Did you know that there was another member of the Travolta family in the iconic movie Grease? John Travolta’s sister, Ellen Travolta, had a small role in the film that you probably didn’t notice.
In 1978, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John captured our hearts as Danny Zuko and Sandy Olsson in the romantic musical Grease. But alongside the main characters were the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies, who also played a significant part in the movie.
Ellen Travolta, who is 14 years older than John, played an unnamed waitress at the Frosty Palace. In a scene where the servers gather around a television screen to watch the National Dance-Off at Rydell High, Ellen’s character points to the TV and says, “Oh, there’s Danny and Sandy.”
Ellen revealed that she landed the role by chance. She was visiting the set while guest-starring on another Paramount sitcom, and John Travolta asked if she could be in the movie. The next day, they wrote her a part. Little did she know about the immense success Grease would become.
Over the years, Ellen has received residual cheques every 13 weeks for her one or two days on set. She still cherishes her experience on the film, saying that she had a lot of fun. Ellen believes that Grease has endured because of its impact and the combination of a love story with great music.
Ellen, now 84 years old, has continued her acting career beyond Grease. She appeared in the 1979 TV movie Elvis and other series such as Murder She Wrote and Judging Amy. Most recently, she can be seen in the 2022 festive film Haul out the Holly.
It’s fascinating to discover hidden connections within beloved movies like Grease. The fact that John Travolta’s sister had a small role in the film adds another layer of interest to this timeless classic.
