LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Veteran Hollywood actress and 'Grease' star Didi Conn turned 72 years old on July 13. She also recently attended the Summer Lovin'- 45th Anniversary Celebration of 'Grease'. While Conn made her acting debut in the 1960s, she earned her breakthrough and rose to immense popularity for playing the role of Frenchy in the classic rom-com feature films 'Grease' and 'Grease 2'.
She is also known for her work on sitcoms for playing Denise Stevens Downey in 'Benson' and Stacy Jones in 'Shining Time Station' as well as her role as Laurie Robinson in the 1977 romantic drama 'You Light Up My Life.' Conn also provided the voice for Raggedy Ann in the animated feature ‘Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure' and was a regular celebrity guest on game shows like ‘Match Game,' ‘Chain Reaction,' and ‘Go.' She also had cameo roles in popular TV shows like ‘The Love Boat' and ‘L.A. Law,' among others.
Didi Conn spend a large part of her life taking care of her son
Conn was married twice in her life, first to Frankie Conn, whom she divorced in 1978 and then to songwriter and composer David Shire in 1984. Conn and Shire welcomed a son named Danile in 1992, and who began displaying certain problems after his second birthday. "He started to have increasingly lengthy and violent tantrums, usually initiated by his extraordinary sensitivity to sound... He would begin to scream, hold his ears and throw himself down on the ground," Conn wrote in a piece for CNN.
While the couple took their son to a pediatrician, the doctor did not seen concerned by his condition. Conn later explained that the common signs of autism were not widely recognized in 1994. "Since Danny was so sensitive to sound, he began to stop responding to us as a way of protecting himself from the pain," Conn shared while detailing the issues of her son.
The actress revealed that she and her husband eventually took Daniel to Dr Isabelle Rapin, who diagnosed him with PDDNOS (Persuasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) before diagnosing him as a "high-functioning child on the autism spectrum." "I became the Queen of Denial. I wouldn't believe there was something 'wrong' with my son," Conn said while talking about her response to the doctor's suggestion of taking Daniel to The Therapeutic Nursery at the Jewish Community Center on the Palisades in Tenafly, New Jersey.
Conn mentioned that her son's diagnosis stunned her to the point where she started "shrinking, hiding, disappearing" and became "guilty and overprotective." The actress also refused to leave her son alone as she feared he would take drastic steps without supervision. She eventually learned that early diagnosis, therapy and family support can help a child reach their complete potential.
In January 2019, Conn shared that the most significant breakthrough came when her then-26-year-old son said "I love you" to her mother. "It was the biggest milestone, it really was... It really was something special to hear," the actress mentioned. After spending years caring for her son, Conn decided to get back to the entertainment industry by joining 'Dancing on Ice' after Daniel moved to a farm where he worked.
Where is Didi Conn now?
Conn appeared on the reality show 'Dancing on Ice' in January 2019 and said she wanted to participate in the contest to rediscover her identity beyond being a mother. While her stint at the show was short-lived, Conn rushed back to the US after her early elimination to be by her husband's side, who was hospitalized at the time. In addition to her work as an actress, Conn was also named the national celebrity spokesperson for Autism Speaks in 2008.
As part of her most recent work as an actress, Conn appeared in the 2020 American comedy film 'The Mimic' as "The Gossip Lady." She also played Mrs Devlin in a 2022 episode of 'Blue Bloods.' The 72-year-old continues to meet her fans to the day and recently attended the Summer Lovin' 45th Anniversary Celebration of 'Grease'.
