John Travolta Reacts After Passing of Beloved 'Grease' Co-Star Susan Buckner

The actress starred as cheerleader Patty Simcox opposite John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the hit 1978 musical.

By Allison Schonter

John Travolta is mourning the loss of his "special" Grease co-star Susan Buckner. The actress, who played Rydell High cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 musical, passed away on Thursday, May 2 at the age of 72, with Travolta, 70, leading the online tributes to the late star.

A day after Buckner's death, Travolta shared an emotional tribute on his Instagram Stories, writing, "Susan you made Grease that much more special! We will miss you!" The message was written alongside two side-by-side pictures of Buckner, one a more recent image and the other a black-and-white photo that appeared to be from around the time that they filmed Grease. You can see the tribute here.

Grease
(Photo:

LOS ANGELES – JUNE 16: The movie "Grease", directed by Randal Kleiser. Seen here from left, Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsen (alt.: Sandy Olsson) and Susan Buckner (wearing cat's eyes glasses) as Patty Simcox. Initial theatrical release of the film, June 16, 1978. Screen capture. Paramount Pictures. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

- CBS via Getty Images)

In the musical, Buckner portrayed cheerleader Patty Simcox, the close friend of Newton-John's Sandy Olsson, with Travolta starring as Danny Zuko. Although Buckner only had a small supporting part in the beloved classic, in one memorable scene, her character tried to dance with Danny, who ultimately rejected her. Her character also shouted the memorable cheer, "Do the splits, give a yell! Show a little spirit for old Rydell! Way to go, red and white! Go Rydell, fight, fight, fight!"

Based on the popular musical of the same name about students at Rydell High in the 1950s, Grease was a massive hit. Not only did the film gross nearly $160 million at the global box office, but it is now considered a cult classic. Along with Buckner, Travolta, and the late Newton-John, who passed away in August 2022 following a years-long battle with breast cancer, Grease also starred Jeff Conaway, Barry Pearl, Michael Tucci, and Kelly Ward as the T-Birds and Stockard Channing, Did Conn, Jamie Donnelly, and Dinah Manoff as the Pink Ladies.

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More than 50 years after the film's released, Buckner's representative Melissa Berthier confirmed to PEOPLE on May 7 that the actress, who also in titles including Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing, Police Academy 6, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, passed away "surrounded by loved ones" at the age of 72. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Paying tribute to Buckner on X (formerly Twitter), the official Grease account wrote, "Forever grateful for Susan Buckner's unforgettable portrayal of Patty Simcox. Rest in peace to a Grease legend."

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