Stockard Channing in 1978’s ‘Grease’ (left); Stockard Channing in 2015 (right).Photo:Paramount/Rso/Kobal/Shutterstock; Barbara Nitke/Hulu/Kobal/Shutterstock
Paramount/Rso/Kobal/Shutterstock; Barbara Nitke/Hulu/Kobal/Shutterstock
Stockard Channingknows that starring in a hit movie isn’t always a total dream come true.
“I gave [Grease] my all, and I’m proud of the performance and proud of the character,” the actress said of her role as the leader of the Pink Ladies who brings the house down with“There Are Worse Things I Could Do.”She explained, “But at the time, it was not taken at all seriously. The money that it was making was resented. I was resented. It’s a kid’s movie — it was really pissed on.”
Stockard Channing in ‘Grease’ in 1978.CBS via Getty
CBS via Getty
When it was released in 1978,Grease, which was based on the 1972 musical of the same name,became the highest-grossing musical film ever and the second-highest-grossing movie for Paramount ever, behindThe Godfather. The movie’s soundtrack also hit No. 1 in multiple countries around the world. Channing and her costars — including starsJohn TravoltaandOlivia Newton-John— were thrust into the spotlight.
As forGrease’s longevity — a legacy that includes1982’sGrease 2and the 2023 prequel seriesGrease: Rise of the Pink Ladiesas well as millions of fans around the world — Channing said she has “absolutely no idea” why it’s lasted. “It’s extraordinary,” she said, adding, “The depth of the impact is bizarre.”
AfterGreaseand the strong reactions it engendered in the industry, Channing had trouble booking another film. “That’s one of the reasons I went back to the stage,” she explained. “But then I realized with time, how it’s affected generations, especially of women and even some men.”
Stockard Channing in 1979.Nancy R. Schiff/Getty
Nancy R. Schiff/Getty
Channing remembered one unsavory moment with a costar she didn’t name. “We were doing a press tour. We passed each other from one press table to another, and he said, ‘You were my wet dream when I was 12.’ Oh, thank you so much. A little too much information,” she toldThe Times.
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Channing has continued to be recognized for the movie — whichshe filmed when she was in her early 30s— throughout her life. In 1998, whenGreaseturned 20, Channing told PEOPLE, “I was at an audition recently and these little girls came rushing in — and they were like 5 — and yelled, ‘Where’s Rizzo?’ Not even their mothers were 5 when we did the movie!”
Channing went on to star inSix Degrees of Separation(which earned her an Oscar nomination),Practical MagicandThe West Wing, among many more. The two-time Emmy winner also won a Tony in 1985 and appeared widely in theater in both New York and London.
source: people.com
