She was the 1970's most beloved beauty-school drop-out, and even decades after "Grease" debuted, the woman who played Frenchy in the film is still recognized fondly as the Pink Lady with that distinct voice. Didi Conn, still sounding exactly the same at 64, says she's always marveled at the story's staying power (it's even being performed live on television later this month), especially considering the rather unorthodox way her career started.
As Conn tells "Oprah: Where Are They Now?", she didn't have grand visions of launching a career to become a famous actress. In fact, it was a friend who recognized Conn's potential and encouraged her to get an agent, when she was 19.
"A friend of mine called me [and said], 'You know, you should do commercials. Go to my agent. Just go up there and meet her; her name is Ann Wright,'" Conn recalls.
In reality, one doesn't just knock on an agent's door and ask for representation. However, Conn was blissfully ignorant of the protocol and simply followed her friend's instructions, arriving at the agency with no experience, no expectations and certainly no appointment.
"I looked on the door … It says, 'Do not enter unless you have an appointment!'" Conn says. "I just went in."
Conn was stopped by the person at the front desk and kindly explained that a friend had sent her. Upon hearing Conn speak, a woman emerged from her office.
"Someone stuck her head out the door and she said, 'What kind of voice is that? Come here,'" Conn says.
The woman, of course, was the famed agent Ann Wright, and she wasted no time in representing the eager 19 year old with the distinct voice.
"That day, she set me up for an A&W commercial -- I had to be Betty Boop -- and I got it," Conn says. "It was the beginning of my career."
After a successful few years of doing commercials, Conn landed her iconic role in "Grease." She went on to appear in several other films and television series, and she's now in the midst of writing her own play, about a middle-aged woman who has been through some difficulties and rehabilitates herself by learning how to box. As it turns out, this storyline is somewhat autobiographical.
"I've been studying boxing for about six years now. Just watch out!" Conn says.
Additionally, Conn spends her time working with Autism Speaks. "I'm a celebrity spokesperson," she says. "I have a son who's 23 who's on the autistic spectrum."
Her life has been a busy one, and Conn adds that there's perhaps one powerful quote that best summarizes her personal philosophy.
"I just heard an interview with Lily Tomlin, and she said, 'Live life audaciously,'" Conn says. "I'm taking her advice. I pass that on: Live life audaciously."
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