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| John Joseph Travolta was born on the 18th of February, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey. His father, Salvatore, was a semi-pro footballer turned tyre salesman. His mother, Helen, had played in a radio vocal group called The Sunshine Sisters, and had acted and directed before becoming a high school drama teacher. John also had five brothers and sisters - Joey and Sam, and Ellen, Ann and Margaret. All of them have worked in TV, film or music. This clearly had much to do with Helen's influence, but also Salvatore's who encouraged his children by assembling a small theatre in the family's basement. Young John was very quick to make his career choice. His great loves all pointed him towards a life onstage. He loved to dance, winning a Twist competition at a very young age. He joined an Actor's Workshop at age 12. Employing all his talents, he played in local musicals and worked in dinner theatre. He also took tap lessons. Travolta swaggered into the national consciousness at the age of 21, five years after dropping out of high school in New Jersey to pursue an acting career. In no time at all Travolta had conquered Hollywood with a musical triumvirate - Saturday Night Fever (1977), Grease (1978), and Urban Cowboy (1980) - that gave birth to the modern movie soundtrack. Yet the polyester, black leather, and Levis-fueled rocket began to plummet almost as quickly as it ascended. Four years later Travolta left the fortress of solitude he found in the sky (piloting jets) to appear in the surprise hit of 1989 Look Who's Talking. Two sequels followed, but it was Vincent Vega and his "Royale with cheese" dissertation from Pulp Fiction (1994) that finally helped Travolta get his cool back. Some of his films ranging from the crime-comedy Get Shorty (1995), the feel good films Phenomenon and Michael (1996), the action adventure Face/Off (1997), the political satire Primary Colors, (1998) the mystery The General's Daughter (1999), the techno-thriller Swordfish (2001) and as a dad in Domestic Disturbance (2001) were vry much liked by the public. Travolta still loves dancing, and music, and he loves to fly jets, owning at least four. In 1993, after a total electric failure, at night and in icy conditions, he managed to safely land his Gulfstream. That's Travolta - smooth beyond the call of duty. |
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