Didi Conn is an American actress who is best known for playing Frenchy in the film Grease (1978). She has also worked on: Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure (1977, Raggedy Ann), Grease 2 (1982), Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), Frida (2002), Happy Days (1975), The Love Boat (1983), The Jetsons (1985), Cagney & Lacey (1987), A Flintstone Family Christmas (1993), and Harlan Coben's Shelter (2023).
Conn (Edith Bernstein) was born in Brooklyn, New York, US to Jewish parents. In 2008, she performed at a benefit for Barack Obama in New York. She has been married twice and has two children. Her adopted son is autistic who is a spokesperson for Autism Speaks.
Conn got the part of Frenchy in Grease after she was able to master the ‘French inhale’ smoking trademark. The character Frenchy had to inhale the smoke from her cigarette through her nose, ‘That is the ugliest thing I ever saw’. She said working on the film Grease was a lot of fun, as many of them were adults playing teenagers. She stated all the cast got along well. Her favourite part of Grease is working with Frankie Avalon who she liked in real life and her reaction to him wasn’t an act. She wasn’t planning on making a bubble (from bubble gum), but she was able to make a bubble that got bigger and bigger and Avalon was told by the choreographer to pop it. That part of Grease wasn’t rehearsed. Conn still owns the Pink Ladies jacket and it still has a mustard stain on it, from the drive-in scene.
She remained friends with her co-stars, including Olivia Newton-John. Olivia, 73, died of cancer in 2022. Conn became concerned about Olivia’s health a few weeks before her death. The friends spoke at least once a month and Conn would go see her live performances. Near the end of Olivia’s show, she did a Grease part at the end and would call Conn onto the stage.
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