The String of Bad Events That Happened to the Cursed Cast of Grease

Grease debuted in theaters in 1978 and was definitely a success. The film’s success was a result of the hard work and dedication of the amazing cast. “Where are they now?” you may think. Since the release of this movie, the cast has had their fair share of ups and downs. Some may say that with the string of tragedies and unfortunate events they have experienced over the last few decades, the cast of Grease seemed to have been cursed. Here are some of the cast and their trials.\r \r 1. John Travolta\r \r The role of Danny Zuko was played by John Travolta. Travolta faced two family tragedies that shattered his world. He and his wife Kelly Preston saw the birth of their first son, Jett, in 1993.  As a child, Jett suffered from Kawasaki disease. In 2009, while on a family vacation, Jett experienced a seizure which led to his untimely passing. This was a hard pill for Travolta to swallow. Tragedy knocked on his door again in 2018 when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and in 2020, she succumbed to the disease.\r \r 2. Olivia Newton-John\r \r Oliver Newton-John played Sandy Olsson in Grease and was the voice behind “Hopefully Devoted to You” and “Summer Nights” on the movie soundtrack. She experienced her fair share of heartbreak. In 1992, her father, Brinley, passed away from cancer and just a few weeks later, she was diagnosed with cancer. A few days later she underwent surgery she was in remission until 2013 when the cancer returned. This time around, it was quite aggressive. She fought a good fight and endured conventional treatments. In 2022, Olivia lost the battle and passed away.\r \r 3. Eddie Deezen\r \r The nerdy and quirky character of Eugene Felsnic was played by Eddie Deezen. He has struggled with mental health issues for many years and in recent times he has had some legal troubles as well. In 2021, he was arrested at a Maryland restaurant after causing a disturbance and throwing plates at the officers who were called to the scene. In April 2020, he broke into a nursing facility in Cumberland, Maryland and made his way to a resident’s private room. He refused to leave and was therefore detained by police for trespassing and burglary. The judge ruled that he was mentally unfit to stand trial. He was sent to undergo treatment at the Maryland Department of Health.\r \r 4. Dianah Manoff\r \r Dinah Manoff is well known for her portrayal of Marty Maraschino in the movie Grease. She had a successful career before and after this role. Life threw her a curveball when her son, Dashiell Mortell passed away in a car accident in 2017. This took a toll on her and it changed the course of her life. Manoff was inconsolable and spent hours lamenting with other bereaved families. She also dedicated a lot of her time to helping others by instructing women in jail in acting and improv.\r \r 5. Alice Ghostley\r \r Anyone who has watched the movie Grease is sure to remember Mrs. Murdock, the auto shop teacher played by Alice Ghostley. Ghostley was married to Felice Orlandi, an actor, for fifty-two. That was until he passed away in 2003. After spending over five decades with her partner, Ghostley was lonely and mourned his loss. At that time she was also dealing with her failing health. She suffered a series of severe strokes and was also diagnosed with colon cancer. Sadly, Ghostley passed away in 2007 all alone.  \r \r