John Travolta became emotional as he paid tribute to his late friend and Grease costar, Olivia Newton-John.
The 69-year-old actor held back his tears as he stood on the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on the occasion of the 95th Annual Academy Awards, opening the In Memoriam segment to honor all the celebrities who passed away last year.
“In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living, and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love,” he said.
“Since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community and this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we’ve lost who’ve dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera. Through their immeasurable contributions, each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us.”
He continued, “They’ve touched our hearts. They’ve made us smile, and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to.”
Olivia Newton-John died in August 2022 at the age of 73.
A day after her passing, John shared a throwback photo of her on his Instagram and wrote a sweet message,
“My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. “Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”
After his subtle nod to his late costar, many fans took to Twitter and praised Travolta for being an extraordinary friend.
“The minute I saw John Travolta walk out I knew what was coming and I still wasn’t prepared for his speech,” one fan wrote.
“Find yourself a friend in life who clearly loves you like John Travolta loved Olivia Newton-John,” said another.
“John Travolta wins the award for most human moment of the night,” a third wrote.
“Oh, no. My heart was not ready for John Travolta introducing the #Oscars In Memoriam for Olivia Newton John,” a fourth said.
“When John Travolta said “Hopelessly devoted to you.”
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