For millions of fans, Stockard Channing will always be Rizzo — the sharp-tongued, confident teenager who became one of the most unforgettable characters in Grease.

But as the years passed, Channing seemed to quietly drift away from the Hollywood spotlight. She never completely stopped acting, but she became far less visible than many fans remembered from her biggest years.

Now 82, Channing is reminding audiences why they fell in love with her in the first place.

After spending years largely outside the celebrity spotlight, she has continued choosing acting projects on her own terms, particularly theater work. It’s a very different life from the frenzy surrounding Grease, but Channing has never seemed interested in chasing fame simply for the sake of staying famous.

And her career is much bigger than Rizzo.

She earned an Academy Award nomination for Six Degrees of Separation and later found a whole new generation of fans playing First Lady Abbey Bartlet on The West Wing. Her work on television and the stage earned her some of the biggest honors of her career.

Still, seeing Channing today can bring back powerful memories for anyone who first watched Grease decades ago.

More than 45 years have passed since Rizzo walked the halls of Rydell High, yet Channing’s performance remains just as memorable. The attitude, humor and vulnerability she brought to the character helped make Rizzo much more than the stereotypical “tough girl.”

At 82, Stockard Channing doesn’t need to recreate those days.

Her return to public attention is simply a reminder that the woman behind one of Hollywood’s most beloved characters is still doing what she has always loved — acting.

And for longtime Grease fans, it’s wonderful to see her again.