If Mr. Travolta seems to have a strong proprietary interest in "Staying Alive," that is because it is far closer to his own personal experience than was "Saturday Night Fever." After dropping out of school, 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'. [46][47] Travolta confirmed that Jett was autistic and suffered regular seizures, and immediately made his public statements while giving testimony after a multimillion-dollar extortion plot against him in connection with Jett's death. Since the 1970s, John Travolta is successful for his roles in … Travolta's counsel also stated that his client would be able to prove that he was not in California on the day in question and asserted that Travolta would "sue the attorney and Plaintiff for malicious prosecution" after getting the case thrown out. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Walking is the key to dancing to Staying Alive His acting career declined throughout the 1980s, but he enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in Pulp Fiction (1994), and has since starred in the films Get Shorty (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), Face/Off (1997), Swordfish (2001), The Punisher (2004), Hairspray (2007), Bolt (2008), and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). [55], Travolta is a private pilot[4][56] and owns four aircraft. "[15][16] He then moved to Los Angeles for professional reasons. The Watch OWN app is free and available to you as part of your OWN subscription through a participating TV provider. John Joseph Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey, one of six children of Helen Travolta (née Helen Cecilia Burke) and Salvatore/Samuel J. Travolta. As a result, extreme shifts of camera angle, slow motion, overlapping dissolves and other intrusive editorial devices invariably break up the dance rehearsals or production numbers into maddening fragments. This can be either gross or riveting. Notable roles following Pulp Fiction include a movie-buff loan shark in Get Shorty (1995), White Man's Burden (1995), a corrupt U.S. Air Force pilot in Broken Arrow (1996), 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),[8] and a military investigator in The General's Daughter (1999). In Saturday night fever, he did strut with the paint can to "Stayin' alive" . [62], On November 24, 1992, Travolta was piloting his Gulfstream N728T at night above a solid undercast when he experienced a total electrical system failure while flying under instrument flight rules into Washington National Airport. John Travolta is an award-winning actor who had breakout roles in 'Saturday Night Fever' and 'Grease.' Since the 1970s, John Travolta is successful for his roles in … Travolta met Diana Hyland on the set of the TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, in which she played his mother. Perfect was anything but. [23] Saturday Night Fever earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor,[24] making him, at age 24, one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. He was on an episode of “Live! John Travolta. John Travolta has been in a relationship with Paul Barresi from 1983 to 1985. Travolta performed several of the songs on the Grease soundtrack album. Moreover, the score itself is a terrible nag, incessantly summarizing all the feelings that the screenplay should be calculated to express. [48] After a mistrial, Travolta dropped the charges and has credited his immediate family and Scientology with helping him to cope with Jett's death and move forward with his career. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WATCH OWN APP. He rose to fame during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes Carrie (1976), Saturday Night Fever (1977), and Grease (1978). (S2E2), in September 1972,[17] 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). His stylish moves on the dance floor of "Saturday Night Fever" wowed audiences and took disco dancing to a whole new level. The film had been a dream project for Travolta since the book's release in 1982, when Hubbard had written to him to try to help make a film adaptation. [7][1] His mother, Helen Cecilia (née Burke; January 18, 1912 – December 1978),[6] 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. Jett, who had a history of seizures, was found unconscious at the family home in the Bahamas in January 2009 Besides the normal plastic surgery rumours such as Botox and dermal fillers, John Travolta is also famous for his John Travolta hair, wig and toupee. A lawyer for Travolta said that the allegations were "complete fiction and fabrication". Travolta was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). John's moves in "Grease" influenced a whole generation to put on their dancing shoes. Jett, who had a history of seizures, was found unconscious at the family home in the Bahamas in January 2009 John and Kelly had 3 … [70][71] Both lawsuits were subsequently dropped by the complainants and dismissed without prejudice. John Travolta will always be remembered for his ability to dance. With Kelly and Ryan” to discuss his new movie Gotti when he opened up about Saturday Night Fever.. John Travolta suggested Sylvester Stallone to producer Robert Stigwood after Travolta saw Rocky III (1982) while on vacation in Hawaii. Plus, the album already had a … After Urban Cowboy, Travolta starred in a series of commercial and critical failures that sidelined his acting career. From what you can see, the choreography looks pretty dreadful--the usual convulsive calisthenics of disjointed arm-thrusting, head-flinging and crotch-twitching that pass for erotic urgency in the pathetic S&M dance parlance of the moment--but since the editors are busy obscuring the issue with their own choreographic patterns, who can tell for certain? Travolta loved the film, and told Stigwood that if he could pull off sequels that well, he would be the ideal choice for directing this film. Watch as John Travolta runs through his dance move for Oprah's final season premiere with one lucky producer. Rhodes was building up her resume as an actress at the time, appearing in films such as Flashdance, and Staying Alive with John Travolta. [41] They regularly attended marriage counseling, and Travolta has stated that therapy helped the marriage. One of Kelly's favorite things, dancing with me." Travolta has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975 when he was given the book Dianetics while filming the film The Devil's Rain in Durango, Mexico. When you add the leather-bar-in-Hades "production values" that surround "Satan's Alley" itself--scanty costumes, infernal smoke effects, blinding lighting schemes--the dancing is obscured by yet another layer of camouflage. John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever Credit: MoviePix But the band’s music worked its magic regardless. Although her singing voice betrays a frail sort of huskiness that results in mushy diction as often as touching evocation, Rhodes has a heartfelt approach that does something for "I'm Finding Out the Hard Way," one of the ballads supplied by Frank Stallone, who plays a bit as her singing partner, suggesting a poor guy's Frankie Valli. [43][44] A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure. In fact, after watching this clip, I take back what I said in the first paragraph: it’s not that Travolta insists on a dancing clause in his contracts, it’s that after Saturday Night Fever, every movie studio made himpromise to dance in their films. With Kelly and Ryan” to discuss his new movie Gotti when he opened up about Saturday Night Fever.. They remained together until Hyland's death from breast cancer on March 27, 1977. The California pilot who claims he had a high-flying gay affair with actor John Travolta is airing new details about their alleged six-year relationship. Move over John Travolta, 78-year-old Big John is here to show us how it's done. His mother Helen was an Irish American actress, singer, and producer whereas his father was a tire salesman and partner in a tire manufacturing company. [11][12] He was raised Roman Catholic, but converted to Scientology in 1975. The fundamental idiocy of it all can't be blamed on John Travolta's obvious limitations as a dancer or on Sylvester Stallone's gaucherie and inexperience as a director of musicals. Combined with her built-in lovability, this superiority tends to invalidate the romantic rivalry on both professional and personal grounds. John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954)[1][2] is an American actor and singer. John Travolta recently revealed secrets from his popular film Saturday Night Fever from the 70s. [8] His father was a second-generation Italian American with roots in Godrano, Sicily, and his mother was Irish American. [8] The films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom. There's rarely a moment in the course of this ostensibly dance-oriented show in which a dance movement of any duration can be perceived and appreciated from beginning to end. Grease / Saturday Night Fever / Staying Alive. John posted, "My daughter @ella.travolta and I dancing in memory of momma. He was on an episode of “Live! Although the interview was supposed to be about his new movie, Kelly and Ryan were more interested in learning more about some of John’s iconic past movies. John Travolta is the best dancer when it comes to Staying Alive or any other song from the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever. Travolta was probably the best innate dancer. 10977). He continued to dance his way through other movies, including a "Grease" (1978), "Stayin' Alive" (1983) and a legendary twist in "Pulp Fiction" (1994). I don't know if Hughes did her own dancing (seems so), but she's supple and sexy, if not as absolutely liquid as Rhodes, who is mesmerizing. [38] Travolta also had an on-again/off-again relationship with actress Marilu Henner, which ended permanently in 1985. As John Travolta continues to mourn the death of his beloved wife Kelly Preston, he’s also reaching a “make-or-break” moment with his nearly five … [3] In 2016, Travolta received his first Primetime Emmy Award, as a producer of the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson. Watch him get down to the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," with some world-class moves. Although a dopey fiasco of a dance musical, "Alive" may nevertheless muddle through as a harmless sort of sequel. Dirty Dancing, was the … [59] Travolta named his 707 "Jett Clipper Ella," in honor of his children. For other uses, see, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (, Kelly Preston showed a picture of this on the August 29, 2007 episode of, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema, the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest Nominees for Best Actor, "IIFA 2014: John Travolta, Kevin Spacey star in 'Bollywood Oscars' – NDTV Movies", "Fever Pitch: The Making of Saturday Night Fever: John Travolta and the Cast's Retelling", "Travolta recalls lonely high schooldays", "Masterworks & Playbill Debut 2 Editors' Choice Compilations", "The Quintessential Tarot Tina: What's on the Cards for Star John Travolta", "A Sister's Inspiration – John Travolta Followed Ellen's Lead into Acting", "John Travolta talks about his past, his present and his destiny in Hollywood", "Then & Now: 10 Best Teen Idols of All Time", "Look who's acting: Staying Alive was dire. John Travolta, his son Jett and daughter Ella, and his wife, actress Kelly Preston. The father-daughter duo re-created a scene from the 1978 classic “Grease” in an ad for Scotts & Miracle-Gro, released Tuesday before the big game. After his breakout success on TV’s Welcome Back, Kotter, Travolta was stayin’ alive throughout the ’70s. In “The Fanatic,” John Travolta plays a disturbed genre movie buff whose passion for his favorite horror actor goes way too far. [33] The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office. Desktop notifications are on   | Turn off, Get breaking news alerts from The Washington Post. Jon Painter covered that. Birth Name: John Joseph Travolta. Instead, Stigwood’s plan was to save “Staying Alive” for later in the movie, when Travolta’s alter ego, Tony Manero, takes his solo spin around the disco floor. And, it was him, not a stand-in. John Travolta did make one foray into singing as a young 22-year-old when he released a love song entitled, “let her in.” It captured the hearts and minds of the American public and eventually made it to the number 10 spot on the Billboard charts. If Mr. Travolta seems to have a strong proprietary interest in "Staying Alive," that is because it is far closer to his own personal experience than was "Saturday Night Fever." Dirty Dancing, was the … [39] He married actress Kelly Preston in 1991, and they bought a house in Islesboro, Maine. The Watch OWN app is free and available to you as part of your OWN subscription through a participating TV provider. [18] Around the same time, he landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino in the ABC TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979), in which his sister, Ellen, also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack's mother). In 2007, Travolta played Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since Grease. His father was of Italian descent and his mother was of Irish ancestry. [54], After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, joining other celebrities in helping with the relief efforts, Travolta reportedly flew his Boeing 707 full of supplies, doctors, and Scientologist Volunteer Ministers into the disaster area. And, it was him, not a stand-in. There are two people who can take joint credit for John Travolta's dancing in Saturday Night Fever: his dance coach Deney Terrio and the film's choreographer Lester Wilson. On January 2, 2009, Jett died at age 16 while on a Christmas vacation in the Bahamas. "Dance Scene" John Travolta and Finola Hughes in Staying Alive 1983 The fact that Big John is 6'4'' only makes his dancing better! The term "soaring banality" springs promptly to mind as you watch "Staying Alive," now at area theaters, fling itself to smithereens against the margins of the movie frame. [45] Jett, who had a history of seizures, reportedly suffered from Kawasaki disease since the age of two. John Travolta recently revealed secrets from his popular film Saturday Night Fever from the 70s. Pilot Dough says that he had an affair with John Travolta for the six years in the 80s. In 2017, the plane was donated to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) near Wollongong, Australia, and was expected to be flown to Australia in November 2019. [8] His siblings Joey, Ellen, Ann, Margaret, and Sam Travolta were all inspired by their mother's love of theatre and drama and became actors. (She was 18 years older than … Kelly Preston's death from breast cancer Monday was a tragic end to her 29-year marriage to John Travolta. He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty and has received a total of six nominations, the most recent being in 2011. One of Kelly's favorite things, dancing with me." Directed by Sylvester Stallone. The first-night audience must be wowed by the show's fireworks spectacle, because it's impossible to believe that a solo dancer's routine could be seen through the bombardment of theatrical special effects. Doug Gotterba (1982-1988). [10][13] Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out as a junior at age 17 in 1971.[14]. Swayze was probably the best technical dancer who had the most experience and classical training. SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS TODAY AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS. Although the interview was supposed to be about his new movie, Kelly and Ryan were more interested in learning more about some of John’s iconic past movies. Throughout the 2000s, Travolta remained busy as an actor, starring in many films, including Swordfish (2001); Ladder 49 (2004); Be Cool (2005); Lonely Hearts (2006); Wild Hogs (2007); the Disney computer animated film Bolt (2008), in which Travolta voiced the title character; The Taking of Pelham 123; and Old Dogs (both 2009). At age 24, he received his first Oscar nomination for his role as disco-dancing … On his way to a Big Break as the premier hunk in a disco-kinko update of "Dante's Inferno" titled "Satan's Alley" (an inside joke--director-screenwriter Sylvester Stallone had his first auspicious flop with "Paradise Alley"), Tony foolishly two-times his truehearted steady Jackie, a chorus girl and band vocalist played by Cynthia Rhodes, to pursue a conceited British headliner, Laura (Finola Hughes). "Alive" attempts to pick up the story of Brooklyn exile Tony Manero, again played by John Travolta, after several years of struggle in Manhattan as an aspiring Broadway dancer. [73], "Travolta" redirects here. There are two people who can take joint credit for John Travolta's dancing in Saturday Night Fever: his dance coach Deney Terrio and the film's choreographer Lester Wilson. In 2016, he returned to television in the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, titled The People v. O. J. Simpson, in which he played lawyer Robert Shapiro. I’m pretty convinced that John Travolta has a clause in every movie contract that says you must give him a certain amount of on-screen dance time. [9][10] He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. In 1989, Travolta starred with Kirstie Alley in Look Who's Talking, which grossed $297 million, making it his most successful film since Grease. John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor and singer. In 1980, Travolta dated French actress Catherine Deneuve. [57] The 707 aircraft bears an old livery of Qantas, and Travolta acted as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flew. John Travolta can still bust a move and showed off his dancing skills with his 20-year-old daughter, Ella, in a new "Grease"-themed commercial for the Super Bowl. He also received an additional Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of lawyer Robert Shapiro in the series. Travolta's first screen role in California was as a fall victim in Emergency! The fact that Big John is 6'4'' only makes his dancing … night fever), he did not strut until the end. Savages. In 2014, he received the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema. He had helped Winfrey plan the trip for more than a year. Her death was announced in an Instagram post under an account belonging to John Travolta and Ella Bleu. His father owned a tire repair shop called Travolta Tires in Hillsdale, NJ. night fever), he did not strut until the end. Anyway, his character still has growing up to do and perhaps it finally pushed him over the edge to grow up.. Of course he had to do his strut to the tune of Stayin' Alive by the BEE GEES. In 2000, Travolta starred in and co-produced the science fiction film Battlefield Earth, based on the novel of the same name by L. Ron Hubbard, in which he played the villainous leading role as a leader of a group of aliens that enslaves humanity on a bleak future Earth.