Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John AC, DBE was an English-born, Australian-raised singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles (including two platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two platinum and four double platinum) have been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated over 100 million albums worldwide. In 1978, she co-starred with John Travolta in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Grease, which became one of the most successful films and movie soundtracks in Hollywood history. It features two major hit duets with co-star John Travolta: "You're the One That I Want"—which is one of the best-selling singles of all time—and "Summer Nights". She became the second woman (after Linda Ronstadt in 1977) to have two singles – "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" – in the Billboard top 5 simultaneously. Her performance earned her a People's Choice Award for Favorite Film Actress. She was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" at the 1979 Academy Awards. In 1980, she starred with Gene Kelly and Michael Beck in the musical fantasy film Xanadu. Although it was a critical failure, its soundtrack was certified double platinum and scored five top 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She charted with "Magic", "Suddenly" with Cliff Richard, and the title song "Xanadu" with the Electric Light Orchestra. "Magic" was Newton-John's biggest pop hit to that point and still ranks as the biggest AC hit of her career. The film has since become a cult classic and the basis for a Broadway show that ran for more than 500 performances beginning in 2007 and was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical. She helped pioneer the music video industry by recording a video album for Physical, featuring videos of all the album's tracks and three of her older hits. The video album earned her a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime-time special, Let's Get Physical, becoming a top-10 Nielsen hit. She teamed up with Travolta again in 1983 for the critically and commercially unsuccessful movie Two of a Kind, redeemed by its platinum soundtrack featuring "Twist of Fate", and a new duet with Travolta, "Take a Chance"Iowa. In 2002, she was inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall of Fame and, in 2015, she was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame. In recognition for "her work as an entertainer and philanthropist", she was bestowed Australia's highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Australia, in June 2019. In 2008, she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She led a three-week, 228 km walk along the Great Wall of China, joined by various celebrities and cancer survivors throughout her trek. The walk symbolised the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery. She was a a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues. She battled breast cancer three times and was an advocate for breast cancer research and health awareness. Her business ventures included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and co-owning the Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · ABBA: Against the Odds as Self (archive footage)
- 2024 · Superstar (Song for Karen) as Self (archive footage)
- 2023 · John Farnham: Finding the Voice as Self
- 2023 · Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection as Self
- 2022 · Olivia Newton-John at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 · Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over as Self
- 2021 · RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under as Self - Special Guest
- 2020 · Christmas with Delta 2020 as Self
- 2020 · The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee as Olivia
- 2020 · The A-Z of Eurovision as Self - Contestant (archive footage)
- 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- 2019 · High as Mike as Herself
- 2017 · And the Winner Isn't as Self
- 2017 · The Grease Story as Sandy Olsson
- 2017 · Sharknado 5: Global Swarming as Orion
- 2017 · Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees as Self
- 2017 · John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood as Self - Actress (archive footage)
- 2015 · Behind Closed Doors with Natalie Morales as Sandy Olsson (archive footage)
- 2015 · John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John: Two Strong Hearts - Live in Concert as Self (Vocals)
- 2014 · Country Queens at the BBC as Self (archive footage)
- 2013 · RuPaul Drives... as Self - Guest
- 2011 · A Few Best Men as Barbara Ramme
- 2011 · John Denver Rocky Mountain High An Earth Day Concert as self
- 2010 · Score: A Hockey Musical as Hope Gordon
- 2010 · 1 a Minute as Actress / Breast Cancer Survivor
- 2010 · Music Nuggets as Self
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · Glee as Olivia Newton-John
- 2009 · RuPaul's Drag Race as Self - Judge
- 2008 · Sordid Lives: The Series as Bitsy Mae Harling
- 2008 · Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Sydney Opera House as Herself
- 2007 · Anne Murray Friends and Legends as Self
- 2007 · The Graham Norton Show as Self
- 2007 · The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success as Herself
- 2006 · Animal nocturno as Self
- 2005 · Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 1 as Herself
- 2005 · Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 2 as Herself
- 2005 · Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List as Self
- 2005 · Dancing with the Stars as Self - Guest Judge
- 2004 · The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made as Kira (archive footage)
- 2004 · John Travolta: The Inside Story as Self
- 2002 · American Idol as Self - Guest Judge
- 2001 · The Wilde Girls as
- 2000 · Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony as Self (Vocals)
- 2000 · Sordid Lives as Bitsy Mae Harling
- 1999 · Mannheim Steamroller - The Christmas Angel: A Story on Ice as Female Storyteller
- 1999 · The Early Show as Self
- 1999 · Where Are They Now? as Self
- 1999 · Mariah Carey: Around the World as Self
- 1998 · Bee Gees: One Night Only as Self
- 1998 · Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs as Self
- 1998 · The Main Event as Self (Vocals)
- 1997 · Snowden on Ice as Self - Performer (voice)
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1996 · It's My Party as Lina Bingham
- 1995 · Ned and Stacey as Olivia Newton-John
- 1994 · A Christmas Romance as Julia Stonecypher
- 1994 · The Man from Snowy River as Joanna Walker
- 1994 · Deepak Chopra The seven spiritual laws of success as Herself
- 1993 · Intimate Portrait as Self
- 1991 · Madonna: Truth or Dare as Self
- 1990 · A Mom for Christmas as Amy Miller
- 1990 · Timeless Tales: Rapunzel as Host
- 1990 · AN EVENING WITH: FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT as Self
- 1990 · Night of 100 Stars III as Self
- 1988 · Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC as Self (archive footage)
- 1988 · She's Having a Baby as Olivia Newton-John (uncredited)
- 1987 · Le monde est à vous as Self
- 1985 · Olivia Newton-John: Soul Kiss as Herself
- 1983 · Two of a Kind as Debbie
- 1983 · Olivia Newton-John: In Concert as Self
- 1982 · Olivia Newton-John: Let's Get Physical as Herself
- 1981 · Wetten, dass..? as Self
- 1980 · Solid Gold as Self
- 1980 · Xanadu as Kira
- 1980 · Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights as Self
- 1980 · The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980 as
- 1980 · The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's as Self
- 1978 · Grease as Sandy Olsson
- 1978 · Grease Day USA as Self
- 1978 · Olivia as Self
- 1977 · The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special as Princess Hialeah / Musical Guest
- 1977 · Only Olivia as Herself
- 1977 · Bitte umblättern as Self
- 1977 · Neil Diamond : Live At the Greek Theatre 1976 as Self - Uncredited
- 1976 · A Special: Olivia Newton-John as
- 1976 · Donny & Marie as Self
- 1975 · Rocky Mountain Christmas as Self
- 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host & Musical Guest
- 1975 · The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1975 as
- 1975 · Numéro un as Self
- 1975 · Les Rendez-vous du dimanche as Self
- 1974 · Sounds Like Les Dawson as
- 1972 · Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest as Self
- 1972 · Musikladen as Self
- 1972 · The Midnight Special as Host
- 1971 · Disco as Self
- 1970 · Toomorrow as Olivia
- 1969 · Sez Les as
- 1969 · Unsere kleine Show as Self
- Future · The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1974 as
- 1965 · Funny Things Happen Down Under as
- 1964 · Top of the Pops as
- 1964 · Top of the Pops as Self
- 1963 · Viña del Mar International Song Festival as Self - Musical Guest
- 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- 1958 · Bandstand as Self
- 1953 · The Oscars as Self
- 1952 · Today as Self