Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBEis an English-Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five number-one and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles, and two number-one Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singlesand fourteen of her albumshave been certified gold by the RIAA. She has sold an estimated 100 million records, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. She starred in Grease, which featured one of...
ProfessionMovie Actress
Date of Birth26 September 1948
CityCambridge, England
I still can't believe I danced with Gene Kelly. How lucky am I that I've been in movies where I've danced with two of the greatest dancers of all time - with Gene Kelly and John Travolta.
Professionally, when I did the Olympic games and sang for my country in Australia. It was a big moment, Sydney in 2000. It was just a brilliant moment in my life.
In June 1992, I discovered a lump in my breast. A subsequent mammogram, ultrasound and a needle biopsy proved negative. But my instinct said it still didn't feel right, so I had a lumpectomy. I then got the news that it was cancer.
My father was a headmaster in England and then the dean of a college in Australia. We moved there when I was about five, so my education was in Australia, and I always felt I was Australian even though my passport was British.
It feels really good to give back. I'm opening the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre in Australia.
I'm so happy with 'Grease' and 'Xanadu,' particularly because of the music in both films.
I'm a very light sleeper. I get about six hours a night.
My father had the most amazing operatic voice, so I have a soft spot for that.
I've been through cancer, divorce, loss and bereavement, but they are things most humans go through.
Genetically, I'm like my mum, and she looked great right up until her death in 1989.
The 'Great Walk to Beijing' was a fundraiser for my cancer center. It was a three-week trek with fellow cancer 'thrivers,' including celebrities ranging from Joan Rivers to Leeza Gibbons and Olympians.
I feel alive, fit and active. I have no plans for retirement. My only concession to getting a little older is that I like to have a cat-nap in the afternoon. After that, I can push on through anything.
Eating disorders are usually nothing to do with food. Parents need to be with their child to see them through it. All the therapists in the world can't help if the parents aren't present, loving, and proactive.
I always suggest that when you're going through cancer to find something in your day that makes you feel centered and that makes you feel good.