John Travolta Reflects On ‘Shared Memories’ With Late Friend Olivia Newton-John

Aug 10, 2022 by apost team

Beloved actress and hugely popular singer Olivia Newton-John passed away on Aug. 8, 2022, at the age of 73, leaving her family, friends and many fans devastated. Her family made the announcement on her Facebook page, saying she passed away peacefully at her Southern California ranch. Newton-John has had a history of battling cancer for more than three decades. 

Newton-John was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in England before moving with her family to Australia when she was 5 years old. She began her career in the entertainment industry as a singer in the early 1970s, releasing records that did well enough to earn some of her singles a place near the top of the music charts but not quite enough to make her a household name. 

Superstardom would come when she was cast in the 1978 musical "Grease" opposite John Travolta. Newton-John's portrayal of an innocent Australian student pining for Travolta's Danny Zuko was a hit, breaking records at the time it was released and securing critical and commercial success. This success was due in part to the film's soundtrack, which included a fair few numbers with Newton-John, including "Hopelessly Devoted To You," "Summer Nights," and "You're The One That I Want." While the soundtrack would become one of the highest-selling soundtracks of all time, the film has become a Hollywood classic.

It’s not surprising that Newton-John and Travolta developed a strong friendship while filming “Grease” together and continued to be in each other’s lives for decades afterward. Although Newton-John is no longer with us, her memory continues to live on through her loved ones, including her long-time friend Travolta, who has continuously spoken about how much he admired Newton-John.

Newton-John had a wondrous career filled with accomplishments in films and music. In 1980, she appeared in the film "Xanadu." It was not a commercial hit, but its soundtrack, on which she was featured, did well. Then would come "Physical." The album, along with the title track of the same name, would blow up in 1981 due partly to the provocative lyrics and music video accompanying the single. 

Even though it was released more than 30 years ago, “Grease” is still a beloved film today. Keeping this in mind, it's at first hard to believe Newton-John wasn't that happy about accepting the role of Sandy. Ahead of the airing of a Grease sing-along version, Entertainment Tonight featured the star in a video-call interview. During the interview, she revealed that she wasn't even sure she should accept the role. Since many other actresses were also in the running for the role, there was a good chance Newton-John would never have made the cut.

However, Travolta seemed to be very much in favor of Newton-John. He took to making flattering comments about his co-star-to-be and was even sent to talk Newton-John into going for the role. “I was really quite hesitant to be in Grease, so they sent John Travolta to talk me into it. And how can you say no to those blue eyes?” the star said.

In 2018, Newton-John and Travolta spoke with PEOPLE about how iconic “Grease” was. Newton-John said:

“We did something life-changing, making that film. (At the premiere) you got the feeling from the energy that something was happening. It was a huge response. I feel grateful to be a part of that and have worked with him. We’ve stayed friends ever since.

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Newton-John continued, “(In tough times) John always reaches out to me. Their friendship went two ways, as Travolta boasted about how Newton-John was always there for him as well. “When you share that kind of meteoric success – and nothing has been able to exceed it – you share a bond,” he explained. “I’ve been through her having a child, getting divorced, losing her sister. She’s been through my getting married, having children. It’s wonderful and full of shared memories.”

Travolta added, “Olivia’s quite a spectacular human being. She’s worthy of good friendship.”

In 2019, Travolta had nothing but support for his good friend while speaking about her battle with cancer to Entertainment Tonight. “She looks incredible,” Travolta said. “She doesn’t look any different than (she did) years ago, and I’m very proud of her.” 

There’s no denying that Newton-John and Travolta had a beautiful friendship over the years. So when Newton-John passed away on Aug. 8, 2022, Travolta went to Instagram to share some sweet words about his late friend. He uploaded a stunning photograph of the late actress with the caption:

“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”

Newton-John’s legacy will always be remembered, and she will forever be Travolta’s – and the world’s – Sandy. Her family is also set to carry on her work with cancer, asking those wishing to send flowers to instead donate to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.

Were you a fan of Olivia Newton-John? What do you think about her friendship with John Travolta? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your loved ones.