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Marilu Henner didn’t think ‘Grease’ ‘would be a hit,’ reveals romance with John Travolta

At 70-years-old, Marilu Henner has discovered the key to great lovemaking.

“You have to marry somebody with whom you have vision and heat,” the “Taxi” actress explained. “You’ve got to have somebody that you got like a vision of your life, you know your future, but you also have to be hot for each other.”


Henner gushed that she and husband, publisher Michael Brown, are crazy for each other. They reconnected over 19 years ago after having intially met when they were both 18. Brown was Henner’s college roommate’s boyfriend at the time.

When it comes to relationships, the actress reveals a lot more in her book “Grease Tell Me More, Tell Me More.” One major talking point-her on and off relationship with John Travolta.

“He’s just a great guy. I adore him,” she explained. “Our families were very similar, and we connected right away because we both have three sisters and two brothers. His mother taught drama, my mother taught dance. His father sold tires, my father sold cars. So, we had a lot of commonality.”

Henner revealed at one point the pair even lived together.

When it comes to the iconic musical “Grease,” Henner wasn’t in the movie. She was a part of the original production in Chicago before it ever went to Broadway. She turned down the opportunity to audition for the Broadway show because she was just starting at the University of Chicago, and she thought it “wouldn’t be a hit.”

She did end up performing for the Broadway production, later on.

As to why the production resonates with so many people decades later, Henner says it has to do with one thing-high school.

“Everybody’s been through high school,” she explained. “Everybody knows one of those characters, everyone is one of those characters. People remember firsts and the most firsts in your life happen between 10 and 20 and those four crucial high school years are so important for really laying in those memories. Burning into your self-conscience.”

In addition to Henner’s book, she is also spilling it all during her one-woman show, “Marilu Henner Music and Memories.”

The show takes the audience on a musical journey, which covers her childhood, her three husbands, her children, “Evening Shade” with Burt Reynolds, “Dancing with the Stars” and “Taxi.”

“There’s an incredible whole tribute to ‘Taxi,'” she exclaimed.

Henner also shows off her amazing memory in the show. She has the audience give her a date, and she’ll tell them what day of the week it was and what song was popular. She even sings a few bars of the song for added entertainment.

You can see her live show for yourself when she kicks off her “music and memories” national tour. It’s happening at the Purple Room Supper Club in Palm Springs on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3.

For tickets, head here.