The Story of John Travolta

We’re here to tell you all about John Travolta. From starring in Grease to collaborating with Miley Cyrus, Travolta has really done it all! It’s been over 40 years of his celebrated career, but what is this star really like? It’s time to get into the real story of this icon: the personal struggles, the big breaks and regrets. Of course, John Travolta has captured the hearts of many throughout his days. Now, this heartthrob is a married man, but many still recall crushing on the star in his early days of fame. Yes, he’s married to Kelly Preston, but we’ll get to that soon enough. Anyway, as we go back and rewatch his past projects, it’s hard not to fall in love with Travolta all over again. Naturally, many looked to John Travolta as an icon and even trendsetter through the decades. His classic movies have changed the world and left their mark on the culture. I mean he did have the lead in one of the film industry’s most celebrated musicals ever…but no big deal. Despite reaching his 60’s, it doesn’t look like John Travolta has any plans to slow down soon. He’s still just as active as ever with new projects in the works. Who else is pumped to see Gotti? Wow, Travolta really is one of Hollywood’s best. However, things were not always so easy for the star.

Maybe you know all about his films or charity involvement, but perhaps, you had no idea about the hidden stories and secrets waiting to be shared. You may want to prepare yourself for what could be considered a bit of an emotional roller-coaster! Travolta has had quite the life, starting with his childhood all the way to present day. From Saturday Night Fever to Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, fans think they know all there is to know about Travolta, but they are oh, so wrong… We gathered some pretty incredible facts about the star that not many people ever heard before. There’s so much more to the star than just his fancy footwork in his hit films. A lot of these fascinating details have escaped the public knowledge for years. Now, it’s time to reveal what fans never knew about Travolta and his personal life.

Rocky Romance

Of course, it’s been a difficult ride for these two megastar actors, Kelly Preston and John Travolta. Throughout scandals and rumors surrounding Travolta’s private life, they made it work. Even after one of their three children passed, they somehow made it through.

After all the tragedy, people speculated Preston was ending her marriage, but that has not proven true yet. However, this was just one of many struggles Travolta has faced, but we’ll get to that.

Tragic Relationship

Back before his marriage, Travolta endured a loss that may have shaped his strong character. On the set of The Boy in the Plastic Bubble(1976) he fell in love with Diana Hyland, who played his mother. Yes, she was 18 years older than the growing star. Everything was going well until she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sadly, only a year after this tragic diagnosis, she passed away at 41 years old. Another blow to Travolta who had to watch his love pass away. Little did he know, how this confrontation with death would come back to haunt him.

Drop-Out

Despite not quite being real-life Grease bad boy Danny Zuko, Travolta did drop out of school. Back when he was just 16 years old, he left high school to act.

Besides playing football and basketball while in high school, he always took acting classes after school. Well, those classes sure paid off! However, we can’t endorse dropping out for everyone, so stay in school kids!

Back to the Beginning

John Joseph Travolta was born in New Jersey back in 1954. He was raised in an Irish-American neighborhood close to NYC.

His mother was Irish-American, while his father came from an Italian-American background, and they raised the kids Catholic. As the youngest of six, John sure lucked out considering all his siblings also loved acting. Therefore, he got plenty of practice and advice at home.

Distracted Student

Perhaps, Travolta did not feeling dropping out was such a travesty, since he was no model student. He claims he charmed teachers to get out of trouble and by speaking to them maturely.

Not to mention, he kept focused on his acting rather than school subjects. Luckily, things worked out quite well for this famous star.

Moving to the City

Like most good success stories, Travolta’s move to the big city led him to the path of fame. Well, not immediately though.

After dropping out of high school, he moved to NYC. Of course, things were not easy for him there. He got small roles in TV commercials, but moved to LA to try to make it big. It was in LA that he landed his iconic role in Grease, the Broadway show, not movie quite yet. Thus, he had to move back to the Big Apple.

Big Break

However, it was probably his role in ABC’s Welcome Back, Kotter that gained Travolta worldwide recognition. From 1975 to 1979, he played Vinnie Barbarino and made girls across America blush.

Even though Travolta claimed he could not pull off cool, he tried to make audiences laugh. Despite his self-doubt, Travolta still ended up on bedroom posters across the nation.

Inspired By Mother

Besides his siblings who loved acting, John said his true inspiration was his mother. How sweet! His mother, Helen, acted and danced.

It was Helen who Travolta credits with inspiring him to attend drama school in New York. He was able to study acting, dancing and even singing there. His sister Ellen also embarked on an entertainment career of her own! Both Ellen and Helen even made appearances in Travolta’s movies, Grease and Saturday Night Fever.

Tire Business

So if his mother and sister pursued a career in arts, what about his father? Glad you asked. Salvatore Travolta was a former quarterback for a semi-pro football team.

After retiring, he opened a tire shop called The Travolta Tire Exchange. He proudly watched his family pursue their own dreams. Sadly, he died in 1995.

Music Debut

As we said, it wasn’t just acting that Travolta pursued. In fact, at only 22 years old, he came out with his debut album called John Travolta.

His single off the album called “Let Her In” instantly became a sensation. Indeed, it even reached 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for five months. Not to mention, the album made the top 20.

First Big Movie Role

The big break came with his role in Saturday Night Fever. Watching Travolta get down to the Bee-Gees is one of his most memorable movie moments.

Again, this movie really launched him into stardom during the 70s. In fact, he danced for nine months in preparation, and practice really made perfect! He was nominated for an Academy Award.

Iconic Role In Grease

Next up, we have the most iconic role for Travolta! We know this is what you have been waiting for, Danny Zuko in Grease.

The acclaimed musical finally was adapted to film, becoming the 4th highest-grossing live action musical in history. Of course, fans loved watching the adorable innocent Olivia Newton-John pair up with bad boy Zuko (Travolta). You know what they say, they go together like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong…whatever that means!

More Than On-Screen Chemistry

Well, we have news for all you Grease fans! Turns out, Travolta and Olivia indeed had something beyond on-screen chemistry.

They both revealed they had crushes on each other during the film’s shooting. Actually, they grew very close on set and remain good friends today. In fact, they get together twice a year and keep in touch by phone every few weeks. Our hearts are melting!

Move To Country

Unsurprisingly, everything Travola touched turned to gold back after his big break. Back after Saturday Night Fever, he tried to switch things up and put a country twist on things. His role in Urban Cowboy, a 1980s movie, allowed him to act alongside Debra Winger.

The movie took place in Pasadena, Texas. Apparently, it helped spark a national craze for country music! Leave it to Travolta to be a trendsetter even in a music genre.

Career Slump

Even the biggest of stars have had their failures. John Travolta is no exception. After Urban Cowboy, he hit a bit of a slump. He even turned down roles like, American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman. Famous actor Richard Gere gladly snatched those roles up.

Some speculated he was at the end of his acting days, but then in 1994, everything changed. It was his famous role in the acclaimed Pulp Fiction that rocketed him back into stardom.

Princess Diana

Not many people can say they shared a dance with the late Princess Diana. Well, Travolta sure can! It was November of 1985, when Nancy Reagan approached the star. They were at a gala in the White House, hosted by then President Reagan.

The first lady told Travolta that Princess Diana hoped for a dance and was wondering if he could grant her wish. Of course, no one had to ask Travolta twice. Travolta was extremely humbled and honored to have shared that special moment with her.

His Marriage

Now, back to Travolta and Kelly Preston. Did you know, they met while filming The Experts in 1989? Just three years after that they got married in the city of love, Paris.

Since the marriage was not recognized in America, they enjoyed another ceremony two weeks afterwards in Florida. From beautiful Parisian nuptials to being dubbed one of Hollywood’s strongest couples, they’ve had some amazing times.

Cult Classic, Pulp Fiction

You didn’t really think we could skim over Pulp Fiction so quickly, did you? After coming out back in 1994, the movie is still one of director Quentin Tarantino’s best movies ever.

Of course, the film was widely successful, but it was also a huge moment personally for Travolta. Picture this, he had to star alongside huge Hollywood legends: Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and Uma Thurman. Despite the pressure, Travolta pulled off an incredible hitman Vincent Vega with his charisma and superb acting skills.

Pilot’s License

It’s not just chauffeurs and limo rides for this celebrity. Travolta is a licensed pilot, who got his license back when he was just 22 years old.

According to Travolta, he enjoys nothing more than flying friends and family around on his plane. Not to mention, he has 11 different types of licenses for a wide range of planes, including one for the Boeing 707! Now, that’s impressive. So when can we get a ride John?

His Mansion

If you thought that last tidbit was impressive, prepare yourself for this. Guess where this legend picked for what he calls his “Jumbolair Aviation Estates?” You’re looking at it! He feels it’s clearly the best place for his home.

The property is located inside of a gated community and as you can see, has a private airport included. Perfect for our actor/pilot! He hopes to store his own plane collection on the estate. I mean that runway is long enough for even his impressive 707.

Back to Musicals

If you thought Travolta said goodbye to musicals with Grease, guess again. When Broadway hit musical Hairspray was adapted to film in 2007, Travolta got cast as Edna Turnblad.

Please, tell me you have seen him in this hilarious role with his kitten heels and dress! Of course, his musical background and dance history aided him with this role. He even wore a 30 pound fat suit for his role. Perhaps, the hardest part was sitting through five hours of makeup! Now that sounds harder than wearing heels for the first time.

Charity For Haiti

Of course, we know how successful Travolta has been over the years, but he’s also been extremely fast to donate some of his wealth to any charity in need.

Thus, back when Haiti suffered a terrible earthquake, Travolta stepped up. He filled his 707 with necessary, lifesaving supplies and doctors to fly over. When commenting on this, he explained he felt an immense responsiblity to aid in whatever way he could by giving whatever contributions he could to charity. Therefore, he put his airplane to use! What a kind man!

Devastating Loss

It hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies for this actor. Unfortunately, Travolta and his family suffered the loss of his oldest child, Jett.

The family was on vacation in 2009, when eldest son Jett had a seizure that caused him to stumble and fatally hit his head on the bathtub. Jett, who was diagnosed autistic and also had Kawasaki disease throughout his childhood, was just 16 years old when he passed away. Travolta has said this death was the single worst thing in his entire life.

Coping With Grief

After suffering such devastation, both Travolta and Preston struggled to cope with the loss of what was their only son at the time.

Times got so hard, that Travolta considered retiring from acting for good. However, he pushed himself to go on, but found life dull. Understandably, it took some time for him to fully heal from this tragedy.

Impressive Net Worth

Wonder how he can be so incredible with his charity? Well, it doesn’t hurt to have a net worth with the likes of $165 million! Yeah, you read that right.

Remember his Jumbolair, well that’s $4.9 million by itself. Some people cannot believe this when they hear his cut for Pulp Fiction was only $150,000. However, now he makes closer to $20 million per film. Between the estate, his planes and sports cars, he has no trouble spending it.

Following In Parents’ Footsteps

Just as Travolta followed his mother, his daughter Ella Bleu is inspired by her parents to pursue acting.

Born in 2000, she had her first role in Old Dogs, where she starred alongside her parents. John likes to call his daughter a brilliant performer. Obviously, he has no problem with her getting into showbiz!

Still Going Strong

At 63, most people are retired or approaching retirement. Not Travolta! He’s shown no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Perhaps, you cannot wait for his recent role as Don Aronow in Cigarette, aka Speed Kills. In that film he played a millionaire speedboat racer. It was shot in April 2017 on Puerto Rico just before the tragic hurricanes.

Talented Bunch

If you thought the talents stopped with his wife and daughter, you’re incorrect. Turns out, his brother’s daughter, John’s niece Nicole also has pursued a career in the spotlight.

Maybe you saw her on one of the following TV shows, Cowgirl Up, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Two and a Half Men, or Anger Management. Perhaps, you can tell with her looks: the dark hair and eyes, that she’s part of the family!

Not Received Well

What many saw as failure, Travolta harbors no regrets about! We’re talking about the sci-fi Battlefield Earth that he starred in back in 1999.

The book turned movie, did not receive very positive reviews and some called it the worst film ever. That’s rough! Yet, Travolta even said he would do it again without question.

Dreams of Playing Bond Villain

Maybe you thought a man like Travolta has gotten everything he ever wanted and more. Well, you’re right on one hand, but he still has one unfulfilled dream.

That dream is to play a James Bond villain! Apparently, he has spoken to franchise producers and they responded positively, so we shall see Mr. Bond!

Advice From the Best

Next up, we have some details about Travolta’s decision to play Robert Shapiro, defense attorney, in TV show The People v. O.J. Simpson.

One perk of being as established and well connect as Travolta is you get advice from the pros. Apparently, he consulted Tom and Rita Hanks along with Oprah and Steven Spielberg before deciding to play Shapiro. I guess they had some encouraging words. We wouldn’t mind calling them up the next time we have a major life decision!

Miley Cyrus Duet

Who would have seen this amazing collab coming? Yes, Disney’s Miley Cyrus recorded a duet with legendary John Travolta for the animated movie Bolt in 2009.

The duet is called “I Lost You.” Sadly, we doubt a second single will come out anytime soon, but we enjoyed it while it lasted.

Near Fatal Crash

In an incredible near death experience, the world almost lost the beloved John Travolta in 1992.

Despite his superb piloting skills, he could not prevent the uncontrollable from happening. When the plane began to lose power and go into a complete electrical failure, Travola almost crashed. Thankfully, Travolta stablilized his plane and somehow, managed to safely land. That takes some remarkable skillS!

Qantas Who?

Bet you had no clue that Travolta’s daughter almost wasn’t Ella Bleu! Her parents were ecstatic when they welcomed her into the world in 2000.

However, they got into a bit of disagreement over what to name her. Naturally, Travolta wished to name his child after something meaningful to him. Unfortunately, that thing was the Australian airline that he serves as ambassador for, called Qantas. Luckily, Preston persuaded Travolta to choose her name Ella.

Pulp Fiction Almost Didn’t Happen

Pulp Fiction definitely changed the course of Travolta’s career. However, this life-altering film almost did not happen for him. In fact, director Quentin Tarantino met with Travolta to talk about his vision for the actor. Tarantino wanted Travolta to take the role he was offered in the film From Dusk Till Dawn.

Travolta had other plans; he kept insisting on Pulp Fiction. Actually, Tarantino was disappointed with this choice and told Travolta he was just hoping to help. Later on, it came out that Tarantino had pushed for Travolta to be cast in From Dusk Til Dawn very hard, but Pulp Fiction ended up being the better choice for him.

Motivated And Hardworking

Things did not always come easy for this now star. With his hard work and determination, he kept himself afloat.

Yes, this millionare used to work odd-jobs just to survive and help support his family after dropping out of school. During his time auditioning for parts, he also worked at the grocery store as a checkout boy before being hired as a luggage handler. You gotta start somewhere!

Travolta The Children’s Author

Unsurprisingly, his talents do not end with acting, dancing, singing or even piloting. Back in 1997, he had his book Propeller One-Way Night Coach: A Fable For All Ages published. At first, he wrote the book just for his family.

After his family adored it, he decided to get it published. Perhaps, drawing from real life, the book focuses on a young boy who dreamt of piloting a plane so he moves to Hollywood. Sounds familiar…

Best Friends Or More?

When they met back on the Look Who’s Talking set, Tavolta and Kirstie Alley probably had no idea they would be lifelong friends. They got incredibly close during the years since meeting in 1999. Of course, rumors about the nature of their relationship ran wild, but nothing was authenticated.

Though, Alley did confess to crushing on Travolta when they met, but both were married. They’ve remained friends for over 26 years, and Alley has said she fell in love when she met Travolta.

Playing Copycat

Travolta starred opposite Nicolas Cage in a very unique role for the movie Face/off. If you haven’t seen it, the 1997 centers around a man who had a face transplant. Thus, Cage and Travolta played the same character but pre and post surgery.

In order to fully embrace the role, the two spent two weeks prior to filming learning each other’s movements and mannerisms. They spent hours mimicking each other for practice. Not sure if that was really fun or super annoying, but it sure proves their commitment to the roles!

Marlon Brando Fan

One of Travolta’s role models is none other than legendary actor Marlon Brando! Brando had words of wisdom for the younger actor that he told the public in an interview. Brando had told Travolta not to expect things from others that you realize they cannot provide you.

Actually, Travolta explained how valuable this advice has been to him even currently. Brando also said that Travolta’s impersonation of him during SNL made him laugh harder than he ever has in his life! Quite the compliment from such an icon!

Six Time’s The Charm

Who could ever turn down a film with Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman? Apparently, John Travolta almost did…six times.

Finally, after being offered the role of Gabriel Shear, a counter-terrorist unit commander, for Swordfish (2011), Travolta accepted. Actually, he accepted because he heard Dominic Sena was directing. Maybe he was that big a fan!

Intense Role

Recently in 2017, Travolta has been working on perhaps, his most difficult and challenging role of the decade! For the movie The Life and Death of John Gotti, preparation has been far from easy. Can you believe, it has taken Travolta over six years to train himself for this role as an Italian-American gangster?

Something he found in common with his gangster character…they both enjoy gin martinis! Hey, that’s a starting point, I guess. Not that we want to hear he has that much in common with his character…

Picky Eater

Travolta surely has his unique habits and peculiar tastes. If you’re curious about this star’s diet, even he has admitted it’s a bit odd. For starters, he enjoys a morning coffee blended from half a pound of Sumatra beans from Starbucks, making a strong coffee.

As far as condiments go, Coleman’s Hot Mustard is his favorite. Even stars cave to impulses at times. Just like us, Travolta admits to splurging with McDonald’s on certain occassions.

Famous In Brazil

Though his acting career took place in America, some of his biggest fans live in Brazil.

Would you believe, he’s so popular there, that they got him to star in a special TV commerical for a local rum? Pretty cool. In the commercial, he demonstrates some salsa moves and plays beach soccer. The commericial was filmed in Rio…sounds like a fun shoot!

Tennis Hobby

At 55, Travolta decided it was time for a new hobby. Thus, he gave tennis a try. At first, it was difficult to find time to swing the racket without paparazzi.

Thus, he decided to go to the local courts with his maintenance person and house manager at a strange hour to avoid attention. So if you head to the courts around midnight, maybe you’ll get a glimpse at this bunch hitting the ball around.

First TV Appearance

During the 70’s Travolta was first credited on TV in Emergency. His minor role was that of a 16 year old who fell into a canyon and seriously injured himself.

His character fractured a leg and dislocated a shoulder. Ouch! Actually, Travolta was not the only upcoming star to appear on the show, you can see Marion Ross and Nick Nolte on the show too.

Travolta Gave His Plane Away

As we mentioned, Travolta has close ties with Qantas. In fact, they gifted him with a Boeing 707 for his service as ambassador.

This plane came from their original fleet and was gifted once the company converted the commercial plane for private use back in 1964. After his daughter and son, Travolta named it, ‘Jett Clipper Ella.’ A few months back, Travolta announced his planes to send the plane to Sydney’s Historical Aircraft Restoration society after it undergoes repairs.

Holiday Album With Olivia Newton-John

If you thought the 80’s hits from Olivia Newton-John and Travolta were it, think again.

The two have their own album for the holidays! You must listen to song would be ‘I Think You Might Life It’ which has an accompanying video that also features Travolta’s family! How precious! Their Christmas album is appropriately titled, ‘This Christmas.’

Teaming with Oprah

With such an amazing track record of donating to charity, it only made sense that Travolta would pair up with another charitable celebrity like Oprah. Back in 2010, Oprah was celebrating 25 seasons of her show. Thus, she gave fans tickets to Australia where she would accompany them for an 8 day trip!

You get a flight and you get a flight! So where does John Travolta come in? Well, he was flying the plane of course! At the time, he was an ambassador for Qantas Airways and did not hesitate to become their pilot.

The Perfect Present

After suffering such a huge loss as Travolta and Preston did, something finally brought back the joy they needed to combat the grief. In November 2010, they welcomed their son Benjamin Travolta. They had been trying to have another child for three years. Travolta called this the glue helped restore the family.

Travolta said in a statement, “He’s given the house a renewed spirit and purpose. He’s brought us a new beginning…All our memories are connected to Jett over the last 18 years – our photos, our homes, our travel. It’s not something that will ever leave us.” He even went as far to say they may not have overcome the pain without this perfect gift. Fans were deeply touched by this bold and brave statement sharing his grief and also gratitude at welcoming new life into the family.

The Jett Travolta Foundation

Have we told you how generous Travolta is with his donations to charity? Yeah, we know, but there’s even more amazing contributions to talk about. In honor of Jett, the couple started a foundation. What exactly does the Jett Travolta Foundation do, you ask? You should be asking what doesn’t it do!

Some of its goals are supporting literacy, charitable and educational purposes. The foundation has contributed to over 70 different organizations thus far! It uses its funds to provide necessary donations to children who have impairments or limited mobility, hearing, communication and vision. In addition, they aid children with behavior learning impairments or any unique medical/health needs.

Travolta Makes Bold Statement

Of course, relationships between stars or just in general in Hollywood are not always easy. Since the media is always watching, many find it tough.

However, John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston have been married about 25 years! Travolta opened up on his personal life to the public with this bold statement to Closer Weekly in late 2017, saying, “We really care deeply about each other and we protect each other — and we keep [our relationship] up to date,” John, 63, told Closer.