Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John

Birthdate
September 26, 1948 (75 years old)
Place of Birth
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Date of Death
August 8, 2022
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
September 26, 1948 (75 years old)
Place of Birth
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Date of Death
August 8, 2022
Known For
Acting

Biography

Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE 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.

Olivia Newton-John's LGBTQ+ Titles

Sordid Lives
Sordid Lives
Bitsy Mae Harling
It's My Party
It's My Party
Lina Bingham
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
Self

Acting (102)

The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1974
2024
ABBA: Against the Odds
2023
John Farnham: Finding the Voice
2023
Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection as Self
2022
Olivia Newton-John at the BBC as Self
2021
RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under as Self - Special Guest (1 episode)
2020
Christmas with Delta 2020 as Self
2020
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee as Olivia
2020
The A-Z of Eurovision as Self - Contestant (Archive Footage)
2019
Tamron Hall as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2019
High as Mike as Herself
2017
And the Winner Isn't as Self
2017
The Grease Story as Sandy Olsson
2017
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming as Orion
2017
Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees as Self
2017
John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Actress (archive footage)
2015
John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John: Two Strong Hearts - Live in Concert as Self (Vocals)
2013
RuPaul Drives... as Self - Guest (2 episodes)
2011
A Few Best Men as Barbara Ramme
2011
John Denver Rocky Mountain High An Earth Day Concert as self
2010
Score: A Hockey Musical as Hope Gordon
2010
1 a Minute as Actress / Breast Cancer Survivor
2010
Music Nuggets as Self (1 episode)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest (2 episodes)
2009
Glee as Olivia Newton-John (2 episodes)
2009
RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Judge (1 episode)
2008
Sordid Lives: The Series as Bitsy Mae Harling (12 episodes)
2008
Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Sydney Opera House as Herself
2007
Anne Murray Friends and Legends as Self
2007
The Graham Norton Show as Herself (1 episode)
2007
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success as Herself
2006
Animal nocturno as Self (1 episode)
2005
Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 2 as Herself
2005
Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 1 as Herself
2005
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List as Self (1 episode)
2005
Dancing with the Stars as Self - Guest Judge (1 episode)
2004
John Travolta: The Inside Story as Self
2002
American Idol as Self - Guest Judge (1 episode)
2001
The Wilde Girls
2000
Sydney 2000 Olympics Opening Ceremony as Self (Vocals)
2000
Sordid Lives as Bitsy Mae Harling
1999
Mannheim Steamroller - The Christmas Angel: A Story on Ice as Female Storyteller
1999
The Early Show as Self (1 episode)
1999
Where Are They Now? as Self (2 episodes)
1999
Mariah Carey: Around the World
1998
Bee Gees: One Night Only as Self
1998
The Main Event as Self (Vocals)
1998
Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs as Self
1997
Snowden on Ice as Self - Performer (voice)
1997
The View as Self (1 episode)
1996
It's My Party as Lina Bingham
1994
A Christmas Romance as Julia Stonecypher
1994
The Man from Snowy River as Joanna Walker (3 episodes)
1994
Deepak Chopra The seven spiritual laws of success as Herself
1993
Intimate Portrait as Self (1 episode)
1991
Madonna: Truth or Dare as Self
1990
A Mom for Christmas as Amy Miller
1990
Night of 100 Stars III as Self
1990
Rapunzel as Host
1988
Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC as Self (archive footage)
1988
She's Having a Baby as Olivia Newton-John (uncredited)
1985
Olivia Newton-John: Soul Kiss as Herself
1983
Two of a Kind as Debbie
1983
Olivia Newton-John: In Concert as Self
1982
Olivia Newton-John: Let's Get Physical as Herself
1981
Wetten, dass..? as Self (1 episode)
1980
Solid Gold as Self (1 episode)
1980
Xanadu as Kira
1980
Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights as Self
1980
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980
1980
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's as Self
1978
Grease as Sandy Olsson
1978
Grease Day USA as Self
1978
Olivia as Self
1977
The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special as Princess Hialeah / Musical Guest
1977
Only Olivia as Herself
1977
Bitte umblättern as Self (1 episode)
1977
Neil Diamond : Live At the Greek Theatre 1976 as Self - Uncredited
1976
A Special: Olivia Newton-John
1976
Donny & Marie as Self (1 episode)
1975
Rocky Mountain Christmas as Herself
1975
Saturday Night Live as Self - Host & Musical Guest (1 episode)
1975
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1975
1975
Numéro un as Self (2 episodes)
1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self (2 episodes)
1974
Sounds Like Les Dawson
1972
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest as Self (1 episode)
1972
Musikladen as Self (1 episode)
1972
The Midnight Special as Host (1 episode)
1971
Disco as Self (3 episodes)
1970
Toomorrow as Olivia
1969
Sez Les (1 episode)
1969
Unsere kleine Show as Self (1 episode)
1965
Funny Things Happen Down Under
1964
Top of the Pops (2 episodes)
1964
Top of the Pops as Self (1 episode)
1963
Viña del Mar International Song Festival as Self - Musical Guest (1 episode)
1961
The Mike Douglas Show as Self (1 episode)
1958
Bandstand as Self
1953
The Oscars as Self (1 episode)
1952
Today as Self (1 episode)

Production (1)

2001
The Wilde Girls • Executive Producer
• Executive Producer