Grease star Didi Conn defends the film as "not sexist"
Following comments from actress Olivia Newton-John saying her classic film Grease was not sexist, star Didi Conn spoke to GMB’s Adil Ray and Ranvir Singh to join her fellow cast mate in defending the movie.
Talking about whether character Sandy changes herself just to win her man, Didi explained: “I don’t think so and I'll tell you why. Frenchy always wanted to be a beautician. She wanted to make people beautiful and bring every great quality in them. She failed, she had a few problems in the tinting class over there. She still cared, especially for her friends. So when Sandy is all alone by herself after the car race and she decides she wants to be part of the gang, she wants to have fun and allow herself to be emancipated a little bit. She says to Frenchy, ‘Can you help me Frenchy? you know.
“So, it’s like the first makeover show, she is becoming more of herself. She is allowing herself to come through. It’s not so much to get her man but it’s to be who she is 100%. He ran away from the dance because he was dancing with Cha-Cha and she couldn’t confront him because there was this part of herself that wanted to come out.”
Didi went on: “When Oliva and I did the first scene in the movie… Olivia was very nervous, I just began to improvise with her…” She added that she wore white gloves at school and the boys and girls were separated. Didi added: “It was liberating for her.”
She said: “They were in love at the beach, in bathing suits, practically naked. They loved each other in their innocent way. It wasn’t about getting him. It was more about being herself. Even Olivia Newton-John was seen as a goody good shoes (sic), so she was really excited to liberate herself and bring out this woman, this emerging sexual person.”She added: “Frenchy was very protective of Sandy… Sandy was new in town. She wanted Sandy to belong and be part of the Pink Ladies.”