Livvy La Vida Loca
Olivia Newton-John is the gay icon's icon. Need we mention Grease, Xanadu and Physical? In person, reports Marc Andrews, she's sexy, funny, endearing, a little camp and has a very dirty laugh!
When did you first realise that you had a gay following?
Only recently. I did an independent gay movie called Sordid Lives and it's reached cult status.
Do you play a lesbian in that?
Well, I wasn't consciously playing a lesbian; I just played her kind of rough! The director said, "You can go there if you want!" I played an ex-con and had tattoos. It was fun. It was so different for me.
You also appeared in another gay movie, It's My Party.
Yes, so I've done two gay films, actually. Of course Xanadu is also very popular with gay audiences. I can't believe the hairdos and the acting. I watch it and cringe. I love the music and the dancing, and the costumes are kind of camp but some of the lines... I'm just so embarrassed about. They should do a DVD and cut out all the acting bits and put the music bits together. That would be really cool.
Is it true that the pants you wore in Grease were sprayed on?
They were stitched on because they were old and the zip had broken so they had to sew me into them!
There's a rumour you're doing Grease 3.
They're talking about it. We'll see what happens.
And Kylie is supposedly playing your daughter.
I don't know where that came from. They haven't cast it yet.
You've worked with all these big names. Let's go through some of them... Karen Carpenter.
She was a good friend, a lovely person and very funny. She had the most incredible voice and her death was a big shock to me. I miss her.
ABBA.
That was in 1978. They were on a TV special with me and Andy Gibb [younger brother of The Bee Gees, now dead). They were going through problems with their marriages at the time. Andy had a big crush on Agnetha. I was taping a TV special the other day and there was a guy in the audience who said, "You and Frida should work together." I said, "Okay, but I don't know how to get in touch with her." And he said, "I do!"
He must have been gay.
I think so.
Madonna.
I sold a house to Madonna. It was early on and she was wearing all black and had on all that jewellery. Madonna's always been lovely to me. I think she's very clever and talented.
So when you appear in In Bed With Madonna you're actually her ex-real estate agent?
Exactly! I was amazed that I was included in that because I didn't think I was cool enough to be in her film.
Kylie.
She's great. I'm so happy that she's had this massive success in America. We couldn't work out doing a duet for my album. She has a pretty crazy schedule. I still haven't heard her version of Physical.
Mariah Carey.
She won her first singing contest doing Hopelessly Devoted To You, so I got up on stage and sang that with her in Melbourne about four years ago on her tour. I keep in touch with her.
Peter Allen.
He was great. Full of life and fun. I remember one night it was my mum's birthday and he came out to dinner with us in Sydney. He was flamboyant up to a point, but not like he was on stage. Not any more than any other gay man I know (laughs).
What about Michael Jackson?
[Blank look]
You were in his Liberian Girl video.
Hmm. Well, I was in something to do with him. John Travolta was there, wasn't he? I've never seen it. I remember going there. There were tonnes of stars there, but Michael never showed up. I had met Michael before. He was painfully shy. This is in the '70s before he did anything to himself. He was lovely and quiet, very sweet, as he still is, and talented.
You've been in showbiz, retail and environmental causes you must have met an awful lot of gay men!
I have. And women. I have such a list of gay friends. Del Shores who wrote and produced Sordid Lives is a good friend. Brian Hurst, who I wrote the children's book Pig Tale with. Kenny Ortega, who was the choreographer on Xanadu. Allan Carr and Randal Kleiser (Grease producer and director). These are all the out ones. I don't know if I should name people in case they haven't come out yet (laughs)
Who's the hottest man in the world?
I'd have to say my boyfriend. He is! We've been together six years. Livvy pulls out a photo of her boyfriend [an older, sexy Korean-Italian hunk.] Of course, there's John Travolta.
Brad Pitt?
No, he's too young. I don't go there any more.
What about Matt Lattanzi?
[hides her face] Oh, I was married to him!
He was a hottie in Xanadu.
Yes he was, absolutely. He was gorgeous.
When did you realise you were truly famous?
I started when I was 15, so I was known in Melbourne when I was 16 or 17. After Grease I couldn't go anywhere in the world without people recognising me. It's still a surprise to me even now. I appreciate it though. Fame is a wonderful thing. I don't know how I'll feel in ten or 15 years though.
You've used your fame for good causes though, haven't you?
Some people say celebrities shouldn't get involved in politics because they don't know anything. I try not to get involved in things I don't understand. I do think when it comes to cutting down trees in Tasmania or poisoning the animals, things that needn't happen, if I can draw attention to them, then that's a positive aspect of fame. If I can help with breast cancer and raising money for that, then that's where my life will take me more as I get older. Breast cancer I went through, so breast cancer causes are important to me. With the environment, I've always loved nature and trees. As you get older you want to give more back to the community. It's part of the natural process of life.
Any gameplan for the next few years?
A what? A gayplan?
A gameplan.
Oh! [laughs] I think I'm going to tour Australia and the UK next year promoting this album. All this is icing on the cake, truthfully, because I didn't think I would still be singing. I thought I would be retired and suddenly I've got all this new interest in me and I'm having a really good time. I don't get worried about things any more.
Is it nice to be so beloved?
It's wonderful. I feel it and it's an honour.
Olivia's new album (2) is reviewed on page 67 of this issue.
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN-(2)
God love her. She's a national treasure and when she has a few spare seconds in her schedule she even manages to record a bunch of songs with her celebrity mates.
It's mainly gooey harmonies with the likes of Darren Hayes, Tina Arena, David Campbell and Human Nature. There's two eerie "back-from-the-grave" duets with Peter Allen and Johnny O'Keefe, which are highlights, but the track with Keith Urban is far too jangly.
A hidden track a samba version of Physical with Olivia sounding like she's having an eccy Tuesday - is also included. Like Livvy herself, (2) is well-intentioned, sweet and mums will love it.
More from Olivia's 2 album.
Only recently. I did an independent gay movie called Sordid Lives and it's reached cult status. Do you play a lesbian in that?
Well, I wasn't consciously playing a lesbian; I just played her kind of rough! The director said, "You can go there if you want!" I played an ex-con and had tattoos. It was fun. It was so different for me. You also appeared in another gay movie, It's My Party.
Yes, so I've done two gay films, actually. Of course Xanadu is also very popular with gay audiences. I can't believe the hairdos and the acting. I watch it and cringe. I love the music and the dancing, and the costumes are kind of camp but some of the lines... I'm just so embarrassed about. They should do a DVD and cut out all the acting bits and put the music bits together. That would be really cool. Is it true that the pants you wore in Grease were sprayed on?
They were stitched on because they were old and the zip had broken so they had to sew me into them! There's a rumour you're doing Grease 3.
They're talking about it. We'll see what happens. And Kylie is supposedly playing your daughter.
I don't know where that came from. They haven't cast it yet. You've worked with all these big names. Let's go through some of them... Karen Carpenter.
She was a good friend, a lovely person and very funny. She had the most incredible voice and her death was a big shock to me. I miss her. ABBA.
That was in 1978. They were on a TV special with me and Andy Gibb [younger brother of The Bee Gees, now dead). They were going through problems with their marriages at the time. Andy had a big crush on Agnetha. I was taping a TV special the other day and there was a guy in the audience who said, "You and Frida should work together." I said, "Okay, but I don't know how to get in touch with her." And he said, "I do!" He must have been gay.
I think so. Madonna.
I sold a house to Madonna. It was early on and she was wearing all black and had on all that jewellery. Madonna's always been lovely to me. I think she's very clever and talented. So when you appear in In Bed With Madonna you're actually her ex-real estate agent?
Exactly! I was amazed that I was included in that because I didn't think I was cool enough to be in her film. Kylie.
She's great. I'm so happy that she's had this massive success in America. We couldn't work out doing a duet for my album. She has a pretty crazy schedule. I still haven't heard her version of Physical. Mariah Carey.
She won her first singing contest doing Hopelessly Devoted To You, so I got up on stage and sang that with her in Melbourne about four years ago on her tour. I keep in touch with her. Peter Allen.
He was great. Full of life and fun. I remember one night it was my mum's birthday and he came out to dinner with us in Sydney. He was flamboyant up to a point, but not like he was on stage. Not any more than any other gay man I know (laughs). What about Michael Jackson?
[Blank look] You were in his Liberian Girl video.
Hmm. Well, I was in something to do with him. John Travolta was there, wasn't he? I've never seen it. I remember going there. There were tonnes of stars there, but Michael never showed up. I had met Michael before. He was painfully shy. This is in the '70s before he did anything to himself. He was lovely and quiet, very sweet, as he still is, and talented. You've been in showbiz, retail and environmental causes you must have met an awful lot of gay men!
I have. And women. I have such a list of gay friends. Del Shores who wrote and produced Sordid Lives is a good friend. Brian Hurst, who I wrote the children's book Pig Tale with. Kenny Ortega, who was the choreographer on Xanadu. Allan Carr and Randal Kleiser (Grease producer and director). These are all the out ones. I don't know if I should name people in case they haven't come out yet (laughs) Who's the hottest man in the world?
I'd have to say my boyfriend. He is! We've been together six years. Livvy pulls out a photo of her boyfriend [an older, sexy Korean-Italian hunk.] Of course, there's John Travolta. Brad Pitt?
No, he's too young. I don't go there any more. What about Matt Lattanzi?
[hides her face] Oh, I was married to him! He was a hottie in Xanadu.
Yes he was, absolutely. He was gorgeous. When did you realise you were truly famous?
I started when I was 15, so I was known in Melbourne when I was 16 or 17. After Grease I couldn't go anywhere in the world without people recognising me. It's still a surprise to me even now. I appreciate it though. Fame is a wonderful thing. I don't know how I'll feel in ten or 15 years though. You've used your fame for good causes though, haven't you?
Some people say celebrities shouldn't get involved in politics because they don't know anything. I try not to get involved in things I don't understand. I do think when it comes to cutting down trees in Tasmania or poisoning the animals, things that needn't happen, if I can draw attention to them, then that's a positive aspect of fame. If I can help with breast cancer and raising money for that, then that's where my life will take me more as I get older. Breast cancer I went through, so breast cancer causes are important to me. With the environment, I've always loved nature and trees. As you get older you want to give more back to the community. It's part of the natural process of life. Any gameplan for the next few years?
A what? A gayplan? A gameplan.
Oh! [laughs] I think I'm going to tour Australia and the UK next year promoting this album. All this is icing on the cake, truthfully, because I didn't think I would still be singing. I thought I would be retired and suddenly I've got all this new interest in me and I'm having a really good time. I don't get worried about things any more. Is it nice to be so beloved?
It's wonderful. I feel it and it's an honour. Olivia's new album (2) is reviewed on page 67 of this issue.