He cemented himself as a teen heartthrob with his breakout role in the sequel to one of America’s most beloved musical rom-coms.
On screen, he played the charming British exchange student opposite one of Hollywood’s most bankable actresses of the ’80s and ’90s.
Though the film never matched its predecessor’s success, it later gained cult status, just like a later project where he portrayed a washed-up musician in a coming-of-age comedy.
He went on to win prime-time fame in a hit ’80s soap opera, capturing hearts as the sensitive yet privileged son of a billionaire.
In recent years, he’s returned to the stage, starring in major productions on London’s famed West End and Broadway.
Can you guess who?
He cemented himself as a teen heartthrob with his breakout role in the sequel to one of America’s most beloved musical rom-coms
Though the film never matched its predecessor’s success, it later gained cult status, just like a later project where he portrayed a washed-up musician in a coming-of-age comedy
He went on to win prime-time fame in a hit ’80s soap opera, capturing hearts as the sensitive yet privileged son of a billionaire
It’s Maxwell Caulfield from Grease 2 and Dynasty!
The 65-year-old actor cut a casual figure as he stepped out in Ojai, California to pick up dog food in his vintage white GMC El Camino before heading to a sun-drenched local park.
With temperatures climbing into the 90s, he was seen carefully lathering on sunscreen before setting off on his stroll, determined to stay protected in the sweltering heat.
He kept cool in a crisp white T-shirt stamped with a light blue North Shore, Hawaii, decal, paired with loose cargo shorts, a black fanny pack slung around his waist and a pair of stylish gray New Balance sneakers.
Shielding his eyes behind dark sunglasses and with a sleek smartwatch strapped to his wrist, the veteran star looked every inch the laid-back Californian as he soaked up the late-summer rays.
But Caulfield’s roots trace back to Derbyshire, England, where he first found his footing on stage, performing in local productions and in London.
Maxwell Caulfield, 65, stepped out to grab some dog food in his white vintage GMC El Camino in Ojai, California on Wednesday
He made his way to a nearby park, carefully applying sunscreen before starting his walk, intent on staying safe in the blazing heat as temperatures soared over 90
He stayed cool in a crisp white T-shirt featuring a light blue North Shore, Hawaii decal, paired with relaxed cargo shorts, a black fanny pack around his waist, and a pair of gray New Balance sneakers
After moving to the US and acting in Off-Broadway shows, Caulfield won hearts in Grease 2 as Michael Carrington, sharing sizzling on-screen chemistry with co-star Michelle Pfeiffer
After obtaining a green card, he began honing his craft in New York’s Off-Broadway theater scene, but it was his British accent and clean-cut charm that won over audiences in Grease 2, where he starred as the clean-cut exchange student, Michael Carrington.
The 1982 sequel failed to match the runaway success of its predecessor, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
However, his smoldering on-screen chemistry with rising star Michelle Pfeiffer, cast as Stephanie Zinone -the fearless leader of the Pink Ladies – helped elevate the film into a cult classic over time.
In an interview from April 2024, the star reflected that when he did his original screen test for the movie, he ended up wearing the jacket that Travolta had worn as T-Bird Danny in the original Grease.
Ironically, he also recalled that some years prior, he was a cinema usher during a film premiere when the then-teen idol caused pandemonium at the launch of Saturday Night Fever.
However, Caulfield’s career would not hit the same trajectory that Pfeiffer’s did, telling Page 6 in 2021 that ‘It was, psychologically, quite a kick in the pants’.
His good looks helped him stand out in the hit ’80s soap Dynasty, where he became a household name playing Miles, the calculating yet sensitive son of the wealthy Colby family who married Fallon Carrington, played by Emma Samms
Caulfield cemented his cult status in the 1995 film Empire Records, playing fading heartthrob Rex Manning, the arrogant pop star whose disastrous in-store signing sparked the movie’s unforgettable ‘Rex Manning Day’
The actor married Avanti! actress Juliet Mills, 83, in 1980. Though she is nearly 20 years his senior, he said in a 2024 interview that she kept him feeling young
But despite not hitting A-list status, his good looks helped him shine in the hit ’80s soap opera Dynasty, where he became a household name as Miles Colby, the calculating yet sensitive son of the billionaire Colby family.
Miles’s tangled love affairs and scheming ways kept viewers hooked week after week, while his charm and striking presence made him a standout among the show’s ensemble cast.
The role’s popularity carried over into the spin-off The Colbys, where he clashed with his cousin Jeff in a dramatic love triangle over Jeff’s ex-wife, Fallon, cementing his place in prime-time drama history.
Caulfield’s success on the soap opera would lead him to reinvent himself in the 1995 cult favorite Empire Records.
He stole scenes as fading heartthrob Rex Manning However, Caulfield’s career would hit the same trajectory that Pfeiffer’s had, telling Page 6 in 2021 that ‘It was, psychologically, quite a kick in the pants’. the arrogant pop star whose disastrous in-store signing sparked the film’s unforgettable ‘Rex Manning Day.’
Following this, he returned to the stage, taking on major productions in London’s famed West End and on Broadway, with one of his more notable roles being lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago in 2007.
The actor married Avanti! actress Juliet Mills, 83, in 1980, nearly 20 years his senior.
But that age gap didn’t seem to bother Caulfield, who told ITV’s Loose Women in a 2024 interview that she kept him feeling young, describing their marriage as a ‘spooky reverse process’.
