John Travolta
John Travolta | |
---|---|
Born | John Joseph Travolta |
Other names | Johnny Travolta |
Occupation(s) | Actor, singer, dancer, producer, writer |
Years active | 1969–present |
Spouse(s) | Kelly Preston (1991–present) |
Website | http://www.travolta.com |
John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, dancer and singer. He first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Travolta's career re-surged in the 1990s, with his role in Pulp Fiction, and he has since continued starring in Hollywood films, including Face/Off, Ladder 49 and Wild Hogs.
Travolta has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The first, for his role in Saturday Night Fever and the second for Pulp Fiction. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty.
Early life
Travolta, the youngest of six children,[1] was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, an inner-ring suburb of New York City. His father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company.[2] His mother, Helen Cecilia (née Burke), who was 42 when Travolta was born, was an actress and singer who had appeared in The Sunshine Sisters, a radio vocal group, and acted and directed before becoming a high school drama and English teacher. His father was a second-generation Italian American and his mother was Irish American;[3] He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and has said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture.[4][5] His family was Roman Catholic.[6]
Early career
After attending Dwight Morrow High School,[7] Travolta moved across the Hudson River to New York City and landed a role in the touring company of the musical Grease and on Broadway in Over Here! singing the Sherman Brothers' song "Dream Drummin'".[8][9] He then moved to Los Angeles to further his career in show business.
Travolta's first California-filmed television role was as a fall victim in, Emergency! (S2E2), in September 1972,[10] but his first significant movie role was as Billy Nolan, a bully who was goaded into playing a prank on Sissy Spacek's character in the horror film, Carrie (1976).[11] Around the same time, he landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979), in which his sister, Ellen, also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack's mother).[12]
'70s stardom
Around this time, Travolta had a hit single entitled "Let Her In" peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[13][14] In the next few years, he appeared in some of his most memorable screen roles: Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and as Danny Zuko in Grease (1978). These two films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom.[15] Saturday Night Fever earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.[16] At age 24, Travolta became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.[17] His mother and his sister Ann appeared as extras in Saturday Night Fever and his sister Ellen appeared as a waitress in Grease. Travolta performed several of the songs on the Grease soundtrack album,[18] In 1980, Travolta inspired a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film, Urban Cowboy, in which he starred with Debra Winger.[19]
Downturn
After Urban Cowboy came a string of flops that sidelined his acting career. Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever, Perfect, co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and Two of a Kind, a romantic comedy reteaming him with Olivia Newton-John. During that time he was offered, but turned down, lead roles in what would become box office hits, including American Gigolo[20] and An Officer and a Gentleman,[21] both of which went to Richard Gere. His only hit film was Look Who's Talking with Kirstie Alley and a baby voiced by Bruce Willis.
Resurgence
It was not until he played Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's hit Pulp Fiction (1994), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, that his career was revived.[22][23] The movie shifted him back onto the A-list, and he was inundated with offers. Notable roles following Pulp Fiction include a movie-buff loan shark in Get Shorty (1995), an FBI agent and terrorist in Face/Off (1997), a desperate attorney in A Civil Action (1998), a Bill Clinton-esque presidential candidate in Primary Colors (1998) and a military detective in The General's Daughter (1999).
Travolta also starred in Battlefield Earth (2000) based on a work of science fiction by L. Ron Hubbard, in which he played the leader of a group of aliens that enslaves humanity on a bleak future Earth. The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office.[24] The film won a Razzie Award for Worst Film of the Year at the 2000 awards. Travolta, who became a Scientologist in 1975 and endorses Hubbard's teachings, had hoped that the film would be well received and be the first in a series of Hubbard film adaptations. In 2004, Travolta played Deputy Chief Mike Kennedy in the Ladder 49. This film was notable for being the first post-9/11 film that focused on the life of a crew of firefighters. Travolta starred as a once successful businessman gone broke and divorced who takes to the road on a motorcycle road-trip with his friends in 2007's Wild Hogs. Travolta played Mrs. Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since Grease.[25]
He was the lead voice role of the Disney film Bolt (2008), where he played a lost canine actor trying to get home and also sang "I Thought I Lost You,' the duet for the ending credits of the film with co-star Miley Cyrus. In 2009, he appeared in The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, a remake of the 1974 film, and Old Dogs, a live-action comedy, co-starring with Robin Williams and Bernie Mac. His next film will be 2010's From Paris with Love.
Personal life
Travolta married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. The couple had two children: Jett, born on April 13, 1992, and Ella Bleu, born on April 3, 2000. Their son, Jett died on January 2, 2009 while the family was on holiday in The Bahamas.[26][27] A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure.[28] Jett, who had a history of seizures,[29] reportedly suffered from Kawasaki disease in early childhood.[30]
Long a source of speculation,[31] in September 2009, Travolta testified that his son had autism and suffered regular seizures, as part of his testimony in a trial which resulted after an extortion attempt following Jett Travolta's death.[32]
The couple has regularly attended marriage counselling, and Travolta admits that therapy has helped the marriage.[33]
Travolta was previously involved with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble; Hyland died of breast cancer in 1977.[34]
Travolta is a certified pilot and owns five aircraft, including an ex-Australian Boeing 707-138 airliner. The plane bears the name Jett Clipper Ella in honor of his children. Pan American World Airways was a large operator of the Boeing 707 and used Clipper in its names. The 707 aircraft bears the marks of Qantas, as Travolta acts as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flies. His $4.9 million estate in the Jumbolair subdivision in Ocala, Florida, is situated on Greystone Airport with its own runway and taxiway right to his front door.[35]
Travolta has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975 when he was given the book Dianetics while filming the movie The Devil's Rain in Durango, Mexico.[36]
Extortion plot
On January 23, 2009, three people were arrested in the Bahamas in connection with a multi-million dollar extortion plot against the Travolta family around the circumstances of Jett's death.[37] It is believed that the plot centered around a "refusal to transport" document allegedly signed by Travolta when paramedics arrived to treat Jett, that a police spokesman noted did not apply in the Travolta case.[38] One of the men, Obie Wilchcombe, a member of the Bahamian Parliament and former Bahamian Minister of Tourism, was described as a "close friend" of the Travolta family.[37] The other two people allegedly involved are EMT Tarino Lightbourne and former senator Pleasant Bridgewater, who was charged with abetment to extort and conspiracy to extort.[37] She resigned from the Senate as a result of the allegations.[39]
Filmography
Television series
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Emergency! | Casey | Episode: "Kids" |
Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law | Episode: "A Piece of God" | ||
1973 | The Rookies | Eddie Halley | Episode: " Frozen Smoke" |
1974 | Medical Center | Danny | Episode: "Saturday's Child" |
1975–1979 | Welcome Back, Kotter | Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino |
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | US |
---|---|---|
1974 | Over Here! | — |
1976 | John Travolta | 39 |
1977 | Can't Let You Go | 66 |
1978 | Travolta Fever | 161 |
Grease | — | |
1983 | Two of a Kind | 26 |
1986 | The Road to Freedom | — |
1996 | Let Her In: The Best of John Travolta | — |
2003 | The Collection | — |
2007 | Hairspray | — |
Singles
- "You Set My Dreams To Music" (1969)
- "Goodnight Mr. Moon" (1969)
- "Rainbows" (1969)
- "Settle Down" (1970)
- "Moonlight Lady" (1971)
- "Right Time Of The Night" (1972)
- "Big Trouble" (1972)
- "What Would They Say" (1973)
- "Back Doors Crying" (1973)
- "Dream Drummin'" (1974)
- "Easy Evil" (1975)
- "Can't Let You Go" (1975)
- "Let Her In" (1976) – #10
- "Whenever I'm Away From You" (1976) – #38
- "Slow Dancin'" (1976)
- "It Had To Be You" (1976)
- "I Don't Know What I Like About You Baby" (1976)
- "All Strung Out On You" (1977) – #34
- "Baby, I Could Be So Good At Lovin' You" (1977)
- "Razzamatazz" (1977)
- "You're the One That I Want" – #1 (1978) (w/ Olivia Newton-John)
- "Sandy" (1978)
- "Greased Lightnin" (1978) – #47
- "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (1980)
- "Hooker Madness" (1983)
- "I Thought I Lost You" (2008)
See also
References
- ^ Pearce, Garth (2007-07-15). "On the move: John Travolta". Times Online. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ "John Travolta Biography (1954-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "Begorrah!! Travolta's Irish..." Showbiz Ireland. 2007-01-07. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ "Celebetty: John Travolta". BeatBoxBetty.com. 2000. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ Grant, Meg (February 2005). "Night Moves". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
- ^ "The Big Question: John Travolta". "THE BIG QUESTION" BBC1. 2004-01-28. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
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(help) - ^ "Q&A: John Travolta". Sports Illustrated. 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "Masterworks & Playbill Debut 2 Editors' Choice Compilations". Baltimore.broadwayworld.com. 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ Collins, Nancy (1983-08-18). "Sex and the Single Star: John Travolta". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "The Quintessential Tarot Tina: What's on the Cards for Star John Travolta". Highbeam.com. 2005-07-03. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ Mcelroy, Steven (2006-07-08). "What's on Tonight". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "A Sister's Inspiration - John Travolta Followed Ellen's Lead into Acting". The Spokesman-Review. 1996-07-07. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ Blank, Ed (2003-03-28). "John Travolta talks about his past, his present and his destiny in Hollywood". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "Then & Now: 10 Best Teen Idols of All Time". FOXNews.com. 2009-01-01. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ White, Jim (1994-10-17). "Look who's acting: Staying Alive was dire. Perfect was anything but. Now, courtesy of Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, Travolta is back". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "Saturday Night Fever". Variety. 1977-12-14. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ Karger, Dave (2007-04-27). "Spotlight on Ryan Gosling". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "Travolta, R.E.M., Moby, Danzig Make Movie/Music Crossovers". Mtv.com. 1997-07-17. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "John Travolta". MTV. 1954-02-18. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ Jackson, Kevin (1996-02-06). "High-concept high roller". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "John Travolta goes the whole Hog with his new hit movie". The Independent. 2007-04-06. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ "Making Movies With the Mob / John Travolta stars as gangster producer in Elmore Leonard's `Get Shorty'". Sfgate.com. 1995-10-15. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ James, Caryn (2004-12-02). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK; As Praise Flows, Travolta Awaits His 3rd Comeback". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ^ John Travolta at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ Travolta on becoming a woman, interview with stv/movies, June 2007 stv.tv
- ^ "Jett Travolta, son of actors, dies at 16". CNN. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^ "John Travolta's teenage son dies". BBC News Online. BBC. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^ "Death Certificate: John Travolta's Son Died of a Seizure". ABC News. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
- ^ "John Travolta's 16-Year-Old Son Dies". People. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
- ^ Errico, Marcus (2009-01-02). "John Travolta's Son Jett Dead at 16". E! Online. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
- ^ Heureux, Steve L. (2009-09-24). "Travolta finally admits that son had Autism". The Examiner. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
- ^ Abraham, Mary Rose (2009-09-23). "From John Travolta: I Ran Down the Stairs To Help My Son". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-09-23.
- ^ Linton, Marilyn (2009-02-10). "Therapy can keep it real when the honeymoon is over". London Free Press. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ "Biography of Diana Hyland". IMDB. Retrieved 2007-03-28.
- ^ Kelly Preston showed a picture of this on the August 29, 2007, episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
- ^ "Successes of Scientology". Church of Scientology International. May 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
- ^ a b c Harlow, John (2009-01-25). "Senator 'tried to extort cash' from Travolta over son's death". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
- ^ "Police Reveal Details of John Travolta Extortion Plot". People. 2009-01-28.
- ^ "Travolta Suspect Resigns". TMZ.com. 2009-01-24. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
Further reading
- Tast, Brigitte (ed.) John Travolta. (Hildesheim/Germany 1978) ISBN 3-88842-103-9.
External links
- John Travolta official site
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- John Travolta at Curlie
- John Travolta at Rotten Tomatoes
- John Travolta: A Passionate Ambassador of Aviation
- 1954 births
- Living people
- Actors from New Jersey
- American aviators
- American dancers
- American film actors
- American male singers
- American musical theatre actors
- American pop singers
- American Scientologists
- American television actors
- Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Irish-American musicians
- Italian-American musicians
- People from Bergen County, New Jersey
- People from Englewood, New Jersey
- Worst Actor Golden Raspberry Award winners
- Worst Screen Couple Golden Raspberry Award winners