[68], In May 2012, an anonymous male masseur filed a lawsuit against Travolta, citing claims of sexual assault and battery. [49][50][51] In memory of Jett, Travolta created the Jett Travolta Foundation, a nonprofit organization to help children with special needs. [58] Travolta plans to be on board when the aircraft is flown to Illawarra Regional Airport, where HARS is based, however will not be allowed to fly it, because it will be registered as an Australian aircraft. Before Fame. [59] Travolta named his 707 "Jett Clipper Ella," in honor of his children. [36], Following the death of his wife Kelly Preston in July 2020, Travolta hinted on his Instagram account that he would be putting his career on hold, stating "I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don’t hear from us for a while."[37]. "[15][16] He then moved to Los Angeles for professional reasons. Notable roles following Pulp Fiction include a movie-buff loan shark in Get Shorty (1995), White Man's Burden (1995), a corrupt U.S. Air Force pilot in Broken Arrow (1996), 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),[8] and a military investigator in The General's Daughter (1999). He had helped Winfrey plan the trip for more than a year. [8][31][32] The movie shifted him back onto the A-list and he was inundated with offers. He then moved to California where he landed a television role in the Emergency! John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John reprised their iconic roles for a Grease sing-along in Florida. After Urban Cowboy, Travolta starred in a series of commercial and critical failures that sidelined his acting career. Grease had its premiere after-party at Studio 54. [33] The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office. Preston had been receiving treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas; she had also been treated at other medical centers. [69] A second masseur later joined the lawsuit making similar claims. A one-stop shop for all things video games. Perfect was anything but. Travolta in the early years of his career started off by getting employed in a touring company associated with the musical Grease. Surprisingly, it took years for anyone in the film … Related: Where Are They Now? John Joseph Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey, one of six children of Helen Travolta (née Helen Cecilia Burke) and Salvatore/Samuel J. Travolta. The age of the characters in Grease plays an important part in the movie, with the two cliques of students at Rydell High School experiencing the highs and lows of their senior year. [60], His estate in Ocala, Florida is situated at Jumbolair Airport with its own runway and taxiway right to his house, with two outbuildings for covered access to planes. The 1982 sequel went completely under the radar, but the original's legacy is still as strong as ever. ... Sean Connery died on Oct. 31 at age 90 ... Olivia Newton-John (L) and John Travolta in Grease An extensive immersion in the behind-the-scenes of a couple dozen projects has let him see films in a new light and talk about his experiences around the web. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images Actress/Singer Olivia Newton-John and actor John Travolta with the cast from the movie Grease, attends the Celebration of … The film had been a dream project for Travolta since the book's release in 1982, when Hubbard had written to him to try to help make a film adaptation. John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954)[1][2] is an American actor and singer. Olivia Newton-John (Sandy) turned 29 during filming. [4] He is the widower of actress Kelly Preston, whom he married in 1991. Travolta was still coping with the death of his girlfriend, actress Diana Hyland, in March 1977, and often called Grease's director seeking support. He also starred in Staying Alive, the 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever, for which he trained rigorously and lost 20 pounds;[28] the film was a financial success, grossing over $65 million, though it, too, was scorned by critics. It's not like Grease was the first or the last movie to have have a cast far older than the characters they're playing. [40] They had three children: Jett (1992–2009), Ella Bleu (born 2000), and Benjamin (born 2010). During that time, Travolta was offered, but declined, lead roles in what would become box-office hits, including American Gigolo[29] and An Officer and a Gentleman, both of which went to Richard Gere.[30]. Her diagnosis had been kept quiet and was not widely publicized. ( S2E2 ) And a film Carrie 1976. The oldest high schooler in “Grease” was Stockard Channing (Rizzo), who was 33. John Travolta (Danny) While Olivia Newton-John was already well-known prior to her starring role in … Good girl Sandy Olsson and greaser Danny Zuko fell in love over the summer. [54], 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. Nicolas Ayala is a screenwriter, photographer, and model with a passion for blockbusters and big-screen adaptations. [25] His mother and his sister Ann appeared very briefly in Saturday Night Fever and his sister Ellen played a waitress in Grease. [55], Travolta is a private pilot[4][56] and owns four aircraft. In 2007, Travolta played Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since Grease. In 1978, Grease immediately rose to fame and became the highest-grossing musical film up to that point. [8] The films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom. The girls-only Pink Ladies gang loves pajama parties and goes crazy over Sandy's new lover, while the boys-only T-Birds greaser gang is crazy about cars, leather jackets, and girls (perhaps a little bit too much). It's just that general audiences are becoming increasingly more aware of this motif, which is still as popular nowadays with shows like 13 Reasons Why casting older actors as teenagers. The youngest of six children,[5] Travolta was born[1] and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, an inner-ring suburb of New York City in Bergen County, New Jersey. Even the classic John Travolta movie Grease, arguably one of the most influential musicals of all time, is no exception, as there are even moments that still have fans scratching their heads to this day. Grease Released: 1978 Director: Randal Kleiser IMDb Rating: 7.1 Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. They remained together until Hyland's death from breast cancer on March 27, 1977. John Travolta's most famous costar is mourning the death of his wife Kelly Preston. For Grease, it meant having an incredibly talented cast that turned the movie into a classic. Next came 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), with Samuel L. Jackson, for which he received an Academy Award nomination, that his career revived. John Travolta was 24 years old when he became quite possibly the biggest movie star in the world. Its powerful combination of energetic music, impressive choreography, and 1950s nostalgia made it an instant addition to the pop culture hall of fame, where it has stayed for more than four decades. After dropping out of 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'. This is more of a convenient practice to every production rather than a recurring oversight, given that working with adults relieves the directors and producers from more complicated child labor laws and problems like the actors growing too fast. The students at Rydell High were incredibly lively, but they clearly weren't teenagers. Travolta, a high-school dropout from New Jersey, had entered America’s living rooms two years earlier as a wisecracking Brooklyn high-school meatball in the hit sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. John Travolta isn't asked about Grease as much as he is about Saturday Night Fever and Welcome Back, Kotter. When not writing or dreaming about writing, he's probably cosplaying, directing goofy films, creating comic books, studying ancient mythology, learning new languages or producing music that your hips can't stop dancing to. John Travolta tried to give his Grease co-star Jeff Conaway oral sex while he was sleeping, it has been claimed. In 2017, the plane was donated to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) near Wollongong, Australia, and was expected to be flown to Australia in November 2019. [11][12] He was raised Roman Catholic, but converted to Scientology in 1975. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance? The "Clipper" in the name represents that Pan Am used that word in the names of their aircraft. In 2016, he returned to television in the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, titled The People v. O. J. Simpson, in which he played lawyer Robert Shapiro. [10][13] Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out as a junior at age 17 in 1971.[14]. A good example is the cast of Grease. Three high schools played the “role” of Rydell High. John Travolta was born on February 18, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.A. His birth name is John Joseph Travolta. [4][61], In 1984, Travolta was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement and presented with the Golden Plate Award by Awards Council member General Chuck Yeager, USAF. This excludes the ex-Qantas Boeing 707-138B (Ex-VH-EBM) that he owned. He won a 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. How old were John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John at the time? His ethnicity is white and … Grease was nearly an entirely animated film. [20][21][22] In the next few years, he starred in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and two of his most noted screen roles: Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Danny Zuko in Grease (1978). [8] His siblings Joey, Ellen, Ann, Margaret, and Sam Travolta were all inspired by their mother's love of theatre and drama and became actors. On July 12, 2020, Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, died at the age of 57, two years after she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Well, John Travolta was 24 I do believe. Travolta performed several of the songs on the Grease soundtrack album. 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. [57] The 707 aircraft bears an old livery of Qantas, and Travolta acted as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flew. He then moved to Los Angeles for professional reasons. [67], In January 2019, after years of wearing wigs and toupées, Travolta began sporting a bald head. Olivia Newton-John talks to The Telegraph about making Grease with John Travolta in 1978. I … [9][10] He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. The John Travolta classic film could have been dramatically different. Date of birth: February 18, 1954 (Age: 63 years) Height: 6′ 2″ (188 cm) Weight: 214 pounds (97 kg) Hair color: Dark brown Eye color: Blue The beloved one of many women, American actor John Travolta has always had a well-formed figure. [43][44] A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure. [70][71] Both lawsuits were subsequently dropped by the complainants and dismissed without prejudice. [34] Travolta's performance in Battlefield Earth also earned him two Razzie Awards. RELATED: 5 Things High School Musical Does Better Than Grease … [64], 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 eight-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Australia, with Travolta serving as pilot for the trip. ; One director wanted to turn the story into an animated film. All the acrobatic dancing and the sheer fun these characters bring to the film make anyone forget those kids are really in their twenties and thirties, however, and the film barely suffers from it. Though, I'm thinking she was 29 (In the 1977 filming at least). 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 lawyer for Travolta said that the allegations were "complete fiction and fabrication". [52] It has contributed to organizations such as the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, and Simon Wiesenthal Center.[53]. The couple tied the knot in September 1991 and are parents of daughter Ella, 20, and son Benjamin, 9.Their son Jett died in 2009 at the age of 16.. Travolta supported Newton-John, … About. Meanwhile, the greaser boy she describes to the Pink Ladies as "he was sweet, just turned 18" actually was 23 when shooting the movie, with John Travolta no less than six years younger than his co-star while playing Danny Zuko. The high school from the film is Venice High School in Venice, CA. In 2019, Paramount was looking to make a Grease prequel called Summer Loving, and a spinoff called Rydell High is coming to HBO Max. After dropping out of 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'." All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. [19], Travolta had a hit single titled "Let Her In," peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 1976. He rose to fame during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes Carrie (1976), Saturday Night Fever (1977), and Grease (1978). T his is John Travolta and me after the New York premiere of Grease. Although the film is a high school classic, there weren’t many actual high schoolers in it! [35], Since 2010, Travolta has starred mostly in action films and thrillers. [48] After a mistrial, Travolta dropped the charges and has credited his immediate family and Scientology with helping him to cope with Jett's death and move forward with his career. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance? Sandy and Danny look closer to their supposed age, but still, one of the things most people don't know about Grease is that Olivia Newton-John turned 29 while playing the 17-year-old Sandy Olsson. John Travolta, in full John Joseph Travolta, (born February 18, 1954, Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.), American actor and singer who was a cultural icon of the 1970s, especially known for roles in the TV series Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–79) and the blockbuster film Saturday Night Fever (1977). Ironically enough, his character was only 17. Olivia Newton-John , Travolta's costar in the 1978 iconic hit Grease , … John Travolta played the part of 18-year old Danny … Throughout the 2000s, Travolta remained busy as an actor, starring in many films, including Swordfish (2001); Ladder 49 (2004); Be Cool (2005); Lonely Hearts (2006); Wild Hogs (2007); the Disney computer animated film Bolt (2008), in which Travolta voiced the title character; The Taking of Pelham 123; and Old Dogs (both 2009). With John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway. It's evident that the cast of Grease isn't the same age as the characters they're playing, so how old were Oliva Newton-John and John Travolta when they played Sandy Olsson and Danny Zuko? Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Travolta is also a private pilot and owns four aircraft. [7][1] His mother, Helen Cecilia (née Burke; January 18, 1912 – December 1978),[6] 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. Stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John also appeared together in … The Director Didn't Like The Opening Song To The Film. His father, Salvatore "Sam" Travolta (November 1912 – May 1995),[6] was a semiprofessional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company, Travolta Tyre Exchange. Actor who starred in the 1970s hit films Saturday Night Fever and Grease.He later went on to play Vincent Vega in the critically acclaimed 1994 film Pulp Fiction and he also starred in Get Shorty, Ladder 49, Wild Hogs, Hairspray, and Swordfish. [57] This was later delayed to sometime in 2020 due to condition of the aircraft. in 1970 it was the time that Travolta would gain international fam… Wasn’t long before he got a star-making role on TV sitcom Welcome Back Kotter which aired between 1975 to 1979 on ABC. Her death was announced in an Instagram post under an account belonging to John Travolta and Ella Bleu. [62], 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 Washington National Airport. John Travolta has shared a sweet family video of their first Christmas since the death of his wife, . His acting career declined throughout the 1980s, but he enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in Pulp Fiction (1994), and has since starred in the films Get Shorty (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), Face/Off (1997), Swordfish (2001), The Punisher (2004), Hairspray (2007), Bolt (2008), and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). Travolta allegedly tried to perform the … [3] 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. On January 2, 2009, Jett died at age 16 while on a Christmas vacation in the Bahamas. Sometimes it's hard to look past how the 18-year-old Sonny was played by a 31-year old Michael Tucci, and how Rizzo, who was also supposed to be 18 in the movie, was played by a 33-year-old Stockard Channing. For other uses, see, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (, Kelly Preston showed a picture of this on the August 29, 2007 episode of, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema, the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, List of awards and nominations received by John Travolta, List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest Nominees for Best Actor, "IIFA 2014: John Travolta, Kevin Spacey star in 'Bollywood Oscars' – NDTV Movies", "Fever Pitch: The Making of Saturday Night Fever: John Travolta and the Cast's Retelling", "Travolta recalls lonely high schooldays", "Masterworks & Playbill Debut 2 Editors' Choice Compilations", "The Quintessential Tarot Tina: What's on the Cards for Star John Travolta", "A Sister's Inspiration – John Travolta Followed Ellen's Lead into Acting", "John Travolta talks about his past, his present and his destiny in Hollywood", "Then & Now: 10 Best Teen Idols of All Time", "Look who's acting: Staying Alive was dire. Next: How Old The Simpsons Would Be In Real Life. Grease 2 is a 1982 American musical romantic comedy film and the sequel to the 1978 film Grease, which is based upon the 1971 musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.Originally titled More Grease, the film was produced by Allan Carr and Robert Stigwood, and directed and choreographed by Patricia Birch, who also choreographed the first film and the Broadway musical. Sony Delays 5 Major Movie Release Dates, Including Cinderella, Grease: How Old Sandy & Danny Are Compared To Their Actors, How Old The Simpsons Would Be In Real Life, The Matrix 4 Title May Continue A Bad Hollywood Trend, Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu Almost Cried The First Time He Wore His Superhero Suit, Willy Wonka Prequel Movie Gets 2023 Release Date, Star Wars: Why Palpatine Really Saved Darth Vader On Mustafar, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Script V Film: Bruce Lee Fight Winner & Other Changes, Russell Crowe Defends Master & Commander Against Claims It's Boring, New Godzilla vs. Kong Footage Shows Gojira Blasting Atomic Breath At The Ape, AMC Theatres Doubtful They Can Stay In Business After Shutdowns, Mortal Kombat Movie Makes Major Change To Game Villains, Sacha Baron Cohen Says Borat 2 Is His Last Undercover Movie, Halloween Kills Image Shows Michael Myers Escaping Laurie's Fire, Lord and Miller's Connected Gets New Title & Netflix Release, The Dark Knight: WB's Joker Origin Plan Would've Ruined The Movie, James Gunn Asks Fans To Be Patient For Suicide Squad Trailer, Batman v Superman Rewatch: Minute 89, 'Superman = Illegal Alien', Spider-Man 3 Title Ideas Now We Know It's A Christmas Movie, Avengers: Endgame Art Pits Thanos Against God of War’s Kratos, Guardians of the Galaxy's Nebula Confirmed For Thor: Love & Thunder.