No one ever said being famous is easy and no one knows that more than John Travolta. From scrutiny over his ties with Scientology to his love life – or lack thereof. The actor just can’t seem to catch a break.
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Today, we are taking a look at his long career and learning how Travolta got his big break, his close-knit celebrity friends and why the press has forced the actor to all but give up on his career and more.
Slow Start
Compared to the triple threat actor that we have come to love and adore, Travolta was very different as a child. As a teenager, he was considered a loner and didn’t really have many friends.
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But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t already focused on his career. In High School, John took acting classes and was heavily involved in the theatre program as well as tried to hone his dancing and singing skills.
Charismatic
While Travolta himself described his high school years as feeling like an outsider, his peers were more intrigued by him than anything. Here was a young and handsome teen who seemed laser-focused.
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The few people who did manage to get a few minutes of the busy teen’s time were taken back by his easy charisma and charm. Clearly, John had all the skills to be part of the “popular” kids but his aspirations were far bigger than those.
Breakthrough
John knew from the start that High School just wasn’t for him. He wanted to act, sing, dance and much more. He was made for broadway and he knew it. So, the young teen dropped out of High School.
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He was now able to put all his attention into his career and landed himself the coveted role of Grease, the musical on Broadway. The next project that he worked on was a hit show called Over Here!
Controversial Romance
Having had a taste of fame and success, Travolta decided to move to Los Angeles to fully immerse himself in his craft. And there he landed his first big starring role in a movie called The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.
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The film received mixed responses but what really shocked the media was that John started dating his on-screen mother, actress Diana Hyland. The two had an 18-year-gap and was met with major controversy.
Triple Threat
With his acting career getting established and experience from Broadway, Travolta decided to stretch his singing muscles. At 22 years old, he released a single called “Let Her In”. It was his first and last single.
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The song was a hit and made a number 10 spot on the Billboard charts. Soon after, he surprised fans when he graced the dance floor with another hit movie, Saturday Night Fever. At 23, John had honed all his skills and earned himself the title of being a triple threat.
Big Box Hits
At a young age, the actor had turned himself into a sought after star and both his films, Saturday Night Fever and Grease which he filmed back to back, were complete box office hits.
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While his professional career was on top, sadly his personal life was suffering. His girl and co-star, Diana Hyland passed away after battling cancer the same year. John later revealed that the loss changed him forever and he used his work to hide away from his feelings.
T.V Shows
Determined to make his fame grow more, John went on to star in a popular ABC sitcom called Welcome Back, Kotter. His role of Vinnie Barbarino in the show was a bad-boy persona that was loved by fans.
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Many critics of Travolta thought that the actor played Vinne so well because deep down John had secretly wanted to be Vinnie in real life. Remember, Travolta was a loner in High School but his on-screen character was the exact opposite.
Down Turn
Right after finishing his T.V Show, Travolta went on to star in the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy. The film was not well received and that was just the start. The next 5 or 6 films the star did were all considered flops.
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And by all intents, it looked like John’s star was fading before it had even fully been allowed to shine. Things got so bad that Travolta took a hiatus from acting. While the news made headlines, John didn’t really stick to this self-imposed hiatus.
Breaking Stereotypes
While he still worked on smaller projects, the actor focused all his energy on improving his image which had taken quite a hit with his string of flop films. Travolta became a pioneer in breaking gender stereotypes.
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The actor became a model and became the first man to ever grace the covers of the popular women’s magazine called McCalls. He paved the way for men to be featured on magazine covers – a practice that is widely accepted today and we have Travolta to thank for that.
Moment With Royalty
Having turned around his image, the actor was finally secure and in 1995 he turned into an international heartthrob thanks to Princess Diana. At a White House event hosted in honour of the Princess visiting The United States, Travolta asked the Princess Of Wales for a dance.
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It was rumoured that Nancy Regan, the first lady at the time had hinted that Diana had quite a crush on the actor! According to him in an interview, “we’re off for 15 minutes of dancing. I’m so honoured to have experienced it.” The dress Diana wore that night even became known as the ‘Travolta Dress’!
Another Controversial Romance
Ever since his ex passed away, Travolta tried his best to keep his romantic life as private as possible but when he met Kelly Preston at the set of The Experts in 1989, rumours began flying wild.
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The two had crazy chemistry together and despite Kelly being married, it was obvious to everyone that the pair were more than just friends. And soon enough, the actress filed for divorce and immediately got engaged to Travolta.
Marriage
The Hollywood couple was the talk of the town and everyone wondered where they were going to get married. Most thought that an over-the-top affair was expected from the famous stars.
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But instead, the couple eloped in Paris. Kelly was already pregnant at the time with the couple’s first child – a son, Jett. The ceremony was officiated by a Scientology minister as the two belonged to the Church of Scientology.
Second Ceremony
Turns out, their marriage was not recognised anywhere in the world, especially in the United States. Scientology is more or less defined by a cult by modern-day standards and was invented by an American author, L. Ron Hubbard.
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The “religion” is rather controversial and those associated with it are heavily mocked. And for this reason, Travolta had kept his ties with Scientology as private as possible. The couple was forced to have another ceremony in the United States which would finally legally make the husband and wife.
Celebrity Friends
Having worked in the industry for nearly 45 years, Travolta has created a huge network of famous friends but his closest friend remains his co-star, Olive Newton-John. The two worked together in Grease and despite romance rumours, the two have remained friends.
Travolta’s other close friend is Oprah Winfrey. The t.v host has declared her love for Travolta’s performances has invited him on her talk show numerous times. Travolta also helped Oprah plan a big surprise for her audience members during her talk show’s final season.
Not Too Friendly With Tom Cruise
While John Travolta’s friends are countless, he has managed to make one notable enemy. Well, that might be a strong word for the pair but let’s just say the two aren’t really friends and don’t plan on changing that ever.
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Both belong to a secretive organization, Scientology but there seems to be some bad blood between the two. Tom Cruise didn’t invite Travolta and his wife to his huge wedding with Katie Holmes in 2006.
Family Connections
Travolta isn’t the first one in his family to be interested in showbiz. In fact, his mother Ellen was an actress and an inspiration to him. His mother also worked on Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
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The actor comes from a strong Italian-American family and has always been close to both his mother and father. His father, Salvatore Travolta had a tire business in New Jersey and passed away in 1995.
He’s a Trained Pilot
You would think that dancing, singing and acting would be enough talents for one man but not for Travolta. The actor is also a trained pilot and even has his pilot license. John has his own fleet of planes – five in total.
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With the Boeing 707 being his crown jewel. John famously also has his own runway at one of his private homes rather than a conventional driveway! He actually became the Ambassador for Qantas Airlines after the tragedy of September 11th.
Wealth
Of course, for someone who has five aeroplanes and his own private airstrip you can assume that Travolta has done well for himself. The Hollywood star has an approximate net worth of $170 million.
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He owns four houses in Maine, California, Hawaii, and Florida. Apart from aeroplanes, John also has a taste for expensive cars. He owns a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL which is estimated to be around 1 million dollars.
Tragedy Struck
With so much wealth and fame, you would think that John’s life is all but perfect but that isn’t the case. The actor lost his eldest son who was just 16-years-old in 2009. He released a statement saying “To bury your son is the worst thing you can ever do.”
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Fast forward a few years and he lost his long-time partner and mother of his children, Kelly to breast cancer. Recent years have been rather tough for the actor who has been hit by personal tragedy after a personal tragedy.
A New Chapter
Nowadays, the once heartthrob likes to stay away from the spotlight and tries to spend as much time possible with his two young kids. His daughter, Ella has followed in her father’s footsteps and joined Hollywood.
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John has allowed his fame to dim throughout the years and is happy cheering on his daughter from the sidelines. While he still does small roles and projects from time to time his main focus is raising his family and enjoying his many hobbies in peace.
