Margaret Travolta
Margaret Travolta is an American actress and a sister of actor John Travolta.
Early life
Travolta, one of six children (John, Joey, Ellen, Ann, Sam, and herself), was born in Englewood, New Jersey, the daughter of Salvatore Travolta, a semi-professional football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company, and Helen Cecilia (née Burke), 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. Travolta's father was a second-generation Italian American and her mother was Irish American; Her family was Catholic. She was influenced at a very early age by her mother's involvement in local theatre and her sister Ellen's success on stage. While attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, Margaret supported herself by performing in children's theatre, waiting tables and singing in cabarets.
Career
Chicago was one of the many stops Margaret made while performing summer stock in the late 1960s. She quickly realized the city's great advertising potential by winning National TV Commercials for Sears, Nescafe and Alberto Culver. It was the Windy City where she met her husband Jim and settled down to raise their two boys. Margaret's talent, hard work and professionalism earned her the reputation of being one of Chicago's Top Voice-over Talents. Her voice career has included such clients as Disney, United Airlines, Kraft, McDonalds and Pillsbury.
She currently resides with her family in Los Angeles where she has expanded her resume into more film and television projects in complement to her commercial campaigns for Gerber, Disneyland, Home Depot, City of Hope, and Pearl Vision.
Travolta has a solid career in supporting roles, gaining respect on television and in film. Her credits include performances in the films Hangman's Curse with David Keith, Catch Me if You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, National Security with Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn, High Fidelity with John Cusack and Jack Black (as John Cusack's mother), and While You Were Sleeping with Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. Her television credits include the recurring roles of Dr. Helen Boyd on NYPD Blue and Sister Mary Margaret on Days of Our Lives, and guest starring appearances on The Drew Carey Show, Strong Medicine, and Early Edition.
Filmography
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
1993 | In the Company of Darkness | Dr. Kohanek | TV Movie/Film Debut |
1995 | Losing Isaiah | Sandra Harris | |
While You Were Sleeping | Admitting Nurse | ||
1996 | Chain Reaction | Anita Fermi | |
Michael | Reporter #1 | ||
1998 | Mercury Rising | Autism Expert Nurse | |
2000 | High Fidelity | Rob's Mom | |
Lucky Numbers | Nurse | ||
Traffic | Economist | ||
2001 | Swordfish | Hostage | |
2002 | Pumpkin | Vera Whitner | |
Catch Me If You Can | Ms. Davenport | ||
2003 | National Security | Judge | |
Basic | Nurse #1 | ||
Hangman's Curse | Debi Wyrthen | ||
2005 | Be Cool | Marge | |
Guilt | Aunt Nina | ||
2006 | Solace | Nurse Reynolds | |
Lonely Hearts | Mineola Female Dispatcher | ||
Accepted | Academic Counselor | ||
2007 | Wild Hogs | Dana | |
Ocean's Thirteen | Bank's Secretary | ||
Enchanted | Radio Therapist | Voice | |
Sex and Breakfast | Gale | ||
2009 | Old Dogs | Singing Hostess | |
2010 | How to Make Love to a Woman | Mrs. Baker | |
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1993 | Missing Persons | Unknown Role | 1 episode |
1998 | Cupid | Congressman's Wife | 1 episode |
Early Edition | High School Principal | ||
1999 | Turks | Claire Strummond | 1 episode |
2002 | The Drew Carey Show | Mrs. Bishop | 1 episode |
2003 | NYPD Blue | Dr. Helen Boyd | 1 episode |
The Handler | Secretary | ||
2004 | Days of Our Lives | Sister Mary Margaret | 1 episode |
2007 | ER | Secretary | 1 episode |