'Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies' Cast: Get To Know The Stars Of The Paramount+ Prequel Series

The world is long overdue for some mischief and mayhem coming out of the infamous Rydell High. In 2020, Paramount+ announced a spinoff series prequel to the classic movie Grease that explores the origins of everyone's favorite Pink Ladies.

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"I thought, 'Nobody needs a new Grease. The original Grease is absolutely perfect,'" creator Annabel Oakes told Us Weekly. "But then I thought about it for a second, and I thought, 'What unanswered questions do I have from Grease?' Because everything was tied up really nicely with Danny and Sandy. But I was like, 'What was up with the Pink Ladies? Were those girl gangs real?' I started Googling, and I found out that there were real Pink Ladies at the high school of the original creator of Grease, Jim Jacobs."

From there, the idea for Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies was born. This series will follow four teenage girls as they navigate high school life in 1954 — four years prior to the original movie timeline — and discover their journeys to becoming founding members of the Pink Ladies clique.

While this musical comedy show may lack nostalgic characters such as Rizzo and Frenchy, the new cast of young women is sure to impress. Here's a look at who will be in the Rise Of The Pink Ladies prequel series.

Marisa Davila as Jane

Starring as one of the leading foursome is Marisa Davila, a Nashville, Tenn., native who grew up around the arts thanks to her musically talented parents. While this is her first leading role, she's made a few guest appearances in shows such as Cloak & Dagger, Atypical and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia

Cheyenne Isabel Wells is pretty new to the acting world, having only made one credited TV appearance as a musical performer on The Late Late Show with James Corden back in 2019.  She's worked mostly on stage as a vocalist in the Bay Area, has performed in Little Shop of Horrors, and has had multiple roles at Disneyland.

Madison Thompson as Susan

Madison Thompson is no stranger to the acting world. While she's appeared in hit soap operas such as The Young and the Restless, her most notable role is that of Erin Pierce from the Netflix series Ozark.

Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia

Another fresh face on the scene, Ari Notartomaso has just one other role under their belt -- Clara, in the 2021 film Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin. While this is their first notable performance, their resume boasts a robust list of theater experience and training.

Kallie Hu as Peg

With her background primarily in dancing, it's no wonder Kallie Hu's big break came through a musical series. She's been bringing her groovy moves to the screen since 2017 with appearances in shows including Once Upon a Time and films such as the 2018 rendition of Freaky Friday, as well as playing small roles in a few Christmas TV movies.

Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy

Rounding out the four main pink ladies is Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy. Prior to her role in the new series, Fukuhara is recognizable for her appearances on TV shows Only Children, Tango of Imaginary Friend and Totally WOW.

Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee

Easily the most recognizable name in the Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies cast, Jackie Hoffman is a veteran actress who's been around since the early '90s. You probably know her best as Mamacita from the hit show Feud: Bette and Joan or for her more recent role as Uma Heller in the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.

Charlotte Kavanagh as Rosemary

Another primetime dancer, Charlotte Kavanagh has appeared as both a dancer and an actress in a variety of shows. Up until now, her most notable gigs are Once Upon a Time, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and Riverdale.

Shanel Bailey as Hazel

Shanel Bailey is a newcomer to television but not musical theater. The Syracuse University grad landed an understudy role on the Broadway series The Book of Mormon prior to making her TV debut. Before landing the role of Hazel, Bailey appeared in episodes of The Equalizer, The Good Fight and That Damn Michael Che.

Jason Schmidt as Buddy

While the series focuses on the female protagonists, a few men are still thrown in the mix. One of them is Jason Schmidt, a relatively unknown actor whose prior credits include a single-episode role on FBI: Most Wanted.

Johnathan Nieves as Richie

While there's a chance you've caught actor Johnathan Nieves in a few past roles on shows such as Shameless, New Amsterdam, Grey's Anatomy and Better Call Saul, his current claim to fame is Mateo Vega of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. Despite his strong acting background, this is his first major musical role.

Josette Halpert as Dot

A child star with a long list of credits, Josette Halpert is probably best known for her role as Alison Hargate in the American Girl film Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front. She's also had recurring roles in shows such as The Other Kingdom and has lent her voice to the character Pixir in the children's TV series Go Away, Unicorn!

When does Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies come out?

While the show has been in the works since 2020, eager fans won't have to wait much longer to see the O.G. Pink Ladies in action. The series will premiere April 6 on Paramount+, with new episodes coming out every Thursday.

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