John Travolta

John Travolta (born 18.2.1954)

John Travolta is an American actor who rose to fame with his lead role in the film Grease.

John Travolta: Childhood

John Travolta was born in New Jersey, New York City, the youngest of six siblings. His father, Salvatore, was a tyre salesman and an ex-footballer. His mother Cecilia was an actress and a singer. She later became a drama teacher at high school level. The Travolta family lived in an Irish-American neighbourhood and was a Catholic family.

John Travolta: Acting Career

When he graduated from Dwight Morrow High School, John Travolta moved to New York City and earned himself a role in a touring version of Grease, as well as a part in Over Here! on Broadway. He later moved to LA in order to advance his show business career.

One of Travolta's first TV acting jobs was as a messenger on CBS's soap opera The Edge of Night. In 1976, Travolta landed his first notable movie role, when he played the bully who played a trick on Carrie White (as played by Sissy Spacek) in Carrie.

Travolta's breakthrough role came around the same time, when he starred as Vinni Barbarino in the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. The show also featured his sister, Ellen.

In 1977, Travolta appeared as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever and the following year he landed the role of Danny Zuko in the film version of Grease. These two films are perhaps two of his best known. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, aged just 24, but lost out to Richard Dreyfuss.

In 1980, John Travolta starred in Urban Cowboy, alongside Debra Winger. The film inspired a surge in the popularity of country music. However, following its release, Travolta's career took something of a downturn. Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever, was a flop, as was Two of A Kind, a romantic comedy that saw him work once more with Olivia Newton-John, his co-star in Grease. Aside from a role in Look Who's Talking, which also starred Kirstie Alley and Bruce Willis, none of his films of this era were successful. Travolta took a hiatus from his career and focused on learning to become a pilot.

In 1994, John Travolta's career was revived when Quentin Tarantino asked him to play Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. He received an Oscar nomination for his performance as Vega.

Following Pulp Fiction, Travolta's phone began to ring again and he appeared in films such as Get Shorty in 1995 and Face / Off, alongside Nicolas Cage, in 1997. In 1998, Travolta starred as a presidential candidate, loosely based on Bill Clinton, in Primary Colors.

Until this point, John Travolta's newly resurrected career had been met with positive reviews. However, in 2000, he starred in Battlefield Earth, which was based on a fictional work by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. The film was widely panned by film critics. Travolta then went on to star in Wild Hogs, which received a lukewarm response, as did the remake of Hairspray, Travolta's first musical appearance since Grease.

John Travolta: Personal Life

In 1991, John Travolta married the actress Kelly Preston. The couple have a son, Jett and a daughter, Ella Bleu.

Among his many privately-owned aircraft is an Australian Boeing 707-138 airliner. His home is a $4.9 million estate, with its own runway, by Greystone Airport.

John Travolta has been a follower of the Scientology movement since 1975.