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.
”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.
My Overbearing New Neighbors Turned My Perfect Lawn Into a Parking Space, I’m Elderly, but My Retaliation Was Merciless
When new neighbors parked their truck on Edna’s beautiful lawn, they thought the elderly widow would just accept it. But Edna, protective of the home she built with her late husband, Harold, was not going to let them take over easily.
Edna had lived in her house for over fifty years, filled with memories of her life with Harold. He had planted the trees and tended to the garden, making their home a cherished place. They raised their two children there, watched them grow, and now, with only memories left, Edna found comfort in every blade of grass. Her son, Tom, often visited, helping with the yard work. He told her she shouldn’t worry about it, but Edna never complained; she didn’t want to burden him.
The house had been quiet since Harold passed, but it was still her sanctuary. That changed when a lively young couple moved in next door. At first, Edna didn’t mind, but everything shifted when she saw their shiny pickup truck parked right on her lawn one morning. Her heart sank as deep tire marks ruined her well-kept grass.
Determined, Edna grabbed her cane and walked outside. The neighbor’s wife, with an arrogant attitude, brushed off her concerns. When Edna insisted they move the truck, the woman dismissed her, saying it didn’t matter since Edna didn’t own a car.
Frustrated but trying to remain polite, Edna returned inside, hoping it would be a one-time incident. But the next day, the truck was back, and this time, the husband answered the door. He grumbled about parking wherever he wanted since Edna lived alone. Hurt and angry, Edna insisted it was her property, but he slammed the door in her face.
That night, Edna resolved to protect her lawn, just as Harold would have wanted. While searching through the garage, she discovered an old canister filled with small, sharp tacks, Harold’s leftover project supplies. An idea formed: if she scattered the tacks on her lawn, the neighbors would be in for a surprise.
Under the cover of darkness, Edna quietly sprinkled the tacks where the truck usually parked, feeling a mix of nerves and determination. The next morning, she heard the unmistakable sound of hissing tires. Peeking out the window, she saw the neighbor staring at his flat tires in disbelief. A smile crept across Edna’s face; her plan had worked.
Soon, there was a furious knock on her door. The angry neighbor accused her of ruining his truck. Edna calmly explained that she had asked him to stop parking on her lawn and that she had every right to protect her property. The neighbor continued to shout threats, but Edna had already called the police. As she stood her ground, the sound of sirens grew closer.
Two officers arrived quickly, and the angry neighbor pointed at Edna, claiming she was responsible. The officer asked Edna for her side of the story, and she explained how she had asked them to stop parking on her lawn. After inspecting the tire marks and tacks, the officer informed the neighbor he was trespassing and would be charged for harassment and property damage.
Defeated, the neighbor slumped away, leaving Edna relieved and victorious. The neighbors kept their distance after that, and the truck never returned to her lawn. While the grass would take time to heal, Edna felt a sense of pride in handling the situation herself.
That afternoon, as she sat on her porch, sipping tea in the soft glow of the setting sun, Edna felt at peace. She had stood up for her home, for her memories with Harold, and it filled her with a deep sense of satisfaction.
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