Who did Treat Williams play in Grease? Character explored as John Travolta pays tribute to late star

127 Hours star Treat Williams passed away following a motorcycle accident on June 12, 2023. He was 71. Treat was known for appearing as Danny Zuko in a Broadway production of Grease. John Travolta later portrayed the role in the film adaptation.

Travolta shared a black-and-white picture on his Instagram Story featuring Williams, where they were performing together in the Broadway show Over Here! in the 1970s. Travolta wrote that he and Williams started their careers together in New York City on Broadway and that he will be missed by everyone.

John Travolta's Instagram Story (Image via People)

Treat's agent, Barry McPherson, confirmed his demise in a statement shared with People, saying that "a car cut him off" while he was taking a turn. Barry described Treat as a nice and talented individual and further stated:

"He was an actor's actor. Filmmakers loved him. He's had a balanced career."

According to fire chief Jacob Gribble, Treat Williams met with an accident on Route 30 in Dorset, Vermont, at 5 p.m. on Monday. The accident happened when a car was turning, and Williams was hit. Authorities immediately arrived at the location after the accident, and Williams was air lifted to the hospital.

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Treat Williams portrayed Danny Zuko in Grease

Treat Williams played one of the lead roles in the musical titled Grease. He appeared as Danny Zuko in the musical and was the Rydell High T-Birds' leader. He fell in love with Sandy Olsson during a summer vacation at the beach, and while Sandy plans to return to Australia, Danny believes that their relationship has just started but would not possibly meet her again.

Danny has blue eyes and thick black hair with pomade. He usually appears in a T-shirt with black jeans and shoes. He uses a 'greaser' style called DA in his hair, which was popular during the 50s, and his black leather jacket features the logo of T-Birds.

The main premise of the musical is set in the background of Rydell High School in northwest Chicago in 1959. The main characters include ten teenagers who explore things like peer pressure, politics, personal core values, and love.

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Treat Williams has appeared in various films and TV shows since 1969

Treat Williams was active as an actor since 1969 and has appeared in different film and TV projects. He started his career with the 1975 film Deadly Hero and continued to appear in various films like The Eagle Has Landed, 1941, The Empire Strikes Back, and more.

Williams then started to appear on television, and his first TV show was the PBS anthology series American Playhouse. He played the role of Dr. Andrew 'Andy' Brown in the drama series Everwood, which aired on The WB from 2002 to 2006.

Williams was cast in various other films like Smooth Talk, Heart of Dixie, Mulholland Falls, Venomous, 127 Hours, Drunk Parents, and others. Prior to his death, his last film as an actor was the sports film, 12 Mighty Orphans, released in 2021.

He also appeared in the Hallmark Channel’s series Chesapeake Shores from 2016 to 2022 and in the HBO limited series We Own This City. His final television role is in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series Feud: Capote’s Women. He plays former CBS head and media tycoon Bill Paley in the FX series.

Apart from acting, Williams was also interested in flying aircraft, and he underwent training for the same at a very young age. He was the owner of different kinds of aircraft, like the Piper J-3 Cub, the Piper Seneca II, and more. He was also trained in scuba diving, and he was a PADI-certified diver alongside his then-girlfriend Dana Delany.

Treat Williams is survived by his wife, actress Pam Van Sant, and their two children, Gille and Ellie.