Olivia Newton John Has a Nobel Prize-Winning Connection

These days, the Grease star – and granddaughter of a Nobel Prize winner – is hopelessly devoted to her animals.

What’s your idea of absolute happiness?

Good health and sitting in the sun at home with my husband [John Easterling], my daughter [Chloe Lattanzi] and my animals – my dog Raven, my horses Harry and Winston and my cat Magic – and watching my chickens and their offspring.

What’s your most treasured possession?

My wedding ring. I love the symbolism of it. It’s a diamond in the rough that my husband chose and we designed it together.

If you could have dinner with two famous people, who would you choose?

I’m going to say my grandfather, Max Born, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics [in 1954, for his research into quantum mechanics], and his good friend Albert Einstein.

What travel experience is on your bucket list?

My bucket is pretty full already. I’m blessed to have had amazing life experiences. But my peaceful Gaia Retreat & Spa in the hinterland of Byron Bay is always the place I long to be.

What’s your greatest strength?

Knowing when to answer a question… or not.

And your greatest weakness?

Dark chocolate with caramel and sea salt, and orchids and roses.

What scares you?

Sharks, duh! Growing up in Australia, I remember the warnings on the radio to not go into the ocean.

What virtue do you most admire in people?

Being brave enough to swim in the ocean.

If you could do any other job, what would it be?

A vet or a mounted policewoman. I could ride a horse and get paid for it.

How do you switch off?

I climb into bed with my husband and have a cup of tea.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I’ve let go of guilt so it’s just pleasure.

If you could turn back time, what would you change in your life?

I wouldn’t change anything. It was all a lesson. Without the mistakes and the pain, you wouldn’t grow. But there was that one time...

What’s your greatest achievement?

My beautiful, talented daughter, Chloe.

Who is your personal hero?

Louise Hay [the late motivational author]. She taught me so much about self-love and the power of the mind to heal.

Where would we find you at a party?

In the kitchen, cleaning up.

If you were an animal, what would it be?

I’d be any one of my animals, because they are so loved and, dare I say it, spoilt.

What would you spend your last $20 on?

Red lipstick – at least I could look good.

How would you like to be remembered?

For making music that touched people. And I hope my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute finds a cure for cancer or, even better, how to prevent it.

Top image: Photographed by Kate Nutt at Gaia Retreat & Spa