Australians in Hollywood : Biographical Notes

Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John (b. 1948) was born in England and raised in Melbourne. At 16 she won a talent quest that took her back to England to begin a recording career. By the time of her movie debut in Grease (1978) she was an internationally known singer with three Grammies to her credit, two for her 1974 recording of Peter Allen's “I Honestly Love You.” She accepted the Grease role on condition that she didn't have to do an American accent – the Sandy character was promptly made an Australian. Grease brought her the further hits “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and, with Travolta, “You're the One that I Want.” Her follow-up films were Xanadu (1980) and Two of a Kind (1983). She also continued to record: her 1981 song “Physical” was the highest selling single of the 80s. Her battle with breast cancer in 1992 and 1993 led to her album “Gaia: One Woman's Journey”.

Back