Stockard Channing, the actress best known for playing Betty Rizzo in the 1978 film Grease, has revealed she is 'happy to be a recluse' in London, having left the United States behind. The 82-year-old, who also starred in The West Wing and Practical Magic, discussed her quiet life in the UK in a new interview, attributing her move partly to the political climate in America.
Life in the UK and Reasons for Leaving
Channing told The Sunday Times Magazine that she embraces her reclusive lifestyle. 'I'm happy being a recluse,' she said. She explained that the election of President Donald Trump was a significant factor in her decision to relocate. 'It vaguely coincided with Trump getting elected and the way politics has changed in the US,' she said. 'People look at The West Wing and go, “Wow, wasn’t it great when politicians had an ounce of integrity?”'
Since the death of her partner, producer Dan Gillham, in 2014, Channing has lived alone. The couple had been together since 1990. Reflecting on not having children, she said, 'Children were thought about and, yeah, I think about them now because it’d be great to have someone taking care of me. But hey, children can be just as selfish as everybody else out there.'
Career Highlights and Current Projects
Channing’s career has been marked by critical acclaim, including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as Louisa 'Ouisa' Kitteredge in Six Degrees of Separation (1993). She is currently making her directorial debut at the Edinburgh Fringe with a production of Krapp’s Last Tape. She is also set to reprise her role as Aunt Frances Owens in the highly anticipated Practical Magic 2.
Mixed Feelings About 'Grease'
Despite the film’s massive success—becoming the highest-grossing musical film ever and the second-highest-grossing movie for Paramount behind The Godfather—Channing has previously expressed resentment about how Grease was perceived at the time. 'I gave Grease my all, and I’m proud of the performance and proud of the character,' she told The Times. 'But at the time, it was not taken at all seriously. The money that it was making was resented. I was resented. It’s a kid’s movie — it was really p****d on.'
She added that she has 'absolutely no idea' why the film’s popularity has endured across generations, saying, 'It’s extraordinary. The depth of the impact is bizarre.'
