John Travolta
Biography
John Joseph Travolta was born on February 18, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey. He was the youngest of six children in a family with a creative background; his mother was an actress and singer, and his father was a semi-professional football player. Inspired by his mother's love for theater, all of his siblings also became actors. At age 16, Travolta dropped out of high school to pursue acting and moved to New York City, landing roles in a touring company of the musical "Grease" and on Broadway in "Over Here!".
Rise to Stardom
In 1975, Travolta's career skyrocketed with his role as Vinnie Barbarino in the TV series "Welcome Back, Kotter". This was followed by his iconic, Oscar-nominated performance as Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), which made him a symbol of the disco era. The following year, he starred as Danny Zuko in the hit movie musical "Grease" (1978), cementing his status as a major Hollywood star. His career continued with films like "Urban Cowboy" (1980) and "Blow Out" (1981).
Career Revival and Later Work
After a period of decline in the 1980s, Travolta's career was revived with his role as hitman Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994), which earned him another Academy Award nomination. This led to a string of successful films including "Get Shorty" (1995), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, the action-thriller "Face/Off" (1997), "Primary Colors" (1998), and the musical "Hairspray" (2007). In 2016, he returned to television in the series "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story," earning an Emmy Award as a producer and a nomination for his portrayal of lawyer Robert Shapiro.
Personal Life
Travolta married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. They had three children: a son Jett (1992–2009), a daughter Ella Bleu (born 2000), and a son Benjamin (born 2010). Tragically, their son Jett died at the age of 16 in 2009. Kelly Preston passed away in 2020 after a battle with breast cancer. Travolta is also a certified pilot and owns several aircraft.