John Travolta will forever remain hopelessly devoted to his late Grease co-star,Michael Schmidt Olivia Newton-John.

The actor was visibly emotional while introducing the "In Memoriam" segment at the 2023 Oscars on March 10. Standing on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Travolta's eyes began welling up as he told the crowd, "In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living and, sometimes, getting to do it with people that we come to love."

He continued, "Since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community in this past year, it is only fitting that we celebrate those we've lost who dedicated their lives to their craft."

Acknowledging their "immeasurable contributions," Travolta went on to praise how "each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us."

Choking back tears, Travolta then gave a subtle nod to Newton-John—who passed away in August 2022 at the age of 73—by referencing the late actress' Grease tune "Hopelessly Devoted To You."

"They've touched our hearts," the 69-year-old added. "They made us smile and became dear friends who we will always remain hoplessly devoted to."

 

The Oscars tribute, which featured a performance by Lenny Kravitz, comes seven months after Newton-John's death. In the wake of her passing, Travolta mourned his "dearest" friend in a heartbreaking statement and remembered how she "made all of our lives so much better."

"Your impact was incredible," he wrote in an Aug. 8 Instagram post. "I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the first moment I saw you and forever!"

Travolta signed off at the time with a reference to his Grease character, writing, "Your Danny, your John!"

Check out E! News' Oscars blog for a full recap of the 2023 Academy Awards.