John Travolta facts for kids

John Travolta
Quick facts for kids John Travolta
	Travolta in 2013
Born	John Joseph Travolta ; February 18, 1954 (age 67); Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, producer, writer, singer, dancer, aircraft pilot
Years active	1972–present
Notable work	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Kelly Preston (m. 1991)
Children	3
Relatives	Margaret Travolta (sister); Ellen Travolta (sister); Joey Travolta (brother)
Awards	Full list
Signature

John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, director, film producer, dancer and singer. 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). 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 Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Swordfish, Be Cool, Wild Hogs, Hairspray and The Taking of Pelham 123.

Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for performances in Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction. He won his first and only Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for his performance in Get Shorty and has received a total of six nominations, the most recent being in 2011.

In 2010, he received the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema. In 2016, Travolta received his first Primetime Emmy Award, as a producer of the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson. He also received an additional Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of lawyer Robert Shapiro in the series.

Early life

Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino in the ABC comedy Welcome Back Kotter, c. 1976

Travolta, the youngest of six children, was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, an inner-ring suburb of Bergen County, New Jersey. 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, inspired by their mother's love of theatre and drama, have all acted. His father was a second-generation Italian American (with roots in Godrano, Sicily) 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.

Personal life

Travolta and wife Kelly Preston at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival

Travolta was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. He is now married to actress Kelly Preston in 1991, they have a home in Islesboro, Maine. The couple had a son, Jett, who in 2009 died at age 16 while on a Christmas vacation in the Bahamas. Their daughter, Ella Bleu, was born in 2000 and a third child, a son named Benjamin, was born in 2010 in Florida.

In memory of his son, Travolta created 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

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

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
1978	Grease	Daniel "Danny" Zuko
1978	Moment by Moment	Strip Harrison
1980	Urban Cowboy	Buford 'Bud' Uan Davis
1981	Blow Out	Jack Terry
1983	Staying Alive	Tony Manero
1983	Two of a Kind	Zack Melon
1985	Perfect	Adam Lawrence
1989	Experts, TheThe Experts	Travis
1989	Look Who's Talking	James Ubriacco
1990	Look Who's Talking Too	James Ubriacco
1991	Shout	Jack Cabe
1991	Eyes of an Angel	Bobby
1993	Look Who's Talking Now	James Ubriacco
1994	Pulp Fiction	Vincent Vega
1995	Get Shorty	Chili Palmer
1995	White Man's Burden	Louis Pinnock
1996	Michael	Michael
	Phenomenon	George Malley
	Orientation: A Scientology Information Film	Himself	Short film
	Broken Arrow	Maj. Vic 'Deak' Deakins
1997	Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's	Himself	Documentary
	Mad City	Sam Baily
	Face/Off	Sean Archer / Castor Troy
	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
	Primary Colors	Governor Jack Stanton
1999	General's Daughter, TheThe General's Daughter	Warr. Off. Paul Brenner
1999	Our Friend, Martin	Kyle's dad	Voice
2000	Battlefield Earth	Terl	Also producer
	Lucky Numbers	Russ Richards
	Welcome to Hollywood	Himself	Cameo Mockumentary
2001	Domestic Disturbance	Frank Morrison
2001	Swordfish	Gabriel Shear
2002	Austin Powers in Goldmember	Himself as "Austinpussy" Goldmember	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	Voice Documentary
2005	Be Cool	Chili Palmer
2006	Lonely Hearts	Elmer C. Robinson
2007	Wild Hogs	Woody Stevens
2007	Hairspray	Edna Turnblad
2008	Bolt	Bolt	Voice
2009	Taking of Pelham 123, TheThe Taking of Pelham 123	Ryder
2009	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	Life on the Line	Beau
2015	Criminal Activities	Eddie	Also executive producer
2016	In a Valley of Violence	The Marshal
2016	I Am Wrath	Stanley Hill
2018	Gotti	John Gotti
2018	Trading Paint	Sam	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Emergency!	Chuck Benson	Episode: "Kids"
1972	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	Television film
1975–1979	Welcome Back, Kotter	Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino	79 episodes
1976	Boy in the Plastic Bubble, TheThe Boy in the Plastic Bubble	Tod Lubitch	Television film
1976	Mr. T and Tina	Vinnie Barbarino	Episode: "Pilot"
1987	Basements: The Dumb Waiter	Ben	Television film
1991	Chains of Gold	Scott Barnes	Television film; also writer
1992	Boris and Natasha: The Movie	Himself	Cameo Television film
1994	Saturday Night Live	Himself/Host	Episode: "John Travolta/Seal"
2014	Kirstie	Mickey	Episode: "Mickey & Maddie"
2016	The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story	Robert Shapiro	10 episodes; also producer

Images for kids

Travolta in 1983
Travolta in 1997
Travolta in 2002, in the cockpit of his Boeing 707
Travolta at the Reno Air Races in 2006
John Travolta, London 2013
Travolta dancing with Diana, Princess of Wales, at the White House, November 9, 1985. She is wearing her Travolta dress
John Travolta's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Los Angeles (California)
John Travolta's footprints at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles (California)
John Travolta Cannes 2018