‘Grease 2’ star explains why he didnt fall for…
When “va-va-voom” Michelle Pfeiffer walked onto the set of “Grease 2,” Maxwell Caulfield knew he wouldn’t be tempted by the sultry starlet.
The actor, who starred as motorcycle-riding Michael Carrington, is gearing up to honor his spouse, Juliet Mills, at this 12 months’s Cinecon in Hollywood during Labor Day weekend. Looking back at his profession, the 65-year-old told Fox News Digital it was straightforward to play Pfeiffer’s love curiosity in the 1982 movie.
“We did not have the kind of relationship that John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John did [in the original film],” he explained. “They were so symbiotic, they absolutely loved each other. Michelle and I only had to play being in love. And we both just got married. So, there was no question about any [lines] being crossed in that regard.”
“Michelle is a bit of a sphinx,” he chuckled. “She’s always retained a certain mystery.”
While their relationship on set was strictly platonic, Caulfield said they did bond over the chance of skyrocketing to worldwide fame – just as Travolta and Newton-John did in 1978.
Maxwell Caulfield opened up about his dynamic with Michelle Pfeiffer while filming “Grease 2.” Getty Images
Caulfield said they bonded over the chance of skyrocketing to worldwide fame, but had been strictly platonic. Paramount/Kobal / Shutterstock
“I think we were both apprehensive about imminent stardom,” he said. “We would sometimes talk about how one would handle it, because it’s a very real thing to suddenly become world famous. It suddenly means, like everything in life, there’s a price to pay.”
And Caulfield had good cause to suppose about the chance of turning into a family identify. While teen idols Rick Springfield and Leif Garrett had been thought-about, it was Caulfield who scored the position. And according to stories, even Tom Cruise auditioned at one level.
“We did not have the kind of relationship that John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John did [in the original film],” Caulfield said.
But destiny had different plans for Caulfield.
When “Grease 2” premiered in theaters, it tried to go toe-to-toe against heavyweights like “E.T.,” “Rocky III” and “Poltergeist.” And tunes like “Back to School Again” didn’t resonate with audiences in June. After it was dismissed by critics, “Grease 2” was knocked out cold at the box workplace.
Meanwhile, Pfeiffer went on to star in another movie, “Scarface,” reverse Al Pacino.
“Michelle is a bit of a sphinx,” the actor said. “She’s always retained a certain mystery.” Paramount/Kobal / Shutterstock
After being dismissed by critics, “Grease 2” flopped at the box workplace. The Legacy Collection/THA / Shutterstock
Michelle Pfeiffer, Maxwell Caulfield in “Grease 2.” Paramount/Kobal / Shutterstock
“When the film… didn’t take off, I went down with the ship,” said Caulfield. “But she rose like a fabulous phoenix.”
Caulfield admitted it wasn’t straightforward to watch Pfeiffer soar to fame as he struggled to discover his approach in Hollywood.
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“I did hope to be embraced by a movie-going audience,” he said. “I did aspire to represent a certain mantle of cool that movie stardom bestows upon you… There’s just something about achieving that kind of tremendous success… I always say to young actors, ‘Be very careful about the first role you do, because that’s the role you’re going to be asked to play very often, a variation of that for many years of your career.’”
Still, there are no exhausting emotions toward Pfeiffer, Caulfield insisted.
“I hope one day to work with her again,” he beamed. “She’s a wonderfully generous actress… And look, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, these guys are practically contemporaries of mine, and they still look like a million bucks, but they are genuine movie stars… They’ve also held on to their hair. To lose it is the cardinal sin in Hollywood.”
“I hope one day to work with her again,” Caulfield said. “She’s a wonderfully generous actress.” Adam Scull / Shutterstock
While Caulfield immersed himself in the theater, he went on to star in “The Colbys,” a “Dynasty” spinoff. The sequence ran from 1986 to 1987. But it wouldn’t be until many years later that Caulfield scored an iconic position.
“’Empire Records?’ Never heard of it,” he joked. “’Empire Records’ is an extraordinary thing. It’s up there with ‘Grease 2’ in terms of a movie that literally nobody went to see on the opening weekend, but thanks to you, kids, you revived it from the graveyard of cinematic bombs and elevated it to genuine cult status. And I did get to play a strutting peacock in that.”
In the 1995 movie about an impartial report store, Caulfield performs Rex Manning, a washed-up ’80s heartthrob. The movie earned just more than $300,000 at the box workplace after a restricted release. However, it has develop into a cult hit over the years. And every April 8, a key date in the film, followers have a good time “Rex Manning Day” on social media.
“We both just got married,” Caulfield said, referring to his marriage to Juliet Mills, when explaining why he and Pfeiffer never pursued each other. “So, there was no question about any [lines] being crossed in that regard.” Nate Cutler / Shutterstock
“The chemistry has lasted all these years… And it’s been quite an adventure,” Caulfield said about his marriage. Getty Images
“The joke’s on Rex Manning, a lot, but it was a fun experience making ‘Empire Records,’” said Caulfield.
“And I’ve got to tell you that the scene that doesn’t get nearly enough airplay [is]… Rex Manning’s crazy, deranged male fantasy video on the sand with all those girls in black lingerie, a four-poster bed, a wind machine and Cuban heels. It’s not easy to walk up a sand dune in Cuban heels. But I enjoyed doing that very much and recording the song.”
These days, Caulfield is busy performing in the play “The Lost Gospel of Pontius Pilate.” The stage is one of his biggest loves. The other is his spouse, the daughter of actor Sir John Mills and Disney icon Hayley Mills. They’ve been married since 1980.
“She took a real chance of marrying me when she did,” said Caulfield. “She was the one who had a career and a lofty reputation. I was the upstart New York actor full of ambition, but madly in love with her. And obviously, there was an age difference. Juliet was far more worldly than me, and she was, especially in those early years, very patient with me… She took the plunge. She’s always had a bit of a rebel spirit. And it seemed to have paid off.”
“We’ve never gone to bed upset with each other,” he shared. “I’m absolutely blessed… There’s a certain level of adoration that precludes, frankly, any tendency that one might face to stray. That famous Paul Newman quote about his wife Joanne Woodward – why would I go out for a hamburger when I got filet mignon at home? It’s legit. The chemistry has lasted all these years… And it’s been quite an adventure.”
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