The 'Grease' star appeared on the unaired pilot of her nephew's show 'Celebrity Car Crush' and drove a 1975 Volkswagen Bug
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Emerson Newton-John (L) and Olivia Newton-John host a benefit for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer And Wellness Centre in Las Vegas on July 22, 2015.Emerson Newton-John is revealing some cherished moments with his aunt Olivia Newton-John.
Emerson, 49, has shared some previously unseen footage of what was one of the Grease star’s final appearances on screen before her death at the age of 73 in August 2022 in an unaired pilot for his show Celebrity Car Crush and reflected on her enthusiasm for life during the segments to E! News on Friday, July 26.
“Even in rapidly declining health due to [breast cancer], and not bearing the strength that she once had, I could see flashes of the young Olivia popping in and out during filming,” Emerson recalled to the outlet.
“That alone made all of the time and investment in creating our show Celebrity Car Crush worth it, regardless of whether or not we would eventually watch it on television,” he continued. “There was no acting here; there was just pure surprise, joy, and strong feelings of only positive nostalgia.”
He shared two clips from the unseen episode, which showed him surprising Olivia with a 1975 Volkswagen Bug — the first car that she bought after moving to the U.S. The “Xanadu” singer could be seen in one clip getting excited as she laid eyes on the car before noting that it had been years since she drove “on a manual” car.
“Due to her lack of physical strength at that time, and also because she had not driven a manual car in decades, we were making bets on whether or not she could get the car going without stalling it,” Emerson explained toE! News.
CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty
Olivia Newton-John attends the Los Angeles premiere of "The Producers" benefiting UCLA Jonsson Cancer center at the AMC Century 15 theatre in Los Angeles, December 12, 2005.Related: Olivia Newton-John Dead at 73: The Star and 'Grease' Icon Dies of Breast Cancer
“... Well, not only did she not stall it, but she got away impressively smoothly and never made a mistake the entire time that she drove the car! As one can clearly see by my reaction, I was blown away, as was the entire crew,” he added.
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Emerson could be seen laughing and cheering on his aunt before giving her a high five as she comfortably drove the car in the clip.
In another clip, Olivia could be seen explaining her decision to buy the Volkswagen Bug as she drove it with her nephew in the passenger seat, noting that she had wanted a “convertible” but didn’t have the money to afford an "expensive" one at the time so chose the "cute, convertible," Bug for "running around Malibu."
Other footage showed the two in the car driving through a countryside road, walking together in a field and standing by the car, when Emerson told his aunt he was "very impressed" with her driving skills "again," and said it had been "a lot of fun."
Emerson noted to E! News that his late aunt's explanation as to why she bought the car brought “a sense of realness about her that her fans might not have seen before.”
“One thing I always found so cool about my aunt was that regardless of her obvious wealth, she was not one to show off her success with material gains,” he said. “Instead, she intentionally understated so many material aspects of her life. No private jets, no yachts, no ridiculous cars that screamed ‘look at me.’”
That outlook, Emerson explained to the outlet, is why she drove “two Ford Explorers” in the 90's: so she “wouldn't be recognized.” He added, “Her theory was, ‘No one would think that I'd drive a 'normal' car, so I'll drive a normal car!’ It didn't always work, but it kept her under the radar more often than had she been in a flashy car.”
He said that was one of the many things that made her special and remembered her “funny voice and face she always did” when he complimented her on her driving skills. He noted that he wanted to “channel” his “‘inner auntie’ influence,” and possibly use those driving skills that she passed down to rekindle his racing career.
“I know she would love nothing more than for me to pick up where I left off all those years ago,” he explained to E! News,adding,“That, without a doubt, would make her really proud.”
Emerson's footage is not the only time fans have been able to connect with Olivia since she died in 2022.
Last year, a posthumous album of previously unreleased recordings by the late singer was compiled in a 17-track album. Just the Two of Us — the Duets Collection Volume One features a duet with Dolly Parton on "Jolene," which was Olivia's final recording, as well as many other tracks.
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