Did Stockard Channing Get Real Hickeys To Play Rizzo In Grease?
It’s been more than 40 years since the musical film Grease first graced screens across the world. And fans are still obsessed.
The movie holds a place in the hearts of the original audience and has also won over new generations with its catchy music and world-class acting performances. Even celebrities like Emma Stone still can’t resist dancing to the Grease soundtrack!
The cast members have since opened up about what went on behind the scenes of the iconic movie set, and it’s been brought to light that some interesting events took place while filming Grease. Actress Stockard Channing, who played Rizzo, has revealed that the hickeys she had may not have been makeup after all.
Keep reading to find out whether Stockard Channing got real hickeys to play Rizzo, and if so, who gave them to her.
The Legendary ‘Grease’
In 1978, the romantic musical comedy film Grease was released. An adaptation of the stage production of the same name, the film stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as the leading characters, Danny Zuko and Sandy Olssen.
A strong cast of secondary characters, including John Conaway, Stockard Channing, Didi Conn, Dinah Manoff, Barry Pearl, and Michael Tucci, also helped to make the film a success.
The film tells the story of two high school students from completely different cliques who fall in love over the summer and then unexpectedly wind up at the same school. Their friends, the Pink Lady girl gang and the T-bird boy gang, meddle in their subsequent relationship over the school year.
The plot bears a striking similarity to that of High School Musical, leading some fans to claim that the latter is just Grease in disguise!
Grease was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing musical film of the time. Years later, the film is still regarded as an iconic classic.
Stockard Channing As Rizzo
Stockard Channing portrayed the character of Betty Rizzo, one of the Pink Ladies. Rizzo is hostile towards Sandy originally, giving her a hard time because “she looks too pure to be pink.”
As all the Pink Ladies are romantically linked to the T-birds, Rizzo is partnered with Kenickie, Danny Zuko’s right-hand man. Much of the film sees the two flirting with each other using innuendos that were mostly lost on the target young audience.
Interestingly, Channing was 33 years old when she played Rizzo, who is a teenage high-school student.
Were Those Real Hickeys On Rizzo’s Neck?
In one famous scene in the film, Rizzo studies the many hickeys on her neck and says, “I got so many hickeys people will think I’m a leper.”
Kenickie responds, “Hey, cheer up! A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card … when you care enough to send the very best.”
Stockard Channing has since revealed that the hickeys on her neck were real rather than makeup. And they did come from Kenickie himself — or at least actor Jeff Conaway.
Jeff Conaway Was The Most Sexually Charged Actor On Set
In an interview with Andy Cohen, Channing also revealed that the late Jeff Conaway, who passed away in 2011, was the most sexually charged actor on the Grease set, which may explain the hickeys.
“I’m afraid there’s no contest in that one,” Channing said when Cohen asked who the horniest cast member was. “Jeff Conaway. I remember the trailer would be rocking at lunch.”
Jeff Conaway Injured His Back While Filming ‘Greased Lightning’
Though Jeff Conaway reportedly had a lot of fun on the Grease set, he also got into some trouble too. While filming the iconic Greased Lightning dance scene, Conaway seriously injured his back.
He fell off the car he was dancing on while performing the choreography for the scene and ended up needing opioids to deal with the pain of his injury. Sadly, Conaway ended up developing a substance addiction after this. Though he sought help throughout his life, he also ended up becoming addicted to other substances.
In 2011, Conaway passed away from pneumonia. However, at the time, he was using drugs, which reportedly stopped him from recognizing he was sick and seeking treatment.
Modern Fans Have A Few Problems With ‘Grease’ Today
Grease remains a beloved classic more than 40 years after its release. However, some fans have criticized the film for being problematic in ways that they didn’t notice when they watched it as children.
One of the biggest criticisms is that Sandy changes her whole persona just to get a guy to like her. The film has been slammed as anti-feminist because of this, as well as the shaming of Rizzo who is no more active than all the male characters.
Looking back at the film, many fans believe that Rizzo is actually the most sympathetic character, even though she isn’t the typical fan favorite, because she’s layered and nuanced.
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