About

Known credits:
71
Birthday:
1948-09-26
Place of birth:
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Website:

Olivia Newton-John

Overview

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

Acting

2024 ABBA: Against the Odds Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2024 Superstar (Song for Karen) Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
N/A
2023 John Farnham: Finding the Voice Actor Self 59
Average
2023 Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection Actor Self N/A
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2022 Olivia Newton-John at the BBC Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
N/A
2021 Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over Actor Self 58
Average
2020 Christmas with Delta 2020 Actor Self N/A
N/A
2020 The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee Actor Olivia 58
Average
2020 The A-Z of Eurovision Actor Self - Contestant (archive footage) N/A
N/A
2019 High as Mike Actor Herself 59
Average
2017 And the Winner Isn't Actor Self 58
Average
2017 The Grease Story Actor Sandy Olsson 59
Average
2017 Sharknado 5: Global Swarming Actor Orion 54
Average
2017 Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees Actor Self 59
Average
2017 John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood Actor Self - Actress (archive footage) 59
Average
2015 John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John: Two Strong Hearts - Live in Concert Actor Self (Vocals) 59
Average
2014 Country Queens at the BBC Actor Self (archive footage) 58
Average
2011 A Few Best Men Actor Barbara Ramme 58
Average
2011 John Denver Rocky Mountain High An Earth Day Concert Actor self N/A
N/A
2010 Score: A Hockey Musical Actor Hope Gordon 58
Average
2010 1 a Minute Actor Actress / Breast Cancer Survivor 58
Average
2008 Sordid Lives: The Series Actor Bitsy Mae Harling 69
Fair
2008 Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Sydney Opera House Actor Herself 59
Average
2007 Anne Murray Friends and Legends Actor Self N/A
N/A
2007 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success Actor Herself 59
Average
2005 Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 2 Actor Herself 59
Average
2005 Olivia Newton-John: Video Gold 1 Actor Herself 59
Average
2004 The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made Actor Kira (archive footage) 58
Average
2004 John Travolta: The Inside Story Actor Self 59
Average
2001 The Wilde Girls Actor 58
Average
2000 Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony Actor Self (Vocals) 59
Average
2000 Sordid Lives Actor Bitsy Mae Harling 59
Average
1999 Mannheim Steamroller - The Christmas Angel: A Story on Ice Actor Female Storyteller N/A
N/A
1999 Mariah Carey: Around the World Actor Self 59
Average
1998 Bee Gees: One Night Only Actor Self N/A
N/A
1998 The Main Event Actor Self (Vocals) 59
Average
1998 Mythos Hollywood - Das Geheimnis des Erfolgs Actor Self N/A
N/A
1997 Snowden on Ice Actor Self - Performer (voice) N/A
N/A
1996 It's My Party Actor Lina Bingham 59
Average
1994 A Christmas Romance Actor Julia Stonecypher 58
Average
1994 Deepak Chopra The seven spiritual laws of success Actor Herself 59
Average
1991 Madonna: Truth or Dare Actor Self 59
Average
1990 A Mom for Christmas Actor Amy Miller 59
Average
1990 Timeless Tales: Rapunzel Actor Host 58
Average
1990 AN EVENING WITH: FRIENDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT Actor Self N/A
N/A
1990 Night of 100 Stars III Actor Self 59
Average
1989 Liberian Girl Actor N/A
N/A
1988 Happy Birthday, Bob: 50 Stars Salute Your 50 Years with NBC Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1988 She's Having a Baby Actor Olivia Newton-John (uncredited) 59
Average
1985 Olivia Newton-John: Soul Kiss Actor Herself 59
Average
1983 Two of a Kind Actor Debbie 59
Average
1983 Olivia Newton-John: In Concert Actor Self N/A
N/A
1982 Olivia Newton-John: Let's Get Physical Actor Herself 59
Average
1980 Xanadu Actor Kira 58
Average
1980 Olivia Newton-John: Hollywood Nights Actor Self 58
Average
1980 The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980 Actor N/A
N/A
1980 The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's Actor Self N/A
N/A
1978 Grease Actor Sandy Olsson 73
Good
1978 Grease Day USA Actor Self 59
Average
1978 Olivia Actor Self 59
Average
1977 The Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special Actor Princess Hialeah / Musical Guest 59
Average
1977 Only Olivia Actor Herself 59
Average
1977 Neil Diamond : Live At the Greek Theatre 1976 Actor Self - Uncredited N/A
N/A
1976 A Special: Olivia Newton-John Actor N/A
N/A
1975 Rocky Mountain Christmas Actor Herself 59
Average
1975 The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1975 Actor N/A
N/A
1974 Sounds Like Les Dawson Actor N/A
N/A
1970 Toomorrow Actor Olivia 58
Average
1965 Funny Things Happen Down Under Actor 59
Average
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1974 Actor N/A
N/A

Production

2001 The Wilde Girls Production Executive Producer 58
Average