Stockard Channing: The star from ‘Grease’ is 80 & looks unrecognizable now

After all these years, I don’t think there’s ever been a more charismatic or relatable Rizzo than Stockard Channing.

Channing was a great artist and her singing was just fantastic in Grease – but nowadays, the 80-year-old looks almost unrecognizable.

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The first movie I ever saw Stockard Channing in was called The Big Bus and I thought it was hilarious. But back then, I could never imagine that she would go on and have such a remarkable career.

Today, Stockard Channing is best known for her iconic portrayal of Betty Rizzo in Grease, the 1978 American musical romantic comedy film based on the 1971 musical of the same name. Like many before me have pointed out, Channing was by far the best Rizzo out of all that have played the part.

Many probably also recognize Channing from the series The West Wing, where she starred as First Lady Abbey Bartlet. The experienced actress was praised for her instant chemistry with Martin Sheen, who played President Josiah Barlet.

“It just worked,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2020.

“We had this chemistry from the beginning. I don’t know what it was, but we had it and it didn’t go away. It was a happy accident.”

Starring as Beth Rizzo

But let’s take a deeper look at the highlight of Channing’s career. Because in the name of honesty, she hasn’t appeared in any major motion picture since Grease, even though she has continued to act in films and on Broadway.

The 13-time Emmy Award nominee and seven-time Tony Award nominee appears to be totally fine with being most remembered for her portrayal of bad girl Beth Rizzo, one of the Pink Ladies in Grease.

But is that really the whole truth?

Back in 1973, Channing had little breakthrough starring in the TV-movie The Girl Most Likely to…, a black comedy about revenge.

“A lot of people talk about the G-word [Grease] and all of that, but back in the day, I had as many people stop me in the street about that one movie. Because it’s about revenge, and people would sit in their living rooms and go, ‘Oh, I’m the only person watching this’ or ‘this person understands me.’ I’m not kidding. It was a million years ago, and then it was the highest-rated movie of the week. Revenge always works,” she says.

According to Channing, she has only watched Grease only two times.

“I used to be grumpy about Grease because I thought it was a kids’ movie or something. But now it’s sort of amazing. I’m very proud of it,” she told The Times in 2019.

The Manhattan-born actress was 33 years old when she played Rizzo and playing a high school teenager wasn’t so easy for her.

Wikipedia Commons

”I was so much older than she was in life, but I could not think about that so I sort of threw myself back to what I felt when I was her age over, even younger. The complexity of adolescents and hormones and sexuality and all of that other stuff. Seeing that I really was older I think that added to the isolation of Rizzo,” Channing told Broadway World.

Channing, who became interested in acting at an early age, was thrilled when she was offered the role of Rizzo, and her performance made her a top-ranking star in the late 1970s. She earned a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Motion Picture Supporting Actress, but the New York native had difficulty achieving similar success after Grease.

The beloved actress was handed two sitcoms of her own, Stockard Channing in Just Friends (1979) and The Stockard Channing Show (1980), but neither was successful and her career halted.

But with her look of Elizabeth Taylor and air of calm confidence, Channing didn’t give up and she continued to work as an actress, appearing in many highly-praised movies and stage plays. Her latest appearance on the big screen came was in Angry Neighbors, which premiered in 2022.

Stockard Channing in 2011 / Wikipedia Commons / Sean Koo

Luke Bryan Thanks Fans for Support After Losing Voice at National Championship Game

After Luke Bryan, a musician, lost his voice while supporting the Georgia Bulldogs during the National Championship game versus the Alabama Crimson Tide on January 10, his fans came together to offer him their well wishes.

Emotions were running high as Georgia won their first championship in more than 40 years, and the game was fierce. In the midst of the excitement, Luke Bryan ended up losing his voice.

Luke Bryan’s physician has directed him to take vocal rest till further notice in order to promote a quick recovery. In typical Luke Bryan style, the “That’s My Kind of Night” singer is preparing for his next gigs at Crash My Playa in Mexico while taking this time to heal.

Luke and his spouse Caroline laughed at the circumstances and posted a lighthearted picture to social media. Caroline joked that she was driving Luke nuts by talking nonstop while he was mute when she shared a picture of herself appearing to tape Luke’s lips shut. Fans were overwhelmingly supportive of their playful banter, with many of them being able to relate to the situation.

When Chase Chrisley from the reality series “Chrisley Knows Best” got in on the prank, the good times got even better. “Send the tape to my mom, I can tell you she wants it for my dad,” he said in a lighthearted manner. It appears that many people who have gone through similar experiences in the past have found solace in Luke Bryan’s voice loss.’


Even though Luke is currently unable to sing, he is still aggressively promoting his just released “Up” music video. He looks content in the video and asks his followers to offer prayers for his voice while he takes a vocal break. Supporters have shown their steadfast loyalty by posting heartfelt messages saying how excited they are to party with him at Crash My Playa in Cancun.

Luke Bryan’s voice might be muted for the time being, but his passion and commitment to his craft never waver. Let’s all hope he heals quickly so we may enjoy his incredible performances once more.’

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