'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' on Paramount+: Where are the OG Pink Ladies now?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: With the upcoming release of 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' on April 6, a fresh generation of teen actors will take viewers back to the 1970s. The protagonists of the story are a group of misfit young women who come together and form the group 'Pink Ladies.' These high school ladies want to enjoy themselves on their terms, which sparks moral panic but ultimately brings change at Rydell High.
Together with Marty Bowen and Erik Feig, the show's creator Annabel Oakes also acts as an executive producer. The producer is Alethea Jones. The 'Grease' prequel is currently working with three directors: Alethea Jones, Jamal Sims, and Diego Velasco.
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So, let's take a slight detour and find out where the original cast who played the 'Pink Ladies' are currently doing before the musical series 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' airs on Paramount+.
Stockard Channing as Betty Rizzo
In the movie 'Grease,' Stockard Channing portrayed Betty Rizzo, the leader of the Pink Ladies. The actress, whose resume included a part in 'The Fortune' before she accepted the role of Betty Rizzo, continued to play strong female characters after 'Grease' released. Channing starred in films like 'Silent Victory,' 'The First Wives Club,' and 'Practical Magic,' among others. The actress' depiction of First Lady Abbey Bartlet on 'The West Wing' earned her a Primetime Emmy — her first one. She recently played Chloe in the film 'Angry Neighbors.' Penn Parker in the television series 'Death to 2021' is also played by her and she will play Cathy in the film 'Maryland.'
Didi Conn as Frenchy
Didi Conn played the fun-loving but timid Frenchy in the film. The actress became a proud campaigner after learning that her son Daniel Shire had autism. Conn has worked with the Foundation for Teaching Children With Autism and was selected as the spokesman for Autism Speaks in 2008. The actress was the only original cast member to return to play her character in the 1992 sequel 'Grease 2,' and in 2016's Fox adaptation 'Grease: Live,' in which she played the waitress Vi. In fact, she is the only member of the original cast to appear in all three movies. Conn recently played Mrs Devlin in the television series 'Blue Bloods.'
Jamie Donnelly as Jan
The only cast member to perform the same character in both the stage musical and the movie was Jamie Donnelly, who played Jan in the movie and also played the part on Broadway. After appearing in several films, Donnelly decided to take a 20-year vacation from acting and worked as a theatre coach in Los Angeles. She came out of retirement in 1998 and appeared in a series of films including 'Black Mass,' 'Cargo,' and 'Cyrus' in addition to the TV shows 'Monk,' 'Ray Donovan,' and 'Veep.'
Dinah Manoff as Marty Maraschino
Dinah Manoff made her acting debut in the movie 'Grease,' as Marty Maraschino, one of the group's flirtiest members. Afterward, the actress relocated to Broadway, where she earned a Tony for her work in 'I Ought to Be in Movies.' Together with Marty, Manoff is most known for playing the roles of Carol Weston on 'Empty Nest' and Elaine Lefkowitz on 'Soap.' Manoff took a break from the business for a while before returning in 2009 with 'Bart Got a Room,' which had its world debut at the Tribeca Film Festival but was not widely distributed until the following year.
'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' will premiere on Paramount+ on April 6.