Early life

Travolta, the youngest of six children, was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, an inner-ring suburb of New York City. His father, Salvatore Travolta (November 1912 - May 1995), was a semi-professional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company. His mother, Helen Cecilia (née Burke; January 18, 1912 - December 1978), 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. His siblings, Joey, Ellen, Ann, Margaret, and Sam Travolta, have all acted. His father was a second-generation Italian American and his mother was Irish American; he grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and has said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. He was raised Roman Catholic, but converted to Scientology in 1975. Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out as a junior at age 17 in 1971.

Career

Early career

After attending Dwight Morrow High School, Travolta moved across the Hudson River to New York City and landed a role in the touring company of the musical Grease and on Broadway in Over Here!, singing the Sherman Brothers' song "Dream Drummin'". He then moved to Los Angeles to further his career in show business.

Travolta's first California-filmed television role was as a fall victim in Emergency! (S2E2), in September 1972, 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). Around the same time, he landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino in the TV sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979), in which his sister, Ellen, also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack's mother). The show aired on ABC.

1970s stardom

Travolta had a hit single entitled "Let Her In", peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1976. In the next few years, he appeared in two of his most noted screen roles: Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and as Danny Zuko in Grease (1978). The films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom. Saturday Night Fever earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. At age 24, Travolta became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. His mother and his sister Ann appeared in minor roles in Saturday Night Fever and his sister Ellen appeared as a waitress in Grease. Travolta performed several of the songs on the Grease soundtrack album. In 1980, Travolta inspired a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film, Urban Cowboy, in which he starred with Debra Winger.

Downturn

After Urban Cowboy, Travolta starred in a series of financial and critical failures that sidelined his acting career. These included Perfect, co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and Two of a Kind, a romantic comedy reteaming him with Olivia Newton-John. During that time he was offered, but turned down, lead roles in what would become box office hits, including American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman, both of which went to Richard Gere.

Resurgence

In 1989, Travolta starred with Kirstie Alley in Look Who's Talking, which grossed $297,000,000, making it his most successful film since Grease. Travolta continued to the two sequels Look Who's Talking Too (1990) and Look Who's Talking Now (1993). But it was not until he played Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's hit Pulp Fiction (1994), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, that his career revived. The movie shifted him back onto the A-list, and he was inundated with offers. Notable roles following Pulp Fiction include a movie-buff loan shark in Get Shorty (1995), an FBI agent and terrorist in Face/Off (1997), a desperate attorney in A Civil Action (1998), a Bill Clinton-esque presidential candidate in Primary Colors (1998), and a military investigator in The General's Daughter (1999).

2000-present

Travolta also starred in and co-produced Battlefield Earth (2000), based on a work of science fiction by L. Ron Hubbard, in which he played the leader of a group of aliens that enslaves humanity on a bleak future Earth. The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office. Travolta's performance in Battlefield Earth also earned him two Razzie Awards. In 2007, he starred in Wild Hogs and played Mrs. Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since Grease. In 2008 he lent his voice for the film Bolt, in which he played the title role.

In 2016, Travolta returned to TV in the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, titled The People v. O.J. Simpson. The series was developed by screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and he portrayed Robert Shapiro.

Personal life

Relationships

Travolta was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble; Hyland died of breast cancer in 1977.

Travolta married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. The couple had a son, Jett (April 13, 1992 - January 2, 2009). Their daughter, Ella Bleu, was born in 2000 and a third child, a son named Benjamin, was born in 2010 in Florida. Travolta and Preston have regularly attended marriage counseling; Travolta has stated that therapy has helped the marriage.

In May 1991, Time magazine published a cover story entitled "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power". In the article, former Church of Scientology Executive Director William Franks alleged that Travolta was wary of leaving the faith because he feared the Church would publish detailed revelations of his private life, to include homosexual behavior. These claims were reiterated by Franks and other Scientology defectors in Lawrence Wright's 2013 book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, and former Church official Marty Rathbun claimed that he worked with Travolta's attorneys several times to keep allegations about Travolta's homosexuality out of the press and resolve lawsuits against the star.

In May 2012, an anonymous 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" and someone wanting their 15 minutes of fame. 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. A second masseur later joined the lawsuit making similar claims. Both lawsuits were subsequently dropped by the complainants and dismissed without prejudice.

A judge ruled to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against Travolta and his attorney Marty Singer by writer Robert Randolph. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey dismissed the case on September 27, 2012, because he found that a letter, written by Singer in response to allegations in a book by Randolph, had free speech protection.

In September 2014, Travolta denied claims made in January 2014 by his former pilot, Douglas Gotterba, that they had shared a sexual relationship while working for Travolta's aircraft company, Alto, for six years before leaving voluntarily in 1987. Gotterba argued that he was not bound by any confidentiality agreement during his term in the position.

Son's death

In 2009, Travolta's son, Jett, died at age 16 while on a Christmas vacation in the Bahamas. A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure. Jett, who had a troubled history of seizures, reportedly suffered from Kawasaki disease at the age of two. Travolta confirmed speculation that his son had autism and suffered regular seizures and immediately made his public statements while giving testimony after a multimillion-dollar extortion plot against him in connection to his son's death. After a mistrial, Travolta dropped the charges and has credited his immediate family and faith in helping him survive the premature death of his son and in moving forward with his film career. In memory of his son, Travolta founded the Jett Travolta Foundation, a non-profit organization to help children with special needs. It has contributed to organizations such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center

Religion

Travolta has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975 when he was given the book Dianetics while filming the movie The Devil's Rain in Durango, Mexico. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, joining other celebrities in helping with the relief efforts, Travolta flew his Boeing 707 full of supplies, doctors, and Scientologist Volunteer Ministers into the disaster area.

Pilot

Travolta is an accomplished private pilot, with multiple certifications and extensive experience. He owns five aircraft, including an ex-Qantas Boeing 707-138 airliner that bears the name Jett Clipper Ella in honor of his children. Pan American World Airways was a large operator of the Boeing 707 and used Clipper in its names. The 707 aircraft bears the marks of Qantas, as Travolta acts as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flies.

His $4.9 million estate in the Jumbolair subdivision in Ocala, Florida, is situated on Greystone Airport with its own runway and taxiway right to his house, with two outbuildings for covered access to planes.

On November 24, 1992, Travolta was piloting his Gulfstream N728T at night above a solid undercast, when he experienced a total electrical system failure, while flying under instrument flight rules into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. During the emergency landing, he almost had a mid-air collision with a USAir Boeing 727, an event attributed to a risky decision by an air traffic controller.

Travolta was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2007 and acts as the award show's official ambassador.

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 8-day 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.

He is the author of the book Propeller One-Way Night Coach, the story of a young boy's first flight.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1975	Devil's Rain, TheThe Devil's Rain	Danny
1976	Carrie	Billy Nolan
1977	Saturday Night Fever	Tony Manero	National Board of Review Award for Best Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy 3rd place—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor 3rd place—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
1978	Moment by Moment	Strip Harrison
	Grease	Daniel "Danny" Zuko	Henrietta Award - World Film Favorite Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1980	Urban Cowboy	Buford 'Bud' Uan Davis
1981	Blow Out	Jack Terry
1983	Staying Alive	Tony Manero
	Two of a Kind	Zack Melon
1985	Perfect	Adam Lawrence
1987	Basements	Ben	TV segment "The Dumb Waiter"
1989	Look Who's Talking	James Ubriacco
	Experts, TheThe Experts	Travis
1990	Look Who's Talking Too	James Ubriacco
1991	Shout	Jack Cabe
	Eyes of an Angel	Bobby	Aka The Tender
1992	Boris and Natasha: The Movie	Himself	Cameo
1993	Look Who's Talking Now	James Ubriacco
1994	Pulp Fiction	Vincent Vega	MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Actor London Critics Circle Film Award for Actor of the Year Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Stockholm International Film Festival for Best Actor Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Performance Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo 3rd place—National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
1995	Get Shorty	Chili Palmer	American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
1995	White Man's Burden	Louis Pinnock
1996	Michael	Michael
	Phenomenon	George Malley
	Orientation: A Scientology Information Film	Himself	Short subject
	Broken Arrow	Maj. Vic 'Deak' Deakins	Nomination—MTV Movie Award for Best Villain Nomination—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Christian Slater)
1997	Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's	Himself	Documentary
	Mad City	Sam Baily
	Face/Off	Sean Archer/Castor Troy	MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo Nomination—Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Action/Adventure Nomination—MTV Movie Award for Best Performance Nomination—MTV Movie Award for Best Villain Nomination—Saturn Award for Best Actor
	She's So Lovely	Joey Giamonti	Also executive producer
1998	Civil Action, AA Civil Action	Jan Schlichtmann
	Thin Red Line, TheThe Thin Red Line	Brigadier General Quintard	Satellite Special Achievement Award for Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble
	Junket Whore	Himself	Documentary
	Primary Colors	Governor Jack Stanton	Nomination—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1999	General's Daughter, TheThe General's Daughter	Warr. Off. Paul Brenner/Sgt. Frank White
	Our Friend, Martin	Kyle's dad	Animated educational film, voice only
2000	Battlefield Earth	Terl	Razzie Award for Worst Picture, Razzie Award for Worst Actor, Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple
	Lucky Numbers	Russ Richards	Razzie Award for Worst Actor
	Welcome to Hollywood	Himself	Mockumentary; cameo
2001	Domestic Disturbance	Frank Morrison
	Swordfish	Gabriel Shear
2002	Austin Powers in Goldmember	"Austinpussy" Johann van der Smut (Goldmember) / Himself	Cameo
2003	Basic	Tom Hardy
2004	Ladder 49	Captain Mike Kennedy
	Love Song for Bobby Long, AA Love Song for Bobby Long	Bobby Long
	Punisher, TheThe Punisher	Howard Saint
2005	Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D	James Benson "Jim" Irwin	Narrator; documentary
	Be Cool	Chili Palmer
2006	Lonely Hearts	Elmer C. Robinson
2007	Wild Hogs	Woody Stevens
	Hairspray	Edna Turnblad	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Hollywood Film Festival for Ensemble of the Year Hollywood Film Festival for Supporting Actor of the Year Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture Nominated—Palm Springs International Film Festival Ensemble Cast Award Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2008	Bolt	Bolt	Voice
2009	Taking of Pelham 123, TheThe Taking of Pelham 123	Benard Ryder
	Old Dogs	Charlie Reed
2010	From Paris with Love	Charlie Wax
2012	Savages	Dennis
2013	Killing Season	Emil Kovac
2014	The Forger	Ray Cutter
2015	Gummy Bear the Movie 3D	Gummy Bear	Voice
	Life on the Line	Beau
	Criminal Activities	Eddie
2016	In a Valley of Violence	The Marshal
	I Am Wrath	Stanley Hill

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Emergency!	Chuck Benson	Episode: "Kids"
	Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law		Episode: "A Piece of God"
1973	Rookies, TheThe Rookies	Eddie Halley	Episode: " Frozen Smoke"
1974	Medical Center	Danny	Episode: "Saturday's Child"
1975	Tenth Level, TheThe Tenth Level	John	TV movie
1975-1979	Welcome Back, Kotter	Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino	Main Role (Seasons 1-3) / Special Guest Star (Season 4); 79 episodes
1976	Boy in the Plastic Bubble, TheThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble	Tod Lubitch	TV movie Nominated—TV Land Award
1991	Chains of Gold	Scott Barnes	TV movie; also writer
2014	Kirstie	Mickey	Episode: "Mickey & Maddie"
2016	American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson	Robert Shapiro	10 episodes

Discography

Albums

Year	Album
1974	Over Here!	—
1976	John Travolta	39
1977	Can't Let You Go	66
1978	Travolta Fever	161
	Grease	1
1983	Two of a Kind	26
1986	The Road to Freedom	—
1996	Let Her In: The Best of John Travolta	—
2003	The Collection	—
2007	Hairspray	—
2012	This Christmas	81

Singles

Year	Title
1974	"Dream Drummin'"
1975	"Easy Evil"
	"Can't Let You Go"
1976	"You Set My Dreams to Music"
	"Goodnight Mr. Moon"
	"Rainbows"
	"Settle Down"
	"Moonlight Lady"
	"Right Time of the Night"
	"Big Trouble"
	"What Would They Say"
	"Back Doors Crying"
	"Let Her In"	10	5		16	7	12
	"Whenever I'm Away from You"	38	62			61
	"Slow Dancin'"
	"It Had to Be You"
	"I Don't Know What I Like About You Baby"
1977	"All Strung Out on You"	34	28			30
	"Baby, I Could Be So Good at Lovin' You"
	"Razzamatazz"
1978	"You're the One That I Want"	1	3			2		1
	"Summer Nights"	5	3			3		1
	"Sandy"	—	—	—	—		—	2
	"Greased Lightnin'"	47	45					11
1980	"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"				—	—	—	—
1983	"Take a Chance"			—		—		—
1997	"Two Sleepy People"			—		—	—	—
2008	"I Thought I Lost You"			—

Charities

John Travolta supports the following charitable causes: Health Education, Environment, Gay Rights, Children, Animals, Education, Human Rights.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]