His father, Salvatore "Sam" Travolta, was a semiprofessional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company, Travolta Tire Exchange.[4] His mother, Helen Cecilia (née Burke), 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.[5] His siblings Joey, Ellen, Ann, Margaret, and Sam Travolta were all inspired by their mother's love of theater and drama and became actors.[5] His father was a second-generation Italian American with roots in Godrano, Sicily, and his mother was Irish American.[6][7]
He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture.[8][9] He was raised Catholic, but later converted to Scientology in 1975 at age 21.[7][10] He converted after being given the book Dianetics from former actress Joan Prather.[11] Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out as a junior at age 17 in 1971.[12]
Career
1970s
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 as Doody and on Broadway in Over Here!, singing the Sherman Brothers' song "Dream Drummin'".[13][14] He then moved to Los Angeles for professional reasons. Travolta's first screen role in California was as a fall victim in Emergency! (Season 2, Episode 2) in September 1972,[15] 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) directed by Brian de Palma.[16] Around that 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).[17]
Travolta had a hit single titled "Let Her In", peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1976.[18][19][20] In the next few years, he starred in the television movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and two of his most noted screen roles: Tony Manero in the dance drama Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Danny Zuko in the musical Grease (1978).[5] The films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom.[21]Saturday Night Fever earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor,[22] making him, at age 24, one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.[23] His mother and his sister Ann appeared very briefly in Saturday Night Fever and his sister Ellen played a waitress in Grease. Travolta performed on the Grease soundtrack album.[24] After the failure of the romance Moment by Moment (1978), in which he starred with Lily Tomlin, Travolta rebounded in 1980, riding a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film Urban Cowboy, in which he starred with Debra Winger.[25]
1980s
Travolta followed up Urban Cowboy with a starring role in Brian de Palma's 1981 film Blow Out, which was critically lauded but a box office disappointment, likely due to its bleak ending.[26] After Blow Out came a series of commercial and critical failures which sidelined Travolta's acting career. These included Two of a Kind (1983), a romantic comedy reuniting him with Olivia Newton-John, and Perfect (1985), co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis. He also starred in Staying Alive, the 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever, for which he trained rigorously to portray a professional dancer and lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg);[27] the film was a financial success, grossing over $65 million, though it, too, was scorned by critics.
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. The film was a dream project for Travolta since the book's release in 1982, when Hubbard wrote to him to try to help make a film adaptation.[33] The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office.[34] Travolta's performance in Battlefield Earth also earned him two Razzie Awards.
Following the death of his wife Kelly Preston in July 2020, Travolta hinted on his Instagram account that he would be putting his career on hold, stating "I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while".[37]
Other ventures
Aviation
Travolta is a pilot[2] and rated to fly Boeing 707, 737, and 747 planes.[a] He owns four aircraft. Travolta owned an ex-Qantas Boeing 707-138B (Ex-VH-EBM) which bears an old livery of Qantas, and Travolta acted as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flew.[38] Travolta named his 707 "Jett Clipper Ella", in honor of his children. The "Clipper" in the name refers to the use of that word by Pan Am as the company's call sign[39] as well as in the names of their aircraft.[40] In 2017, Travolta donated the Boeing 707 to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) near Wollongong, Australia. This was expected to be flown to Australia in November 2019,[41] but was later delayed to sometime in 2020 due to condition of the aircraft.[42] Travolta planned to be on board when the aircraft was to be flown to Illawarra Regional Airport, where HARS is based, however was not allowed to fly it, because it was to be registered as an Australian aircraft.[41]
On September 13, 2010, during the first episode of the final season of her talk show, Oprah Winfrey announced that she would be taking her entire studio audience on an eight-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Australia, with Travolta serving as pilot for the trip. He had helped Winfrey plan the trip for more than a year.[46]
He is the author of the book Propeller One-Way Night Coach, the story of a young boy's first flight.[47]
His estate in Ocala, Florida, is situated at Jumbolair Airport with its own runway and taxiway right to his house, with two outbuildings for covered access to planes.[2][48]
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.[49]
Personal life
Relationships and family
Travolta was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976). They remained together until Hyland's death from breast cancer on March 27, 1977. In 1980, Travolta dated French actress Catherine Deneuve.[50] Travolta also had an on-again/off-again relationship with actress Marilu Henner, which ended permanently in 1985.[51] In 1988 while filming The Experts, Travolta met actress Kelly Preston, whom he married in Paris in 1991. They had three children: Jett (1992–2009), Ella Bleu (born 2000), and Benjamin (born 2010).[52] They regularly attended marriage counseling and Travolta has stated that therapy helped the marriage.[53] They lived near Ocala, Florida.
On January 2, 2009, Jett died at age sixteen while on a Christmas vacation in The Bahamas.[54][55] A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure.[56] Jett, who had a history of seizures, reportedly had Kawasaki disease since the age of two.[57][58] Travolta confirmed that Jett was autistic and had regular seizures, and immediately made his public statements while giving testimony at the trial of two defendants (a paramedic and a former Bahamas senator) who Travolta alleged tried to blackmail him with a multimillion-dollar extortion plot involving private information in connection with the death of his son Jett.[59] 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.[60][61][62] In memory of Jett, Travolta created the Jett Travolta Foundation, a nonprofit organization to help children with special needs.[63] It has contributed to organizations such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, and Simon Wiesenthal Center.[64]
On July 12, 2020, Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, died at the age of 57, at their home in Clearwater, Florida,[65] two years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.[66] Preston had undergone treatment at different hospitals, and at the time of her death, was receiving treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.[67]
Legal issues
In May 2012, an anonymous male masseur filed a lawsuit against Travolta, citing claims of sexual assault and battery. A lawyer for Travolta said that the allegations were "complete fiction and fabrication". 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.[68] A second masseur later joined the lawsuit, making similar claims.[69][70] Both lawsuits were subsequently dropped by the complainants and dismissed without prejudice.[71]
On September 27, 2012, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Travolta and his attorney Marty Singer by writer Robert Randolph because he found that a letter, written by Singer in response to allegations in a book by Randolph, was protected by free speech.[72]
^Reeves, Michael. "Travolta recalls lonely high schooldays", The StarPhoenix, September 28, 1978. Accessed June 12, 2011. "As far as academics were concerned, John was not the best student at Dwight Morrow High School. He confesses that 'I was only an average student.'"
^Karger, Dave (April 27, 2007). "Spotlight on Ryan Gosling". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
^Jackson, Kevin (February 6, 1996). "High-concept high roller". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
All except noted: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 313. ISBN0-646-11917-6.
FL TechnicsJenisPerusahaan SwastaIndustriDirgantaraKantorpusat VilniusTokohkunciZilvinas Lapinskas (CEO FL Technics) Martynas Grigalavicius, (CEO FL Technics Indonesia)[1]ProdukPemeliharaan BasisPemeliharaan LiniSuku Cadang dan KomponenManajemen MesinLayanan RekayasaPelatihan TeknisLogistik dan DistribusiOverhaul Alat PendaratanKaryawan821 (Oktober 2020) [2]IndukAvia Solutions Group[3]Situs webFL Technics Hangar FL Technics di Vilnius International Airport Di dalam han...
Preity ZintaLahir31 Januari 1975 (umur 49)Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaAlmamaterKonven Yesus dan Maria, Shimla; Kolese St. Bede, ShimlaPekerjaanPemeran, produser, pengusahaTahun aktif1998–sekarangKaryaDaftar lengkapSuami/istriGene Goodenough (m. 2016)PenghargaanDaftar lengkapTanda tangan Preity Zinta[1] (diucapkan [ˈpriːt̪i ˈzɪɳʈaː];) dengan nama lahir Preity Zinta, lahir 31 Januari 1975 adalah seorang pemeran film dan pengusaha In...
العلاقات السريلانكية القطرية سريلانكا قطر سريلانكا قطر تعديل مصدري - تعديل العلاقات السريلانكية القطرية هي العلاقات الثنائية التي تجمع بين سريلانكا وقطر.[1][2][3][4][5] مقارنة بين البلدين هذه مقارنة عامة ومرجعية للدولتين: وجه المقارنة سر�...
American politician John Adams Gilmer John Adams Gilmer (November 4, 1805 – May 14, 1868) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina. Gilmer was born in Guilford County, North Carolina near Greensboro. His parents were Robert Shaw Gilmer and Anne Forbes. He was the brother of Confederate Maj. Gen Jeremy Francis Gilmer. Gilmer attended the public schools and an academy in Greensboro. After receiving his education, he taught school. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar ...
Filippo Guastavillanicardinale di Santa Romana ChiesaRitratto del cardinale Guastavillani Incarichi ricoperti Cardinale diacono di Santa Maria Nuova (1574-1577) Cardinale diacono di Santa Maria in Cosmedin (1577-1583) Legato apostolico della Marca Anconitana (1578-1580) Protettore del Santuario di Loreto (1580-1587) Abate commendatario di Nonantola (1582-1587) Cardinale diacono di Sant'Angelo in Pescheria (1583-1587) Camerlengo di Santa Romana Chiesa (1584-1587) Cardinale diacono di San...
Spouse of the head of government of Malaysia Spouse of the Prime Minister of MalaysiaPasangan Perdana Menteri MalaysiaIncumbentWan Azizah Wan Ismailsince 24 November 2022StyleYang Amat BerbahagiaResidenceSeri PerdanaFormation31 August 1957First holderSharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah The spouse of the prime minister of Malaysia (Malay: pasangan perdana menteri Malaysia) refers to the spouse of the head of government of Malaysia, the prime minister. Since independence in 1957, the title...
Paus Aleksander IIAwal masa jabatan30 September 1061Masa jabatan berakhir21 April 1073PendahuluNikolaus IIPenerusGregorius VIIInformasi pribadiNama lahirAnselmo da BaggioLahirtanggal tidak diketahuiMilan, ItaliaWafat21 April 1073Roma, ItaliaPaus lainnya yang bernama Aleksander Paus Aleksander II, nama lahir Anselmo da Baggio (???-21 April 1073), adalah Paus Gereja Katolik Roma sejak 30 September 1061 hingga 21 April 1073. Didahului oleh:Nikolaus II Paus1061 – 1073 Diteruskan oleh:Grego...
Stasiun Nishi-Nojiri西野尻駅Stasiun Nishi-NojiriLokasiFujiwara-cho Nishinojiri, Inabe, Mie(三重県いなべ市藤原町西野尻)JepangOperatorSangi RailwayJalurJalur SangiSejarahDibuka1931Penumpang201128 per hari Sunting kotak info • L • BBantuan penggunaan templat ini Stasiun Nishi-Nojiri (西野尻駅code: ja is deprecated , Nishi-Nojiri-eki) adalah sebuah stasiun kereta api di Inabe, Prefektur Mie, Jepang. Stasiun tersebut berjarak 25.3 kilometer dari terminus Jalu...
Para el idioma antiguo no relacionado, véase Antiguo idioma macedonio. Macedonio македонски / makedonskiHablado en Macedonia del Norte Macedonia del Norte Albania Albania Serbia SerbiaRegión Macedonia (región), Balcanes meridionalesHablantes Aprox. 2 millonesFamilia Indoeuropeo Baltoeslavo Eslavo Eslavo meridional Esl. merid. oriental ...
For other uses, see Bharatpur. Village in West Bengal, IndiaBharatpurVillageBharatpurLocation in West Bengal, IndiaShow map of West BengalBharatpurBharatpur (India)Show map of IndiaCoordinates: 23°53′17″N 88°05′00″E / 23.888101°N 88.083287°E / 23.888101; 88.083287Country IndiaStateWest BengalDistrictMurshidabadPopulation (2011) • Total15,812Languages • OfficialBengali, EnglishTime zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)PIN742301 (Bharatpur)Tele...
Military operation of the Syrian Civil War Qalamoun offensive (2014)Part of the Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian civil war and Syrian Civil War spillover in LebanonBattle of Western Qalamoun (2013–2017) Lebanese Government & Hezbollah control Syrian Government & Hezbollah control Syrian Opposition control For a war map of the current situation in Rif Dimashq, see here.Date21 June[1] – 7 August 2014(1 month, 2 weeks and 3 d...
US Supreme Court justice since 2018 (born 1965) Brett KavanaughOfficial portrait, 2018Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesIncumbentAssumed office October 6, 2018Appointed byDonald TrumpPreceded byAnthony KennedyJudge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitIn officeMay 30, 2006 – October 6, 2018Appointed byGeorge W. BushPreceded byLaurence SilbermanSucceeded byNeomi RaoWhite House Staff SecretaryIn officeJune 6, 2003 ...
American singer-songwriter This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (June 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs additi...
يفتقر محتوى هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر. فضلاً، ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة من خلال إضافة مصادر موثوق بها. أي معلومات غير موثقة يمكن التشكيك بها وإزالتها. (فبراير 2016) الدوري الفرنسي 2013–14معلومات عامةالرياضة كرة القدم الاتحاد اتحاد فرنسا لكرة القدم البطولة الدوري الفرنس�...
Polish composer, pianist, conductor (1897–1986) Alexander Tansman, 1932 Alexander Tansman (Polish: Aleksander Tansman, French: Alexandre Tansman; 12 June 1897 – 15 November 1986) was a Polish composer, pianist and conductor who became a naturalized French citizen in 1938. One of the earliest representatives of neoclassicism, associated with École de Paris, Tansman was a globally recognized and celebrated composer.[1][2][3] Early life and heritage Tansman was born ...
Lumba-lumba bergigi kasar Steno bredanensis Status konservasiRisiko rendahIUCN20738 TaksonomiKelasMammaliaOrdoArtiodactylaSuperfamiliDelphinoideaFamiliDelphinidaeGenusStenoSpesiesSteno bredanensis Cuvier, 1828 Distribusi Lumba-lumba bergigi kasar (nama ilmiah: Steno bredanensis) merupakan spesies lumba-lumba yang ditempatkan dalam famili Delphinidae dan genus Steno. Spesies ini dikategorikan sebagai spesies risiko rendah dalam daftar merah IUCN.[1] Referensi ^ IUCN (2018-08-30). Steno...
American baseball coach (born 1958) This article is about the baseball coach. For the fictional character, see The Peter Serafinowicz Show. Baseball player Brian ButterfieldButterfield as third base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011Third base coachBorn: (1958-03-09) March 9, 1958 (age 66)Bangor, Maine, U.S.Bats: SwitchThrows: Right TeamsAs coach New York Yankees (1994–1995) Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2000) Toronto Blue Jays (2002–2012) Boston Red Sox (2013–2017) Chicago Cub...
For other people with the same name, see Alfred Watson (disambiguation). Alf Watson Medal record Men's athletics Representing Australia British Empire Games 1938 Sydney 4×110 yards Alfred Joseph Watson (26 May 1907 – 23 August 1992) was an Australian track and field athlete who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1936 Summer Olympics.[1] Family life The son of Thomas Watson (1866-1925),[2] and Flora Henrietta Watson (1874-1950), née Dowell,[3]...
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Bloemfontein – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) City in South Africa For other uses, see Bloemfontein (disambiguation). Mangaung and Bloem redirect here. For the surname and given name, see B...