Olivia Newton-John
Acting • Born 1948-09-26 – Died 2022-08-08
Biography
Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE (September 26, 1948 – August 8, 2022) was an English-born, Australian-raised singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles (including two platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two platinum and four double platinum) have been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated over 100 million albums worldwide. In 1978, she co-starred with John Travolta in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Grease, which became one of the most successful films and movie soundtracks in Hollywood history. It features two major hit duets with co-star John Travolta: "You're the One That I Want"—which is one of the best-selling singles of all time—and "Summer Nights". She became the second woman (after Linda Ronstadt in 1977) to have two singles – "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" – in the Billboard top 5 simultaneously. Her performance earned her a People's Choice Award for Favorite Film Actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" at the 1979 Academy Awards. In 1980, she starred with Gene Kelly and Michael Beck in the musical fantasy film Xanadu. Although it was a critical failure, its soundtrack was certified double platinum and scored five top 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She charted with "Magic", "Suddenly" with Cliff Richard, and the title song "Xanadu" with the Electric Light Orchestra. "Magic" was Newton-John's biggest pop hit to that point and still ranks as the biggest AC hit of her career. The film has since become a cult classic and the basis for a Broadway show that ran for more than 500 performances beginning in 2007 and was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical. She helped pioneer the music video industry by recording a video album for Physical, featuring videos of all the album's tracks and three of her older hits. The video album earned her a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime-time special, Let's Get Physical, becoming a top-10 Nielsen hit. She teamed up with Travolta again in 1983 for the critically and commercially unsuccessful movie Two of a Kind, redeemed by its platinum soundtrack featuring "Twist of Fate", and a new duet with Travolta, "Take a Chance"Iowa. In 2002, she was inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall of Fame and, in 2015, she was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame. In recognition for "her work as an entertainer and philanthropist", she was bestowed Australia's highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Australia, in June 2019. In 2008, she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She led a three-week, 228 km walk along the Great Wall of China, joined by various celebrities and cancer survivors throughout her trek. The walk symbolised the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery. She was a a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues. She battled breast cancer three times and was an advocate for breast cancer research and health awareness. Her business ventures included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and co-owning the Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia.
Filmography
116 credits
Grease
Movie • 1978
Sandy Olsson
Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
Sounds Like Les Dawson
Movie • 1974
Two of a Kind
Movie • 1983
Debbie
It's My Party
Movie • 1996
Lina Bingham
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
Movie • 1980
Self
Anne Murray Friends and Legends
Movie • 2007
Self
Xanadu
Movie • 1980
Kira
John Farnham: Finding the Voice
Movie • 2023
Self (archive footage)
1 a Minute
Movie • 2010
Self - Actress / Breast Cancer Survivor
Mannheim Steamroller: The Christmas Angel - A Story on Ice
Movie • 1999
Female Storyteller
Mariah Carey: Around the World
Movie • 1999
Self
Sordid Lives
Movie • 2000
Bitsy Mae Harling
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
Movie • 2006
Self
A Christmas Romance
Movie • 1994
Julia Stonecypher
A Mom for Christmas
Movie • 1990
Amy Miller
A Few Best Men
Movie • 2012
Barbara Ramme
Score: A Hockey Musical
Movie • 2010
Hope Gordon
Toomorrow
Movie • 1970
Olivia
Madonna: Truth or Dare
Movie • 1991
Self
Neil Diamond : Live At the Greek Theatre 1976
Movie • 1977
Self - Uncredited
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC
Movie • 1988
Self (archive footage)
John Travolta: The Inside Story
Movie • 2004
Self
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs
Movie • 1998
Self
Night of 100 Stars III
Movie • 1990
Self
John Denver Rocky Mountain High An Earth Day Concert
Movie • 2011
self
The A-Z of Eurovision
Movie • 2020
Self - Contestant (archive footage)
Olivia Newton-John at the BBC
Movie • 2022
Self (archive footage)
Only Olivia
Movie • 1977
Herself
Christmas with Delta 2020
Movie • 2020
Self
Olivia Newton-John: Let's Get Physical
Movie • 1982
Herself
John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John: Two Strong Hearts - Live in Concert
Movie • 2015
Self (Vocals)
ABBA: Against the Odds
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 2
Movie • 2005
Herself
Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 1
Movie • 2005
Herself
Funny Things Happen Down Under
Movie • 1965
Timeless Tales: Rapunzel
Movie • 1990
Host
Country Queens at the BBC
Movie • 2014
Self (archive footage)
Olivia Newton-John: In Concert
Movie • 1983
Self
Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights
Movie • 1980
Self
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
Movie • 2017
Orion
The Grease Story
Movie • 2017
Sandy Olsson
And the Winner Isn't
Movie • 2017
Self
The Main Event
Movie • 1998
Self (Vocals)
A Special: Olivia Newton-John
Movie • 1976
She's Having a Baby
Movie • 1988
Olivia Newton-John (uncredited)
Olivia
Movie • 1978
Self
Grease Day USA
Movie • 1978
Self
Rocky Mountain Christmas
Movie • 1975
Self
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee
Movie • 2020
Olivia
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980
Movie • 1980
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1975
Movie • 1975
High as Mike
Movie • 2019
Self
Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees
Movie • 2017
Self
Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Sydney Opera House
Movie • 2008
Self
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1974
Movie • 1974
Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony
Movie • 2000
Self (Vocals)
Snowden on Ice
Movie • 1997
Self - Performer (voice)
The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special
Movie • 1977
Princess Hialeah / Musical Guest
Olivia Newton-John: Soul Kiss
Movie • 1985
Herself
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood
Movie • 2017
Self - Actress (archive footage)
The Wilde Girls
Movie • 2001
Jasmine Wilde
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Movie • 2021
Self
AN EVENING WITH: FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Movie • 1990
Self
Christmas with Delta in Hollywood
Movie • 2024
Self (archive footage)
Sound Relief - SCG
Movie • 2009
Self
Bee Gees One Night Only In Australia
Movie • 1999
Host
The Case
Movie • 1972
Olivia
Carpenters Very First Television Special
Movie • 1976
Self (uncredited)
Olivia Down Under
Movie • 1988
Glee
TV • 2009
Olivia Newton-John
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
TV • 2005
Self
Today
TV • 1952
Self
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest
TV • 1972
Self
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Tamron Hall
TV • 2019
Self - Guest
Solid Gold
TV • 1980
Self
Donny & Marie
TV • 1976
Self
American Idol
TV • 2002
Self - Guest Judge
The Early Show
TV • 1999
Self
Animal nocturno
TV • 2006
Self
Sordid Lives: The Series
TV • 2008
Bitsy Mae Harling
Music Nuggets
TV • 2010
Self
Intimate Portrait
TV • 1993
Self
Where Are They Now?
TV • 1999
Self
Drag Race Down Under
TV • 2021
Self - Special Guest
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host & Musical Guest
Top of the Pops
TV • 1964
The Midnight Special
TV • 1972
Self
Sez Les
TV • 1969
Wetten, dass..?
TV • 1981
Self
Disco
TV • 1971
Self
RuPaul Drives...
TV • 2013
Self - Guest
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Dancing with the Stars
TV • 2005
Self - Guest Judge
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
Musikladen
TV • 1972
Self
The Man from Snowy River
TV • 1994
Joanna Walker
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
TV • 1975
Self
Numéro un
TV • 1975
Self
RuPaul's Drag Race
TV • 2009
Self - Guest Judge
Top of the Pops
TV • 1964
Self
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
TV • 1963
Self - Musical Guest
Please Turn the Page
TV • 1977
Self
Le monde est à vous
TV • 1987
Self
Behind Closed Doors with Natalie Morales
TV • 2015
Sandy Olsson (archive footage)
Ned & Stacey
TV • 1995
Olivia Newton-John
Jogo da Vida
TV • 1981
Self
Sacrée Soirée
TV • 1987
Self
America's Top 10
TV • 1980
Self
Eurovision Song Contest
TV • 1956
Self - Contestant
Dinah!
TV • 1974
Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
Late Show with David Letterman
TV • 1993
Self