Advertisement

Delta Goodrem's struggle filming Olivia Newton-John cancer scenes

Rebekah Scanlan
·Senior Lifestyle & Entertainment Producer


The TV special on Olivia Newton-John’s life is set to air next week.

But Delta Goodrem has revealed that playing the Australian icon has had its difficulties, particularly the “heavy” scenes surrounding ONJ’s devastating breast cancer diagnosis.

“I had to reopen old wounds that I had already stitched up,” she told the Herald Sun.

Delta Goodrem has opened up about the difficulties in playing Olivia Newton-John in the upcoming miniseries on her life, pictured here together last year. Source: Getty
Delta Goodrem has opened up about the difficulties in playing Olivia Newton-John in the upcoming miniseries on her life, pictured here together last year. Source: Getty

“The week we did the hospital scenes it definitely took me time to wash it off again. There were a lot of heavy scenes,” she added.

Delta had her own cancer battle in the past, when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2003 at the age of 18.

She described some of the scenes as “heavy” adding they took their toll. Source: Seven
She described some of the scenes as “heavy” adding they took their toll. Source: Seven

The highly anticipated Seven miniseries, Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted To You, is based on the many ups and downs the Grease star has endured over the years.

In 2005 her partner Patrick McDermott vanished at sea and in 2017 her breast cancer returned, 25 years after she went into remission.

Delta stars as Olivia in the TV biopic about the Grease star’s life. Source: Seven
Delta stars as Olivia in the TV biopic about the Grease star’s life. Source: Seven

Delta revealed that despite the difficulties she faced to channel such emotional moments in the mum-of-one’s life, she put her “heart and soul” into it to make her proud.

Despite the 69-year-old helping Delta re-record some of her classic hits for the biopic, there have been rumours she’s not happy about the film airing.

Delta found certain scenes hard to film. Source: Getty
Delta found certain scenes hard to film. Source: Getty
ONJ, seen here with her partner Patrick who mysteriously vanished, has led a far from ordinary life. Source: Getty
ONJ, seen here with her partner Patrick who mysteriously vanished, has led a far from ordinary life. Source: Getty

“When they told me they were doing it, I was horrified,” the Physical singer told Australian Women’s Weekly recently.

But after realising the movie would go ahead whether she “wanted it to or not” she decided to get on board and now profits are being donated to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.

Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted To You airs on May 13 on Seven.


Got a story tip? Send it to tips@yahoo7.com.au

Want more celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle news? Follow Be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.