NEWS'Grease' Star Didi Conn Makes Rare Public Appearance at 75
Didi Conn made a rare public appearance on Thursday, July 23, in London.
July 24 2026, Published 10:57 a.m. ET
Didi Conn made a rare public appearance on Thursday, July 23.
The actress attended the Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical performance at Battersea Park in London, per E! News.
The Hollywood icon wore a pink jacket embroidered with her name, reminiscent of the jackets worn by The Pink Ladies in the classic 1978 musical movie.
Didi Conn Recalled Playing Frenchy in 'Grease'
Didi Conn reminisced about auditioning for 'Grease.'
The 75-year-old star recalled her experience of getting the role of Frenchy, a high schooler who leaves school to attend beauty school before dropping out again, in an Instagram post on June 30.
"My agent said, 'You gotta go looking like the character,'" she recounted.
"All I knew was that her name was Frenchy. I did know that she wanted to be a beautician," she added.
However, it seemed like the fates favored her back then, as she revealed, "I’m driving home and what do I see? But Frenchy's Beauty Parlor."
Didi Conn recalled filming for her breakout role in 'Grease.'
Didi Conn said the 'Grease' casting team chose her for the role Frenchy from the very start.
Trusting her instincts, she went inside the parlor, and the visit helped her prepare for her audition.
"Little Frenchy, she did my hair with at least two cans of spray. I had a big hairdo and I learned so much about beauty school," she said.
"When I went to the audition, I told them the story about Frenchy," Conn recalled.
However, she also revealed that as much as it felt like fate at the time, Grease's casting team was sold on her "as soon as I opened my mouth."
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
'Grease' Gave Didi Conn a Lifelong Friend in Olivia Newton-John
Didi Conn recounted becoming friends with Olivia Newton-John on the set of 'Grease.'
While many stories from the set of Grease have made the rounds in Hollywood and among fans for years, the story of Conn and Olivia Newton-John's friendship remains one of the most beloved.
The two remained close until the latter died from b----- cancer in 2022 at the age of 73.
"She was a little bit nervous about doing this film and her first scene in the movie was with Frenchy," Conn recalled of her late friend.
"I started improvising with her. I said, ‘Oh, I'm so happy I have a new neighbor all the way from Australia.’ And Olivia looked at me like, ‘What? Is this in the script?’' she said.
Olivia Newton-John died from cancer in 2022.
The actress also revealed that Newton-John "started to play with me" with the lines.
"And when our director [Randal Kleiser] said action, we were right in the mode of the character," she added.
"Afterwards she gave me the biggest hug and thanked me. And that's how our friendship began," she said in conclusion.
