John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, producer, dancer, and singer. His acting career declined through the 1980s, but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in Pulp Fiction (1994), and he has since starred in films such as Face/Off (1997), Swordfish (2001), Wild Hogs, and Hairspray (both 2007).
Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978).
Early Life Of John Travolta
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 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 Of John Travolta
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).
Having made his big-screen debut in two horror flicks—The Devil’s Rain (1975) and Carrie (1976)—international fame soon came for the young actor with two successive box-office smashes, the first being Saturday Night Fever (1977). Portraying the white suit-clad Tony Manero, Travolta earned an Oscar nod for his boogeying, hip swiveling role, becoming an enduring icon for disco nightlife and ’70s culture.
An even more mammoth hit followed the next year in the form of Grease. For his reunion with the musical, Travolta took on the lead role of cool guy Danny opposite suffering love interest Sandy, as played by Olivia Newton-John. The audience for Grease was massive. The film reportedly had a production budget of $6 million yet eventually earned almost $400 million at the global box office, thus becoming the top live-action movie musical of all time.
More Info: Wiki | IMDb | Official
Fans Also Viewed
