Grease 2 star Maxwell Caulfield's forgotten early life in Derbyshire

I implore you to find anyone over the age of 20 who hasn't seen Grease - I bet you'd struggle.

But trying to find someone who has seen Grease 2 is a much tougher task.

And to be honest, I don't know why, while it doesn't have the critical acclaim of its cool predecessor, Grease 2 is just as worthy of the hype.

Read more: Your Derby

Ok, confession time, (if you haven't already guessed) Grease 2 is one of my top films of all time.

I love how cheesy it is, the absolute bops (I DARE you to tell me Reproduction isn't a banger), and the mismatched cast (hello Michelle Pfeiffer!)

So when I learned that one of the main stars of Grease 2, Maxwell 'Cool Rider' Caulfield was born just down the road in Belper, I pretty much lost my mind.

As well as playing Michael Carrington, a clean-cut British exchange student turned biker boy, in the greatest film on earth, Caulfield has appeared in several movies and even did a stint on ITV's Emmerdale.

Early life

He was born Maxwell P.J. Newby on November 23, 1959 (Sagittarius king) in Belper, Derbyshire. He has a younger sibling Marcus who is also an actor.

By 1965, his parents had parted and his mother (Oriole Rosalind Findlater) legally abandoned the surname Newby in favour of her maiden name.

Some years later his mother remarried and at the age of 15 he was reportedly kicked out of the house by his American stepfather.

After this Caulfield allegedly became an exotic dancer at London's Windmill Theatre before heading across the pond to pursue a career in acting. Caulfield made his stage debut in 1979 in Class Enemy, in which he played the lead role. Earning himself a Theatre World Award for his performance. Fast forward to 1982 and Caulfield is about to get his big break starring alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in the sequel to Grease.

Sadly (and outrageously if you ask me), Grease 2 only grossed $15 million against a production budget of $11 million, a far cry from its predecessor's $132 million in US box offices.

After several other roles in 1985, Caulfield landed a role as Miles Colby on Dynasty and a spin-off The Colbys.

His other acting accolades include roles in Electric Dreams, The Boys Next Door and Empire Records.

Personal life and marriage

Caulfield is married to famous actress Juliet Mills (daughter of acting legend Sir John Mills and playwright, Mary Hayley Bell). He is the stepfather to Juliet's children Melissa and Sean from her previous marriages.

According to Hello! Magazine: The couple first met and later married when Maxwell was 21 and Juliet was 39, which initially sparked some criticism.

In 2019, Juliet told Mail Online: "We were instant friends, immediately attracted. I believe in reincarnation and I believe I'd known Maxwell in another life. It was like saying, 'Oh hello, there you are.'" 

"It was a full-blown romance," added Maxwell. "There was a connection on a psychic level. It was instantaneous for us both." 

The pair married in 1980 at sunrise on a clifftop overlooking the Pacific [ocean].

As of 2019, the couple has been living in California.

Juliet told the Mail Online: "We moved to Ojai, an hour and a half's drive outside Los Angeles, to have a bigger garden."

Adding: "We grow fruit and I have a rose garden." Aww.