Grease star Olivia Newton-John on ‘sexual tension’ with Travolta | Films | Entertainment

Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson remain one of the great movie musical romantic pairings and you can watch them in action on Film4.

From innocent puppy love on a beach all the way to leather-clad raunch by the end, their chemistry didn’t just give us chills, it was electrifying. And, it seems, the two stars themselves also felt the same way.

Travolta and Newton-John have both spoken out about how they weren’t just hot for each other on screen but in real life, too.

She also said in her autobiography Don’t Stop Believin’: “Yes, we really liked each other and there was an attraction.”

The long-lost deleted end scene kiss and then a passionate smooch at the film premiere’s after-party fuelled the rumours even more.

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Travolta was a driving force behind his co-star being cast, saying at the time: “There is only one person that should play this role and it’s Olivia Newton-John… She’s every guy’s dream.”

Newton-John, who died in August last year, remembered him persuading her to take the part despite her misgivings about her age and previous movie missteps: “I went outside to be greeted by those piercing blue eyes and the warmest smile on the planet. In person, John Travolta radiates pure joy and love. That day, he greeted me with a big hug like we were already lifelong friends. How could you say no to John Travolta?”

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In 2019, Travolta was asked directly whether there was sexual tension between the two of them and, as well as confirming it, said you can see it come to a head during one iconic number. WATCH THE Q&A BELOW – THE SEXUAL TENSION QUESTION COMES AT 8.10.

He said: “I think you saw that in You’re the One That I Want. There’s almost resolve of that tension right there.”

The song reveals Sandy in her new incarnation as a confident, sexy man-eater after a make-over from the Pink Ladies. When she purred, “Tell me about it, stud”, Danny, and most of the audience, understandably went wild for the sizzling new look.

But what really happened behind the scenes? What about that kiss photographed at the Paramount Studios after-party? And the one on camera revealed in 2018?

What fans didn’t know at the time was there had already been a rather passionate kiss on camera. Director Randall Kleiser had filmed a slightly different version of the ending which he had not been able to use but finally revealed in 2018. In this one, as they fly away, Sandy and Danny smooch.

Co-star Did Conn, who played Frenchie, revealed that the kiss was very real and not scripted: “You see for a moment she’s surprised and then she responds. It’s juicy and it’s great. They weren’t acting in that moment, it was like he had his chance and he was going to take it. It was real, it really was.”

WATCH THE ALTERNATE ENDING AND KISS BELOW:

Cute kisses on screen and at parties aside, both stars have always denied anything went beyond the mutual attraction and it developed into the deep friendship that they maintain to this day. Newton-John opened up in 2018 and explained why she was happy that they never acted on their passion: “We were both with other people when we were filming and I think, respectfully, it just didn’t happen.”

She was still with her manager boyfriend, Lee Kramer, in a tumultuous relationship that would fizzle out by 1979. Travolta was with actress Diana Hyland, who was battling breast cancer and would die in March 1977.

Newton-John added: “I think it was good because I think it kept the tension there and the chemistry. It might have been a real disaster had we decided to date or we had a falling out or something. So I think it was just as well that it didn’t happen. But we’re still great friends.

“The truth is, it never went beyond friendship with John despite the fact that the fans wanted for us to become a couple in real life. We left the making out to Sandy and Danny, but the deep feeling of sisterly love I have for John continues to this day.”

Newton-John clarified in her autobiography Don’t Stop Believin’: “We would never date because we were both involved with other people at the time, and both of us have a loyalty streak that runs deep.”