The new Grease prequel stars a host of newcomers and rising stars.
New Paramount Plus series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies lets viewers finally return to Rydell High, in a prequel set four years before the original 1978 film.
The new series focuses on an entirely different group of students, including the founding member of the Pink Ladies girl gang and early members of the T-Birds.
While Jackie Hoffman takes of the role of McGee, here assistant principal rather than principal as she was in the original film, the roles of the students are played by a host of rising stars, including Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso and Tricia Fukuhara.
But who else stars in the series and who do they all play? Read on for everything you need to know about Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies cast
Here are the main cast members and characters in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Read on below for more info about who they are and where you’ve seen the actors before.
- Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano
- Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia Valdovinos
- Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia Zdunowski
- Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa
- Shanel Bailey as Hazel
- Madison Thompson as Susan
- Johnathan Nieves as Richie Valdovinos
- Jason Schmidt as Buddy
- Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally
- Jackie Hoffman as Assistant Principal McGee
Marisa Davila plays Jane Facciano
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Who is Jane Facciano? Jane is a straight-A student who over the summer has been dating quarterback Buddy, and at the start of the series decides to run for class president. She is a founding member of the Pink Ladies
Where have I seen Marisa Davila? Davila has previously been seen in small roles in series including I Am Not Ok with This, Cloak & Dagger and Schooled.
Cheyenne Isabel Wells plays Olivia Valdovinos
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Who is Olivia Valdovinos? Olivia is a founding member of the Pink Ladies, who at the start of the series has a bad reputation because she is alleged to have had a relationship with a teacher.
Where have I seen Cheyenne Isabel Wells? Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is Wells’ first on-screen credit.
Ari Notartomaso plays Cynthia Zdunowski
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Who is Cynthia Zdunowski? Cynthia is a founding member of the Pink Ladies, who at the start of the series spends time hanging around with the T-Birds and wants to join their gang.
Where have I seen Ari Notartomaso? Notartomaso has previously appeared in Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin.
Tricia Fukuhara plays Nancy Nakagawa
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Who is Nancy Nakagawa? Nancy is a founding member of the Pink Ladies whose passion is for the fashion industry.
Where have I seen Tricia Fukuhara? Fukuhara is best-known for her role in children’s series The Sugar Pops, while she has a small role in the Apple TV+ series Loot.
Shanel Bailey plays Hazel
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Who is Hazel? Hazel is the new girl at Rydell High.
Where have I seen Shanel Bailey? Bailey has previously appeared in the series The Equalizer, The Good Fight and That Damn Michael Che.
Madison Thompson plays Susan
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Who is Susan? Susan is Buddy’s ex who starts a feud with Jane.
Where have I seen Madison Thompson? Thompson is known for playing Erin in Ozark, while she has also appeared in The Young and the Restless, American Housewife and Boo, Bitch.
Johnathan Nieves plays Richie Valdovinos
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/PINK102EA02090174RT-b79a975.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Who is Richie Valdovinos? Richie is Olivia’s sister and the leader of the T-Birds.
Where have I seen Johnathan Nieves? Nieves is best known for his role in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, while he has also appeared in episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and Better Call Saul.
Jason Schmidt plays Buddy
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/PINK101EA04070150RT-16c59b7.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Who is Buddy? Buddy is a quarterback who at the start of the series is dating Jane and wants to run for class president.
Where have I seen Jason Schmidt? Schmidt has previously appeared in an episode of FBI: Most Wanted.
Maxwell Whittington-Cooper plays Wally
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/PINK101EA04010370RT-020c665.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Who is Wally? Wally is a football player and Buddy’s friend.
Where have I seen Maxwell Whittington-Cooper? Whittington-Cooper has previously appeared in FBI: Most Wanted, The Equalizer and When They See Us.
Jackie Hoffman plays Assistant Principal McGee
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-06-at-16.11.24-ce082d6.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"\"")
Who is Assistant Principal McGee? McGee first appeared in Grease as the school’s principal. Here’s she is assistant principal, four years before the events of the film.
Where have I seen Jackie Hoffman? Hoffman is known for her roles in series such as 30 Rock, Only Murders in the Building, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and The Politician, as well as films such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, A Good Person and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will stream on Paramount Plus from Friday 7th April 2023 – get Paramount Plus for no extra cost on Sky, or get a seven-day free trial of Paramount Plus on Amazon Prime Video.
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