Before Facts Of Life, Pamela Adlon Made Her Acting Debut In An '80s Cult Classic

Long before Pamela Adlon (formerly credited as Pamela Segall) voiced Bobby Hill in the long-running animated series "King of the Hill," or starred as Sam Fox in the acclaimed FX comedy-drama "Better Things," she played Kelly Affinado on the popular 1980s NBC show "The Facts of Life." Introduced in the fifth season, Kelly was a teenage tomboy caught shoplifting from Edna Garrett's (Charlotte Rae) gourmet food shop. Kelly appeared in 12 episodes before being dropped from the series; fortunately, there were better things (and "Better Things") ahead for the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Adlon.

Fans of "The Facts of Life" may think that the show was Pamela Adlon's big break, but prior to her arrival during the 1983-84 season, she made her onscreen debut in a flop film that has since become a cult classic: "Grease 2." The 1982 sequel follows Stephanie Zinone (Michelle Pfeiffer), a cynical member of the Pink Ladies clique, as she's wooed by British student Michael Carrington, who transforms himself into a leather-clad biker to be the "Cool Rider" of her dreams.

In "Grease 2," Pamela Adlon plays Dolores Rebchuck, the pigtailed younger sister of the glamorous Paulette (Lorna Luft). Similar to Kelly Affinado, Dolores is a tough young tomboy with a heart of gold, and is the first Rydell student to befriend Michael. A box office bomb, "Grease 2" has garnered a passionate fan following over the decades, with Den of Geek calling it "smarter, funnier, [and] more feminist" than the original "Grease."

"Grease 2" features several breakthrough performances from its sprawling cast of newcomers, including Pamela Adlon, Michelle Pfeiffer (who later regretted starring in it), Maxwell Caulfield, Lorna Luft, Adrian Zmed, and Christopher McDonald. But there is one famous Hollywood star known for his dance moves who did not appear in "Grease 2" — Patrick Swayze.

In 2020, comedian and "Comedy Bang! Bang!" podcast host Scott Aukerman posted a brief clip of an uncredited "Grease 2" background dancer on X (formerly Twitter). Making an "URGENT" call to "Grease 2" fans, Aukerman asked, "Does anyone know if this is Patrick Swayze?" and noted that he had found other viewers wondering the same thing. While Swayze had played Danny Zuko in the replacement cast of "Grease" on Broadway, in 1982 he was several years away from his fabulous, star-cementing performance in "Dirty Dancing."

Pamela Adlon responded, confirming that "it's not him." While she did not remember the actual dancer's name, she praised the "brilliant" performers in the film who made an impact on her as a young actress. X user @KenKraal93, a self-described "HUGE fan of 'Grease 2,'" identified the Swayze-lookalike as Dennis Daniels, who had also appeared as a dancer in "Grease." As for where you can watch the sequel yourself, "Grease 2" is currently streaming on Hoopla and Kanopy.