Stockard Channing: The star from ‘Grease’ is 80 & looks unrecognizable now

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.

Wikipedia Commons

”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.

Stockard Channing in 2011 / Wikipedia Commons / Sean Koo

The Internet is losing it over this hidden leopard in the snow picture

Diverse forms of imagery captivate our appreciation, with the adage that a picture speaks a thousand words often holding true. The image we present below is a testament to this notion, encapsulating something deeply cherished, the remarkable abilities of animals.

When contemplating camouflage, the initial image that springs to mind is likely someone adorned in a camouflage outfit. Contrary to this common association, numerous animals possess an innate form of camouflage, allowing them to seamlessly blend into their surroundings. Despite being in plain sight, they remain elusive unless one possesses the keen eye to discern their presence.

Enter the leopard featured in the image below, devoid of any camouflage jacket or external concealment. Yet, upon first glance, the scene appears akin to any ordinary view within a National Park. A closer inspection, however, reveals the leopard masterfully concealed within the landscape. Perfectly blending with its surroundings, the leopard gazes back at the observer, camouflaged in plain sight.

As the image circulated online, it elicited astonishment from viewers discovering the hidden leopard. Initial assumptions often leaned towards a white leopard, but reality defied these expectations.

Leopards, akin to various creatures, possess this innate ability to vanish in plain view. This skill proves invaluable, facilitating their approach to prey for more frequent sustenance and shielding them from potential threats posed by other animals.

A challenge was issued on Reddit, beckoning users to uncover the concealed leopard. The online community erupted in a collective frenzy, with many still engrossed in the quest despite the post’s six-month existence.

Skeptics emerged, questioning the authenticity of the image, suspecting a potential trick of photography. In the spirit of transparency, we’ll guide you to the hidden leopard below, assuring you this is no photographic sleight of hand.

A word of caution before scrolling down: the leopard is indeed present, and its concealment is no optical illusion. Once spotted, however, you may find it impossible to overlook. Take a moment to seek it out independently before unveiling the answer below.

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