John Travolta

Profile
Name: John Travolta
Birth Name: John Joseph Travolta
Height: 6' 2"
Sex: M
Nationality: American
Birth Date: February 18, 1954
Birth Place: Englewood, New Jersey, USA
Profession: actor, musician
Education: high school (dropped out)
Took dancing lessons from Fred Kelly (Gene Kelly's brother) from age six.
Husband/Wife: Kelly Preston (actress; born on October 13, 1962; engaged on January 1, 1991; married on September 5, 1991, in Paris; remarried on September 12, 1991, in Daytona Beach)
Relationship: Diana Hyland (actress; born on Januray 25, 1936; died on March 28, 1977 of cancer)
Father: Salvatore Travolta (former semi-professional football player; born in 1913; died on May 26, 1995)
Mother: Helen Travolta (actress; born on January 18, 1912; died on December 3, 1978 of cancer)
Sister: Ellen Travolta (actress; born on October 6, 1940), Ann Travolta (actress; older), Margaret Travolta (older)
Brother: Joey Travolta (actor; born on October 14, 1950), Sam Travolta (actor; older)
Son: Jett Travolta (born on April 13, 1992; mother: Kelly Preston)
Daughter: Ella Bleu Travolta (born on April 3, 2000; mother: Kelly Preston)
Claim to fame: as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Biography
John Joseph Travolta was born on the 18th of February, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey. His father, Salvatore, was a semi-pro footballer turned tyre salesman. His mother, Helen, had played in a radio vocal group called The Sunshine Sisters, and had acted and directed before becoming a high school drama teacher. John also had five brothers and sisters - Joey and Sam, and Ellen, Ann and Margaret. All of them have worked in TV, film or music. This clearly had much to do with Helen's influence, but also Salvatore's who encouraged his children by assembling a small theatre in the family's basement. Young John was very quick to make his career choice. His great loves all pointed him towards a life onstage. He loved to dance, winning a Twist competition at a very young age. He joined an Actor's Workshop at age 12. Employing all his talents, he played in local musicals and worked in dinner theatre. He also took tap lessons.
Travolta swaggered into the national consciousness at the age of 21, five years after dropping out of high school in New Jersey to pursue an acting career. In no time at all Travolta had conquered Hollywood with a musical triumvirate - Saturday Night Fever (1977), Grease (1978), and Urban Cowboy (1980) - that gave birth to the modern movie soundtrack. Yet the polyester, black leather, and Levis-fueled rocket began to plummet almost as quickly as it ascended. Four years later Travolta left the fortress of solitude he found in the sky (piloting jets) to appear in the surprise hit of 1989 Look Who's Talking. Two sequels followed, but it was Vincent Vega and his "Royale with cheese" dissertation from Pulp Fiction (1994) that finally helped Travolta get his cool back.
Some of his films ranging from the crime-comedy Get Shorty (1995), the feel good films Phenomenon and Michael (1996), the action adventure Face/Off (1997), the political satire Primary Colors, (1998) the mystery The General's Daughter (1999), the techno-thriller Swordfish (2001) and as a dad in Domestic Disturbance (2001) were vry much liked by the public. Travolta still loves dancing, and music, and he loves to fly jets, owning at least four. In 1993, after a total electric failure, at night and in icy conditions, he managed to safely land his Gulfstream. That's Travolta - smooth beyond the call of duty.

Filmography
Actor
2009 Dallas
2007 Hairspray
2007 Wild Hogs
2006 Lonely Hearts
2005 Be Cool
2005 Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D
2005 Fat Actress [TV Series]
2004 Dream Jets
2004 The Punisher
2004 Ladder 49
2004 A Love Song For Bobby Long
2003 Basic
2002 Jets: Altitude & Attitude, Vol. 4 - Blue Angels
2001 Domestic Disturbance
2001 Swordfish
2000 Lucky Numbers
2000 Battlefield Earth
1999 The General's Daughter
1999 Forever Hollywood
1998 The Thin Red Line
1998 A Civil Action
1998 Welcome to Hollywood
1998 Primary Colors
1997 Mad City
1997 Face/Off
1997 She's So Lovely
1996 Phenomenon
1996 America's Flying Aces: Blue Angels - 50th Anniversary
1996 Michael
1996 Broken Arrow
1995 Get Shorty
1995 White Man's Burden
1994 Saturday Night Live: John Travolta
1994 Pulp Fiction
1993 Look Who's Talking Now
1992 Chains of Gold
1991 Eyes of an Angel
1991 Boris and Natasha
1991 Shout
1990 Look Who's Talking, Too
1989 Twist of Fate
1989 The Experts
1989 Look Who's Talking
1987 The Dumb Waiter
1985 Perfect
1984 Olivia Newton-John: Twist of Fate
1983 Staying Alive
1983 Two of a Kind
1981 Blow Out
1980 Urban Cowboy
1978 Moment by Moment
1978 Grease
1978 Welcome Back, Kotter: Season 04
1977 Saturday Night Fever
1977 Welcome Back, Kotter: Season 03
1976 Carrie
1976 The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
1976 Welcome Back, Kotter: Season 02
1975 Welcome Back, Kotter: Season 01
1975 The Devil's Rain

Executive Producer
1997 She's So Lovely

Producer
2000 Battlefield Earth

Screenwriter
1992 Chains of Gold

Awards
Academy
1994 Best Actor Pulp Fiction
1977 Best Actor Saturday Night Fever

Golden Globe
1995 Best Actor - Musical or Comedy Get Shorty
1994 Best Actor - Drama Pulp Fiction
1978 Best Actor - Musical or Comedy Grease
1978 Henrietta Award (World Film Favorite)
1977 Best Actor - Musical or Comedy Saturday Night Fever

L.A. Film Critics Association
1993 Best Actor Pulp Fiction

National Board of Review
1977 Best Actor Saturday Night Fever

National Society of Film Critics
1994 Best Supporting Actor (Runner-up) Pulp Fiction
Screen Actors Guild 1994 Best Actor Pulp Fiction

Trivia

Will auction her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, signed leather jacket, and a signed motorcycle helmet to support the Marion Theatre renovation project and the Ocala Film Commission. (March 20, 2007)

Donated $15,000 to central Florida tornado victims during the premiere of his new film, WILD HOGS. (March 2, 2007)

Reportedly told a New York hotel to turn off any music playing before he entered any room during a stay. (May 11, 2006)

Travolta and wife Kelly Preston have apparently suggested that Katie Holmes have a 'silent birth', meaning that the child comes into the world without music, background sounds or expressions of pain from the mother, to ensure that the baby can adapt to its surroundings without a fuss. (October 10, 2005)

Among the top choices to play J.R. Ewing in New Regency's screen version of the TV soap Dallas. (September 29, 2005)

Has revealed he and wife Kelly Preston are members of the mile high club. (March 23, 2005)

Will reveal intimate secrets of his intense friendship with late British royal Diana, Princess of Wales in his forthcoming autobiography. (March 10, 2005)

To attend the London premiere of his movie, BE COOL, he flew across the Atlantic in his private jet. (2005)

The dance floor that Travolta made famous in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER is to be auctioned on April 1. (February 23, 2005)

Sings the traditional Barbara Allen and the Howard Barnes/Don Robertson song ``I Really Don't Want To Know'' on the soundtrack to A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG. (2004)

Was honored by New York's Museum of the Moving\ Image in a star-studded gala that celebrated his 30-year career with clips from films such as GREASE, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, PULP FICTION and GET SHORTY. (December 9, 2004)

Travolta and wife are being heavily guarded by security after receiving undisclosed threats. (October 21, 2004)

Says the best experience he ever had on a film was the 1980 URBAN COWBOY.

Among the guests at his 50th birthday party were Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Robin Williams, Meg Ryan, Sylvester Stallone and Dan Aykroyd. (2004)

Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix worried the producers of their upcoming movie Ladder 49 a great deal because they got a little too involved in their firefighting research. (January 28, 2004)

Attended the dedication of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Thursday, the new second home for the National Air and Space Museum. (December 13, 2003)

Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and John Travolta helped Mickey Mouse celebrate his 75th birthday by designing larger-than-life statues of the Disney icon. (November 20, 2003)

The master of ceremonies for the final day of the First Flight Centennial celebration Dec. 17. (2003)

Travolta has teamed up with four of his siblings to form Los Angeles-based Travolta Family Films, which he hopes will restore the tradition of families watching movies together -- The company is also responsible for the independent comedy ENEMIES OF LAUGHTER, which has started a limited run in Los Angeles. (August 5, 2003)

Travolta told a German magazine in an interview he has lost more than 30 pounds (15 kilograms) without dieting and feels sexy again, adding a strict exercise regiment had helped him shed his love handles. (July 18, 2003)

Travolta says he made a big mistake in turning down a starring role in this year's Academy Award winning film CHICAGO –The actor said Richard Gere did a great job with the dance numbers in Chicago, adding, “How I would have loved to have showed them all what I can do one more time.” (July 17, 2003)

Travolta flew his Boeing 707 to the southwest Ohio city to accept an award for his efforts at promoting commercial flying – Travolta was honored with the AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ) Foundation Award for Excellence for his efforts in promoting commercial flying Tuesday night at the Air Force Museum. (July 17, 2003)

The producers of the BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY sequel have turned to John Travolta to provide the romance after lead star Renee Zellweger told them their first choice of George Clooney as the love interest was unsuitable because of a previous relationship between the pair. (June 26, 2003)

Travolta feared for his life when a stunt went dramatically wrong on the set of his new movie and caused a massive fire -- The actor had to be rescued for a blazing building while training to be a firefighter in Ladder 49, in which he co-stars with Joaquin Phoenix. (April 16, 2003)

Travolta is featured in an engaging, watchable, two-hour special edition of Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio, and he comes across as open, funny, sincere and likable -- The always remarkably prepared host, James Lipton, again has done his homework as he prompts Travolta to share details of his life and craft for an audience of apparently admiring acting students and friends of the guest. (April 10, 2003)

Travolta is infuriating studio executives with his outrageous salary demands for THE OUTLAWS and in the process is estranging himself from powerful allies, and since he has made little impression at the box office in recent years, insiders predict he could find himself tossed off of the A list. (March 4, 2003)

Travolta prefers his airplanes big -- on Wednesday Travolta was given a model 747-400ER Extended Range jet, the first of six to be delivered to Qantas. (November 1, 2002)

Travolta and Olivia Newton-John thrilled revelers at a Hollywood bash when they teamed up for the first time in 20 years to belt out a string of hits from their classic movie GREASE. (September 26, 2002)

Turned down the lead role in AMERICAN GIGOLO (1980)

An ambassador at large for Australia's Qantas Airlines to help promote air travel. (June 2002)

Admitted that ever since he was four he wanted to have his own pilot’s uniform.

He loves flying so much, he said he tried to convince wife Kelly Preston to name their second tyke Qantas, but she went with the more ethereal girl's name Ella Bleu. Their first child is named Jett.

After a string of hits in films, on television and on the radio, Travolta in the 1970s had emerged as a true cultural phenomenon, defining tastes in music and fashion while dominating innumerable column inches in newspapers, magazines and gossip columns.

He was ranked #21 in Empire (UK) magazine's The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list. (October 1997)

He appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine 4 times, the most for any actor (through 1994).

He was named Man of the Year by Harvard's Hasty Pudding Club in 1981.

Richard Gere practically owes his film career to Travolta. Travolta turned down the leads for DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978), AMERICAN GIGOLO (1980) and AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982), all of which went to Gere.

Married Kelly Preston twice. Their first wedding on 5 September 1991, by a French Scientologist minister, was declared illegal. The couple met during the filming of THE EXPERTS (1989).

During the filming of Boy in the THE PLASTIC BUBBLE (1976) (TV) he fell in love with Diana Hyland, 18 years his senior. She died of cancer in his arms in 1977.

He pilots a multitude of jet aircraft. Most notable aviation feat is succesful landing at Washington National of a Gulfstream IIB with complete electrical failure. Conditions at the time were night, IMC, icing. December of 1993

In July 1978 he became the very first male to make the cover of McCall's magazine.

He did yoga and boxing to cut his love handles for the film SWORDFISH (2001).

Travolta is a New Operating Thetan Level Eight.

It appears that one of Hollywood's more enduring manager/client relationships may be on the rocks, with Jonathan Krane and actor John Travolta considering an end to their 17-year association.

Has upped security in his home and on his private plane following the terrorist attacks on America.

Has defied his critics by saying he is proud to be pudgy.

Determined not to follow Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's failed marriage example.

During production of BLOW OUT (1981), Travolta started learning the violin to calm his nerves due to a lack of sleep. He has always suffered from insomnia since he used to wait up for his mother to return home late from acting jobs when he was a kid.

Was given the choice of playing either Deakins or Hale in BROKEN ARROW (1996). He chose the villain Deakins.

(BATTLEFIELD EARTH: A SAGA OF THE YEAR 3000 (2000)) When the book was first written, he wanted to make the movie, and star as Johnny Goodboy, the young hero. Of course, he could get no investors to back him. By the time the movie was made, he was too old to play the part of the hero and, instead, opted to play the part of the villain, Terl.

He first met Quentin Tarantino to discuss his part in PULP FICTION (1994) at Tarantino's L.A. apartment. It was the same apartment in which Travolta once lived as a struggling Hollywood newcomer.

In SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977), his sister appears as the pizza lady, and his mother appears as the women for whom he gets the paint.

Originally wanted his disco suit to be black until it was pointed out that in the darkened disco, his co-star's red dress would make her easier to see than him (SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER).

Set in high school, most of the principal cast were way past their teenage years at the time of filming. Travolta himself was only 24, Conaway was already 28 and Olivia Newton John was 29.

The shot of Vincent plunging the syringe into Mia's chest was filmed by having John Travolta pull the needle out, then running the film backwards (PULP FICTION).

Was nominated Oscar for Best Actor in 1995 for PULP FICTION and in 1978 for SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.

Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical at Golden Globe Awards for PRIMARY COLORS (1999)

Nominated for Best Villain at MTV Movie Awards for FACE/OFF (1998) - shared with Nicolas Cage

Nominated for Best Male Performance at MTV Movie Awards for FACE/OFF (1998)

Nominated for Best Kiss at MTV Movie Awards for PHENOMENON (1997) - shared with Kyra Sedgwick

Nominated for Best Male Performance at MTV Movie Awards for PHENOMENON (1997)

Nominated for Best Fight at MTV Movie Awards for BROKEN ARROW (1996) - shared with Christian Slater

Nominated for Best Villain at MTV Movie Awards for BROKEN ARROW (1996)

Nominated for Best On-Screen Duo at MTV Movie Awards for PULP FICTION (1995) - shared with Samuel L. Jackson

Nominated for Best Actor Leading at BAFTA Awards for PULP FICTION (1995)

Nominated for Best Male Performance at MTV Movie Awards for PULP FICTION (1995)

Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama at Golden Globe Awards for PULP FICTION (1995)

Nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at Screen Actors Guild Awards for PULP FICTION (1995)

Nominated for Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy at Golden Globe Awards for GREASE (1979)

Nominated for Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy at Golden Globe Awards for SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1978)