses its funds to further delve into research for plant-based medicine and holistic treatments for cancer.
In the statement, John said: "Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer. Her healing inspiration and pioneering experience with plant medicine continues with the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in her memory to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund (ONJFoundationFund.org)."
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