ACTOR · BORN 1954
John Travolta
- Born
- 18 February 1954, Englewood, New Jersey, USA
- Known for
- Pulp Fiction (1994), Spider-Man (2002), Carrie (1976), Wild Hogs (2007)
58 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
John Travolta (born 18 February 1954) is an actor best known for Pulp Fiction, Spider-Man and Carrie.
John Travolta over the years
58 Interesting Facts About John Travolta
Interesting Facts (15)
- #001
John Travolta trained in disco dancing for nine months for the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever." This process laid the foundation for his iconic dance scenes, and the film became a symbol of the disco culture of the era.
- #002
In 1985, at a party held at the White House, John Travolta accepted Princess Diana's invitation to dance. The moment went down in history as an unforgettable memory for both Travolta and Diana, and their dance resonated widely in the media.
- #003
John Travolta can speak fluent French. This language ability has given him an advantage in international projects and interviews, and it also shows his interest in French culture.
- #004
John Travolta stated that his most enjoyable experience working with a director was working with Sylvester Stallone on "Staying Alive" (1983). He said that Stallone knew how to present him best on screen and that this collaboration holds a special place for him.
- #005
John Travolta has homes in Santa Barbara, California; Ocala, Florida; Maine; and Hawaii, his wife's home state. Their main residence is a large farmhouse in Ocala, where there is also a private runway for his own planes.
- #006
As of 1994, John Travolta had appeared on the cover of "Rolling Stone" four times, setting the record for the most covers by an actor.
- #007
John Travolta did yoga and boxing to shed his "love handles" for the 2001 film "Swordfish." These workouts were part of his effort to stay in physical shape and achieve the look the role required.
- #008
Travolta owned and flew many jets, including three Gulfstreams, a Learjet and a Boeing 707. His most impressive aviation feat was a successful landing at Washington National Airport at night in icing and low-visibility conditions in a Gulfstream IIB that had suffered a total electrical failure.
- #009
On April 2, 2007, on a return flight from Germany to New York, his Boeing 707 was forced to make an emergency landing at Shannon Airport in Ireland. He ran into engine trouble on the way home while promoting his new film in Europe; by chance he noticed the problem while over Ireland and landed safely at Shannon. He brought the 34-seat aircraft down successfully.
- #010
Ten of Travolta's films have grossed over 100 million dollars in the US: "Grease" (1978), "Wild Hogs" (2007), "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), "Look Who's Talking" (1989), "Hairspray" (2007), "Bolt" (2008), "Face/Off" (1997), "Pulp Fiction" (1994), "Phenomenon" (1996) and "The General's Daughter" (1999). Eight of these films surpassed 200 million dollars worldwide.
- #011
Michael Jackson's song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" (1983) was originally written for Travolta, but it ultimately appeared as Jackson's own recording on his 1982 album "Thriller." Travolta later appeared as one of the famous guest actors in the short film "Michael Jackson: Liberian Girl" (1989).
- #012
In 1994, on "Saturday Night Live," he parodied his iconic character Vinnie Barbarino from the series "Welcome Back, Kotter" (1975). The performance gave viewers a nostalgic moment.
- #013
In October 2004, he appeared in an advertising campaign for Sky TV made for Italian television. Directed by Harald Zwart, the commercials were shot in a sitcom format in which Travolta, playing himself, moves in with a working-class family because they own Sky.
- #014
According to the 2002 documentary 'We Get to Win This Time', the producers of 'Rambo: First Blood Part II' (1985) considered pairing Sylvester Stallone with John Travolta. The plan called for Travolta to appear as Rambo's young partner in the rescue of American prisoners of war. However, Stallone decided the film would be better as a solo project and rejected the idea.
- #015
John Travolta was a strong candidate to play the character Larry Meadows in the 1973 film 'The Last Detail'. However, the role was given to Randy Quaid at the last moment. The film could have been Travolta's first big break in cinema; missing this chance paved the way for him to become a star through different projects in later years.
Behind the Scenes (14)
- #016
At the height of his career, he turned down the lead roles in "Splash" (1984), "Apollo 13" (1995) and "Forrest Gump" (1994). Tom Hanks later took on these roles, and each was a major box-office success. Travolta's decisions became a frequently discussed topic in Hollywood.
- #017
Travolta often eats at Denny's restaurants late at night; he kept up this habit during the shooting of "Lucky Numbers" (2000). This spot is a comfortable, ordinary escape for him.
- #018
He was considered for the role of Lester Burnham in "American Beauty" (1999), but Kevin Spacey took the role and won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance. Travolta's missing out on this role is regarded as one of the significant turning points in his career.
- #019
He turned down the lead role in "Forrest Gump" (1994) and later described the decision as a mistake. The film achieved great success with Tom Hanks and entered the classics of cinema history.
- #020
He auditioned for Tom Hanks's role in "Splash" (1984), but his manager dissuaded him from the film. That role later became an important step in Hanks's career.
- #021
Michael Jackson's song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" was actually written for Travolta, but it ultimately appeared as Jackson's own recording on his 1982 album "Thriller." Travolta later appeared as one of the famous guest actors in the short film "Michael Jackson: Liberian Girl" (1989).
- #022
Travolta bought a house in Ocala, Florida, because of his wife Kelly Preston's passion for horses. The area offers an ideal environment for horse breeding and riding.
- #023
The role of Melvin Udall in "As Good as It Gets" (1997) was offered to him, but Jack Nicholson took the role and won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance. Travolta's missing out on this role is seen as one of the significant lost opportunities of his career.
- #024
Three of his films appeared on Empire magazine's list of the 150 Greatest Movies of All Time, published in August 2015: "Blow Out" (1981) at No. 139, "Carrie" (1976) at No. 86 and "Pulp Fiction" (1994) at No. 9. These films attest to his lasting impact on cinema history.
- #025
The producers of "Chicago" (2002) approached him several times for the role of Billy Flynn, but Travolta turned down the offers. Richard Gere took the role and won a Golden Globe for his performance.
- #026
During the shooting of "Pulp Fiction" (1994), he became close friends with Bruce Willis; ironically, they played enemies in the film. They had previously worked together on "Look Who's Talking" (1989) and "Look Who's Talking Too" (1990); in the first, Willis voiced the inner thoughts of the baby of Travolta's love interest, and in the second, he voiced Travolta's son's inner thoughts.
- #027
He auditioned for the role of Superman/Clark Kent in "Superman" (1978), but the part went to the then little-known Christopher Reeve. Reeve went down in cinema history with the role.
- #028
From 1986 to 2005, he owned a three-bedroom house on the oceanfront on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. He and his wife Kelly Preston sold the property to Kathy Ireland for 3 million dollars; Ireland planned to rent it out as one of her vacation villas around the world.
- #029
John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston share an unusual distinction: they both starred in films adapted from Stephen King novels whose titles begin with the letter 'C' and are girls' names. Travolta starred in the 1976 film 'Carrie', while Preston appeared in the 1983 film 'Christine'. This coincidence forms a striking point of intersection in the couple's film careers.
Characters & Cast (8)
- #030
John Travolta lost 20 kilos for his role in "Saturday Night Fever" (1977). This weight loss was critical to his agility and physical appearance in the dance scenes.
- #031
Richard Gere's film career rests largely on roles that John Travolta turned down. Travolta rejected the lead roles in "Days of Heaven" (1978), "American Gigolo" (1980), "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) and "Chicago" (2002); all of these roles went to Gere, and Gere gained fame with these films.
- #032
When the role played by Richard Gere in "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) was offered to him, John Travolta chose instead to go to American Airlines' jet pilot school. This decision shows his passion for aviation and his priorities in his career.
- #033
John Travolta was set to star in "The Double," an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel of the same name, and was to be paid 17 million dollars. Filming was expected to begin in Paris in June 1996, but a few days before principal photography he fell out with director Roman Polanski over script changes and returned to the United States; the project was cancelled shortly afterwards.
- #034
John Travolta had to gain 30 kilos for his role in "Primary Colors" (1998). The weight gain was intended to make the character's physical appearance more convincing.
- #035
In at least three of his films, the characters played by John Travolta mention an Al Pacino film: "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), "Get Shorty" (1995) and "Swordfish" (2001).
- #036
In 1986, he was set to star opposite Whoopi Goldberg in a buddy action comedy titled 'Public Enemies', to be produced by Cannon Group. He was to play a disgruntled police officer who teams up with a reckless young rookie cop, played by Goldberg, to track down a notorious mafia figure. Bud Yorkin was to direct. Although the project was heavily promoted at the Cannes Film Festival, it was shelved when financing could not be secured, and the film was never made.
- #037
John Travolta turned down the role of 'Dave Seville' in the 2007 film 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'. The role was later played by Jason Lee, and the film achieved great success. Travolta's rejection of this offer can be seen as an indication of his preference to follow a different direction in his career.
Career & Awards (9)
- #038
While introducing Idina Menzel at the 2014 Academy Awards, he accidentally pronounced her name as "Adele Dazeem." The mistake drew huge attention and mockery, and even prompted a Twitter account under the name Adele Dazeem. Travolta apologized to Menzel and sent her a bouquet of flowers.
- #039
In December 2003, he was master of ceremonies for the Centennial of Flight celebration held in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where he presented John Glenn with aviation's highest award. The event celebrated a major milestone in aviation history.
- #040
At the 55th Academy Awards in 1983, John Travolta presented the Oscar for Best Actor. Ben Kingsley won the award for his performance in "Gandhi" (1982).
- #041
John Travolta was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011 for his contributions to arts and entertainment. The honour shows that he was recognised by his home state.
- #042
John Travolta had signed on to appear in the 1980 film 'American Gigolo' but left the project at the last moment, and the role went to Richard Gere. He was then offered the 1982 film 'An Officer and a Gentleman', but Travolta also turned down that offer, believing the film glorified war. These decisions caused his career to take a different direction in later years.
- #043
In October 1997, the UK-based magazine Empire published its list of the 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time. John Travolta placed 21st on this prestigious list. The ranking is regarded as an indication of the actor's lasting impact on cinema history.
- #044
In the early 1980s, John Travolta signed on to a biographical film to play The Doors' legendary frontman Jim Morrison. However, the project was shelved due to legal problems and the film was never made.
- #045
John Travolta joined Scientology during the shooting of his first film, 'The Devil's Rain' (1975). The actress Joan Prather, who was in the same age group, had a great influence on this decision; Prather said Scientology could be a remedy for Travolta's unhappiness at the time. This experience was an important turning point in Travolta's life, and in later years he became someone who openly defended his faith.
- #046
In the late 1990s, John Travolta was set to star in a film about Formula 1 racing. Robert Rodriguez was to take the director's chair. However, the project did not come to fruition and the film was never made.
Life & Family (12)
- #047
During the shooting of the 1976 film "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," John Travolta fell in love with the actress Diana Hyland, who was 18 years older than him. Hyland died of breast cancer in 1977 and took her last breath in Travolta's arms. Years later, in 2020, his wife Kelly Preston also succumbed to the same disease; this tragic coincidence is recorded as one of the most painful losses in Travolta's life.
- #048
The role of Vincent Vega in "Pulp Fiction" (1994) was originally written for Michael Madsen, but when Madsen was unavailable due to a commitment to another film, the role was given to John Travolta. Vincent was the brother of Vic Vega (Mr. Blonde), whom Madsen played in "Reservoir Dogs" (1992). This role ended Travolta's long career slump and carried him back to the top of Hollywood.
- #049
John Travolta married Kelly Preston twice. Their first wedding was performed on 9 May 1991 in Paris by a French Scientologist minister, but this ceremony was considered legally invalid. The couple had met on the set of the 1989 film "The Experts" and later married again in an official ceremony.
- #050
John Travolta's 16-year-old son Jett died on 2 January 2009 after suffering a seizure at the family's holiday home in the Bahamas. This painful loss left a deep wound for the Travolta family and received wide coverage in the media.
- #051
Although John Travolta often plays Italian-American characters, he stated that even though he is of Italian descent through his father, his family placed more importance on his mother's Irish heritage. For this reason, his childhood was largely intertwined with Irish culture.
- #052
John Travolta owns a Boeing 707-138 originally produced for Australia's QANTAS Airways in 1964, and he is qualified to fly it as a second officer. In 2002 he had the plane repainted in the original QANTAS colors and went on a worldwide promotional tour; in return, he trained with QANTAS as a 747-400 first officer.
- #053
During the shooting of "Blow Out" (1981), John Travolta struggled with insomnia that had begun in his childhood while he waited for his mother to return from late-night jobs. To calm his nerves he learned to play the violin, and this hobby became a form of therapy for him.
- #054
On a small island in Maine's Penobscot Bay, John Travolta has a 20-room holiday home surrounded by pine trees and overlooking the ocean. This isolated mansion can accommodate 50 guests, and Travolta bought it so he could bring his large family together, because Christmas is his favorite holiday.
- #055
He married Kelly Preston on 5 September 1991 in a private ceremony at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. At the ceremony, a small orchestra played the main theme from his favorite French film, "A Man and a Woman" (1966).
- #056
John Travolta went into the restaurant business together with his sister Ellen Travolta. With the venue they opened jointly, the pair demonstrated a collaboration outside the world of cinema. The restaurant's opening was recorded as one of the Travolta family's ventures in the business world.
- #057
John Travolta has been flying since the early 1970s and has a serious collection in this field. Among the aircraft he owns are a Lear Jet, a Gulf Stream Jet, a British fighter plane and a Boeing 707. Travolta's passion for aviation shows that he is not only an actor but also a skilled pilot.
- #058
John Travolta is the step-brother-in-law of Chris Palzis. This kinship relationship shows Travolta's ties to the family of his wife Kelly Preston. Chris Palzis is Preston's stepbrother, and this gives Travolta an important place in his extended family circle.
Related pages
- The Family Man — John Travolta comes up in the facts on that page
- The Edge — John Travolta comes up in the facts on that page
- Spider-Man — John Travolta comes up in the facts on that page
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