How Grease saved Eddie Deezen’s life

Eddie Deezen is full of vivid stories about his time as Eugene. “Imagine going to the greatest party of your life, and imagine it lasted two months,” the fast-talking, nasal Deezen said. “That’s Grease for me. And the biggest single thing was the specialness of John Travolta. He was a mensch, so kind to me.”

Besides Grease, Deezen has been seen in I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Wargames (1983) and The Polar Express (2004). He also has lent his voice to numerous animated shows and movies, notably voicing the villainous Mandark for Dexter’s Laboratory (19962003). “I had such a small role in

Grease, but I’m proud to be part of such a great movie so many people still love,” Deezen said. “I’ll tell you a story how Grease saved my life - true story. I was on Hollywood Boulevard one day, reading a book (and waiting for a bus). It was kind of dark and I was all alone. This guy comes up to me and asks, ‘What time is it?’”

Focused on his book, Deezen didn’t lift his head and, “very abruptly, very curtly,” replied that it was 6:30pm. The guy angrily fired back, “Don’t you disrespect me, man!”

“I looked up and this guy was a full gangbanger in black leather,” Deezen said. “I’m scared out of my wits. I think, ‘I’m here alone in Hollywood. He’s going to kill me.’ He goes over to these three other gangbangers. They’re like the gang in West Side Story or

Grease, but this was real life, and they start talking.”

Deezen hoped maybe they’d only rob him. Then the first guy came back and asked if Deezen had been in Grease. “I go, ‘Yes, sir. That’s me. I’m Eugene,’” Deezen recalled. “They go, ‘Was Olivia NewtonJohn as hot in real life?’ I go, ‘Yeah, yeah, she’s beautiful. Olivia was wonderful.’”

“I started chatting in tidbits with these guys,” he said. “Mercifully, the bus came in about five minutes. It came by like the cavalry and picked me up. I shook hands with all the bikers. ‘Goodbye. See you guys later.’

“I swear,” Deezen said, “if that hadn’t been a Grease moment, if they hadn’t seen

Grease, those guys would’ve maimed or killed me, or at least robbed me.”

So Grease, once again, was the word? “Grease was the word, yes,” Deezen said, laughing. “It saved my life.”