John Travolta

Lore & Background

John Travolta was born on February 18, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey, the youngest of six children. His father was a semiprofessional football player turned tire salesman, and his mother was an actress and singer who later became a high school drama teacher. He was raised Catholic but converted to Scientology in 1975 at age 21 after being given the book Dianetics. He dropped out of high school at age 17 in 1971 to pursue acting.

Travolta's early career included a role in the touring company of the musical Grease and on Broadway in Over Here! His first significant movie role was as a bully in Carrie (1976). He then landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter. His performances in Saturday Night Fever and Grease made him one of the most commercially successful actors of the decade. After a career decline in the 1980s, he revived his career with Pulp Fiction (1994), earning another Oscar nomination.

In the 2000s, Travolta starred in films such as Hairspray (2007) and Bolt (2008). He returned to television in 2016 playing lawyer Robert Shapiro in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, earning an Emmy nomination. He also released nine albums, including singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and is a private pilot.

Reader's Guide

John Travolta's significance lies in his ability to define and redefine popular cinema across multiple decades. His role as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever captured the disco era and earned him an Academy Award nomination at age 24, while his portrayal of Danny Zuko in Grease became a cultural touchstone. After a period of commercial and critical failures in the 1980s, his casting against type as Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction revitalized his career and cemented his status as a versatile actor. Travolta's later work includes a return to television in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, for which he received an Emmy nomination. His legacy also includes a music career with charting singles and albums, and he remains a notable figure in Hollywood for his enduring popularity and ability to navigate career highs and lows.

Did You Know?

• Travolta converted to Scientology in 1975 at age 21 after being given the book Dianetics by former actress Joan Prather.
• He earned Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Pulp Fiction (1994).
• He released nine albums, including four singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100's Top 40.
• At the 86th Academy Awards, he mispronounced Idina Menzel's name as 'Adele Dazeem,' which became a popular internet meme.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"It's hard to make a cultural phenomenon every time." — John Travolta "Here he comes (back?) again: Travolta's trick was to make us like him. Now we can't stop" Katrina Onstad, with reporting by Elizabeth Levine. National Post. Don Mills, Ont. (June 6, 2001)." — John Travolta "Travolta supports Cruise's silent birth method" The Hindustan Times. (New Delhi: April 5, 2006)." — John Travolta "Stayin' Alive" Rosebud. Vol. 2 Issue 15." — John Travolta