Emotional John Travolta pays tribute to Olivia Newton-John at Oscars 2023

Virgin Radio

13 Mar 2023, 09:06

John Travolta fought back tears when introducing the In Memoriam section at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles overnight.

The actor choked up when making reference to his Grease co-star, Olivia Newton-John. The Australian actress and singer - who played Sandy alongside Travolta’s Danny Zuko and is also known for her hit single Physical - died last August, aged 73. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and revealed in 2017 that, after 25 years in remission, the disease had returned.

Talking about the stars that have recently died, Travolta said: “Each of them left an indelible mark that shared and informed us. They’ve touched our hearts, they’ve made us smile, and became dear friends, who we will always remain hopefully devoted to.”

The last line, of course, refers to one of Grease’s iconic songs, and led to spontaneous applause from attendees at the Oscars. Grease was released in 1978 to critical and commercial acclaim, and has gone on to become one of the most popular musical movies of all time. 

Following Travolta’s introduction, musician Lenny Kravitz then performed a live version of his song Calling All Angels, as names including Robbie Coltrane, Burt Bacharach, Raquel Welch, Angela Lansbury, and Travolta’s Look Who’s Talking co-star, Kirstie Alley, appeared on the screen.

Elsewhere at the Oscars ceremony, sci-fi adventure Everything Everywhere All at Once picked up seven awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. 

When accepting his Best Supporting Actor award, Ke Huy Quan was also visibly emotional. “My mum is 84 years old and she’s at home watching,” he said.

“Mum, I just won an Oscar!”

Michelle Yeoh, when becoming the first Asian woman to win Best Actress, said: “Ladies, don’t let anybody tell you you are ever past your prime. Never give up.”

Check out our round-up of all the winners.