'Grease' casting director Joel Thurm reveals why he selected stars older than the characters they played
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Grease', a 1978 musical rom-com starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, follows the romance of two Rydell High School students. The film went on to become the highest-grossing musical film at the time. Moreover, it also did receive a slew of criticism for being troublesome in recent years, with audiences questioning the age group of the actors playing high school students.
It is well known that during the filming of 'Grease' the lead actors, Travolta and Newton-John, were 23 and 29 years old, respectively, even though they played high school students in the film. Now, casting director Joel Thurm has reacted to and resolved the discussion over older actors playing high school students.
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'It's better for the cast not being teens'
During a recent story published by The Guardian, Thurm said, “People might say the cast is too old, but 'Grease' is not a documentary; it’s a fantasy. It is a non-PC fairytale that is better for the cast not being teens. The only thing that was important was that the cast all looked about the same age as each other, which they did.” When Thurm talks about the "non-PC" elements of the narrative, he's referring specifically to the storylines about sex, pregnancy, and abortion, in addition to drinking and assault.
In the same interview, Michael Tucci, who played Sonny LaTierri, stated that almost everyone wanted to be in 'Grease', noting that the auditions for the tour were packed with hundreds of guys and that many of the other male cast members, including Travolta, who played Doody, managed to make it on to the film. The viewers just popped when the curtain went up on his first performance, and individuals could identify with these people and wanted to be a part of their group. The viewers just popped when the curtain went up on his first performance, and individuals could identify with these people and wanted to be a part of their group.
'Grease' propelled John Travolta's career to new heights
Travolta was a star in rising in 1976 and had signed a three-film deal with Paramount Joel said, “I had known John since he was 17 and, from the moment he walked into my office, I knew he would do well. He was an incredibly good-looking boy with wonderful eyes and had such poise at such a young age.” Joel also mentioned that it was Travolta who wanted Newton-John for the role of Sandy.
Tucci also stated that when Travolta moved from his 'Grease' stage run to some other play across the road, his career shot up. He got excellent reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award. He was unable to get out the gate to the theater since fans surrounded him. The actor was 23 at the time and played Danny Zuko, who was 18 at the time. He also shared that the film hurt him because it stereotyped him and it was never well received by critics, but it has since become iconic. The actor concluded that it's just good entertainment, and it's ideal for babysitting because the children have no idea what's going on.
The film still holds up its charm after 45 years
Thurm concluded in his interview that “I knew it was going to be a hit – there wasn’t a question in my mind. The critics didn’t matter, since they forgot that audiences go to movies to have fun. The timing was right as we were having a 50s 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 flashmobs still performing songs from the film around the globe.”
A prequel of the movie titled 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' is available on Paramount+.