It’s a question that has puzzled fans of the movie Grease for years: why are the protagonists so much older than the high school students they play?
The film, starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John, was released in 1978, but was set exactly two decades earlier at a Los Angeles high school.
Travolta was actually one of the younger members of the cast, as he was still in his early twenties, while several of the main supporting actors were well into their thirties, despite playing youngsters in their late teens.
However, a new oral history of the classic musical that was published by The protector this week sheds new light on the film’s unorthodox casting.
Grease’s casting director Joel Thurm, who would have been pivotal in putting together the final cast, has finally answered the question.
Clarification: Grease’s casting director has spoken out about the age of the film’s primary cast after fans have wondered why they were so much older than their high school characters for years; Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta in Grease (1978)
Ballpark figure: According to casting director Joel Thurm, the film is ‘not a documentary; it’s a fantasy.’ He said the actors just have to look about the same age; (L-R) Didi Conn, Dinah Manoff, Stockard Channing and Jamie Donnelly
According to him, the use of older actors was a completely conscious choice of the creative team.
Thurm addressed common criticisms of the actors’ ages, noting that the stylized comedy is “not a documentary.”
“People may say the cast is too old, but Grease isn’t a documentary; it’s a fantasy,’ he clarified.
“It’s a non-PC fairy tale that’s better for the cast than for teens,” Thurm explains. “All that mattered was that the cast all looked about the same age, no matter what they did.”
The choice to avoid strict realism meant that Travolta and his costar Michael Tucci, who was eight years his senior, could both sport the kind of five o’clock shadow most high schoolers can only dream of.
Principal photography for Grease began in the summer of 1977, the year before the film was released, and Travolta – who played Danny Zuko – was already 23 at the time.
Newton-John – who was six years older than her co-lead, which was reportedly a source of concern to her – was reported to have been around 29 at the time of filming when she played visiting Australian student Sandy Olsson.
Tucci, who played member Sonny LaTierri, a member of Danny’s T-Birds gang, was over 30 when shooting began.
“By the time the movie came out I was in my early thirties and too old for the part,” Tucci admitted to The Guardian.
does not match? Travolta was one of the youngest at 23, while Newton-John was older at 29. She was reportedly concerned about the age difference
Nailed: Michael Tucci (top R) was one of the oldest and over 30, which he says meant he wouldn’t work for the film, though he scored a role thanks to his presence in the stage musical
Grown men: All of the film’s male stars were significantly older than high school boys and wore a five o’clock shadow that most high school students could only dream of growing
But after the casting team learned he had appeared in the stage production of the musical, he secured an audition and still got the job.
Of the main cast, Stockard Channing’s Rizzo was the oldest, as she was 33 during filming.
Didi Conn, who played Frenchy, recalled bonding with her costars and leaving their true ages behind to get into character.
“Once we got our makeup on, I was Frenchy and we all called each other by our character names. That really helped because I was 27 at the time, and there were a few others who were older than that, so this gave us license to be goofy and crazy and horny,” she explained. “It was all things teens would be in the 50s.”
Jeff Conaway, who played Danny’s close friend Kenickie, would have been around 27 when he shot the movie. He suffered from substance abuse in the 1980s and 2000s and died in 2011 of pneumonia and sepsis.
One of the older-looking actors in the film, the antagonist Leo ‘Crater-Face’ Balmudo – nicknamed for his acne scars – is said to have been around 30 when production began. He died in 1994 from complications of AIDS.
While the film initially received mixed reviews from critics, audiences didn’t seem to mind and flocked to Grease.
“I knew it was going to be a hit — there was no question on my mind. The critics didn’t matter because they forgot that audiences go to the movies to have fun,” Thurm said. “The timing was right because we had a 1950s revival with Happy Days on TV and the music put the album on the charts for a decade.
“I love going on YouTube now and watching flash mobs still performing songs from the movie around the world,” he added.
Instant success: Not only was casting director Thurm unconcerned about the age of the cast, but he “knew it was going to be a hit,” as the film coincided with a wave of 1950s nostalgia
Saying goodbye: Travolta paid tribute to Olivia and referenced their Grease roles after her death from cancer on August 8, 2022
Newton-John died on August 8, 2022, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer again in 2017. By the time it was discovered it had metastasized and spread to her lower back and bones.
Travolta paid tribute to her after her death with a heartbreaking message on Instagram.
“My dearest Olivia, you have made our lives so much better,” he wrote. “Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We’ll see you on the way and then we’ll all be together again.’
He captioned the letter by referring to their best on-screen collaboration: “Your from the first moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!’