Olivia Newton-John, ‘Grease’ star, Australian icon and British dame, was tough by being nice

One of the very best accolades that may be attributed to an Australian that has fought onerous and come out on prime is that of a “real Aussie battler.” Today, I can consider no one extra deserving of that moniker than Olivia Newton-John.

Newton-John turned a family identify the world over for taking part in Sandy within the 1978 musical “Grease.” The film captures the quintessential American highschool expertise, with Newton-John its most apple pie character. But for the British-born and Australia-raised actress-singer, Hollywood was her adopted house. 

Newton-John died Monday on the age of 73 in her home in Santa Barbara, California, however her life was that of a wanderer — like mine. Newton-John created the soundtrack to my childhood, however I recognized along with her on a deeper stage. I felt a kinship along with her twin British/Australian roots and her nomadic way of life (lengthy earlier than digital nomads had been a factor). 

Newton-John moved to Australia from England as a toddler however would sometimes return to England, most notably in 1965 to make her first document after successful an Australian expertise contest and once more in 1974 when she represented the U.K. in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her back-and-forth between the 2 nations, in addition to her loyalty to each, was similar to my peripatetic childhood. 

In an interview with a tv viewers in America in 1980, Newton-John famously stated that regardless of her Australian accent, she was technically “Miss Goody Two-Shoes from England.” Yet in her music “It’s Always Australia for Me,” written and recorded completely for “The Rumour” album for Australia’s bicentennial celebrations in 1988, Newton-John sings: “Know that we are blessed in our country/And realize how lucky we are/Safe beneath our southern star.”

She additionally sings about transferring on. Like Newton-John, I, too, moved to Southern California, however in contrast to her, I by no means managed to seamlessly meld my British and Australian selves. Even as an grownup, I’ve ceaselessly remained “the kid with the funny accent,” continuously trying to slot in. In America humorous accents can get you good buyer help cellphone service even once you’re spitting chips (translation: livid) — operators are endlessly enamored of your method of talking — however they don’t mean you can neglect you’re an outsider.

Newton-John, nonetheless, not solely took all this in stride however embraced it. She made a profession out of becoming in wherever she went, accent be damned. Hollywood even adjusted the “Grease” script to accommodate her Aussie accent when she expressed concern at flubbing American English whereas debating whether or not to take the function. Here was a relaxed, self-possessed, poised younger girl swimming within the large Hollywood shark tank, and in contrast to her transformation from good woman to vixen in “Grease,” she didn’t want black skin-tight leggings, sky-high heels or a cigarette dangling from her siren-red lips to get her method.

I yearned for an oz. of her confidence. As an 18-year-old in drama faculty in Sydney, I was informed by my academics that I was “too f—ing nice.” I want I’d had the wherewithal to snap again, “It seems to be working just fine for Olivia Newton-John!”

Indeed, Newton-John turned Australia’s first large silver display screen export, paving the best way for a lot of Australian performers to comply with go well with. Yet regardless of her stratospheric superstardom, she led a humble, quiet life, all of the whereas navigating extraordinary challenges, together with the mysterious disappearance of her long-term partner in 2005, with steely grace. 

Perhaps she was most outspoken with regards to cancer research. She took a pull-no-punches strategy when it got here to her personal 30-year battle with breast most cancers, to which she finally succumbed this week. In an interview with The Guardian in 2020 she stated, “I think every day is a blessing. You never know when your time is over; we all have a finite amount of time on this planet, and we just need to be grateful for that.” The reporter famous that “She genuinely sounds as if she means every word.”