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John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He came to public attention during the 1970s, appearing on the television sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979) and starring in the box office successes ''
Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
'' (1976), ''
Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...
'' (1977), '' Grease'' (1978), and '' Urban Cowboy'' (1980). His acting career declined throughout the 1980s, but he enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in '' Pulp Fiction'' (1994), and went on to star in films including '' Get Shorty'' (1995), '' Broken Arrow'' (1996), '' Phenomenon'' (1996), '' Face/Off'' (1997), '' A Civil Action'' (1998), ''
Primary Colors A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a bro ...
'' (1998), '' Hairspray'' (2007), and ''
Bolt The BOLT Browser was a web browser for mobile phones including feature phones and smartphones that can run Java ME applications. The BOLT Browser was offered free of charge to consumers and by license to mobile network operators and handset manuf ...
'' (2008). Travolta was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...
for his performances in ''Saturday Night Fever'' and ''Pulp Fiction''. He won a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
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 2014, he received the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema. In 2016, Travolta received his first
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
, 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. Outside of acting, Travolta is also singer-songwriter. He's released 9 albums, including 4 singles that have charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100's Top 40. His albums albums have been typically accompanied with films he's starred in, such as '' Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture'' (1978)–which topped the ''Billboard'' 200. Travolta is also a
private pilot A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration). The licence requirements are dete ...
.


Early life

The youngest of six children, Travolta was born and raised in
Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from por ...
, an inner-ring suburb of New York City in
Bergen County, New Jersey Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. was a semiprofessional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company, Travolta Tire Exchange. His mother, Helen Cecilia (''née'' Burke; January 18, 1912 – December 2, 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.Stated on '' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2003 His siblings Joey,
Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: * Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress * Elle ...
, Ann,
Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...
, and Sam Travolta were all inspired by their mother's love of theatre and drama and became actors. His father was a second-generation Sicilian American with roots in
Godrano Godrano ( Sicilian: ''Cutranu'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about south of Palermo. Godrano borders the following municipalities: Corleone, Marineo, Mezzojuso Mez ...
, Province of Palermo, and his mother was
Irish American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...
. He grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. He was raised Catholic, but later converted to Scientology in 1975 at age 21. Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School, but dropped out as a junior at age 17 in 1971.


Career


Early career

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! ''Over Here!'' is a musical with a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and book by Will Holt. The original Broadway production was directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with scenic design by Douglas W. Schmidt a ...
'', singing the
Sherman Brothers The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) and Richard M. Sherman (born June 12, 1928). Together they received various accolades in ...
' song "
Dream Drummin' ''Over Here!'' is a musical with a score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman and book by Will Holt. The original Broadway production was directed by Tom Moore and choreographed by Patricia Birch, with scenic design by Douglas W. Schmi ...
". He then moved to Los Angeles for professional reasons. Travolta's first screen role in California was as a fall victim in '' Emergency!'' (Season 2, Episode 2) 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 Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...
'' (1976). Around that time, he landed his star-making role as
Vinnie Barbarino ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class called the "Sweathogs." Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the series ...
in the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
TV sitcom '' Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979), in which his sister,
Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: * Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress * Elle ...
, also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack's mother).


1970s stardom

Travolta had a hit single titled "
Let Her In "Let Her In" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Gary Benson, and released as a single in 1973. It was covered by John Travolta in 1976, and was released as the first single from Travolta's self-titled second album. Travo ...
", peaking at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in July 1976. In the next few years, he starred in the television movie '' The Boy in the Plastic Bubble'' and two of his most noted screen roles: Tony Manero in ''
Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man from the Brooklyn borough of New York. Manero spends his ...
'' (1977) and 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, making him, at age 24, one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. His mother and his sister Ann appeared very briefly in ''Saturday Night Fever'' and his sister Ellen played a waitress in ''Grease''. Travolta performed on the ''Grease'' soundtrack album. After the failure of the romance '' Moment by Moment'' (1978) in which he starred with Lily Tomlin, Travolta rebounded in 1980, riding a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film '' Urban Cowboy'', in which he starred with Debra Winger.


1980s downturn

Travolta followed up '' Urban Cowboy'' with a starring role in Brian de Palma's 1981 film ''
Blow Out ''Blow Out'' is a 1981 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma. The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budget sl ...
'', which was critically lauded but a box office disappointment, likely due to its bleak ending. After ''Blow Out'' came a series of commercial and critical failures which sidelined Travolta's acting career. These included '' Two of a Kind'' (1983), a romantic comedy reuniting him with Olivia Newton-John, and ''
Perfect Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * Perfect (1985 film), ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * Perfect (2018 f ...
'' (1985), co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis. He also starred in '' Staying Alive'', the 1983 sequel to ''Saturday Night Fever'', for which he trained rigorously to portray a professional dancer and lost 20 pounds; the film was a financial success, grossing over $65 million, though it, too, was scorned by critics. During that time, Travolta was offered, but declined, lead roles in what would become box-office hits, including ''
American Gigolo ''American Gigolo'' is a 1980 American neo-noir crime drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader, and starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton. It tells the story about a high-priced escort in Los Angeles (Gere) who becomes romantically ...
'' and ''
An Officer and a Gentleman Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman (or conduct unbecoming for short) is an offense that is subject to court martial in the armed forces of some nations. Use in the United Kingdom The phrase was used as a charge in courts martial of t ...
'', both of which went to Richard Gere, as well as ''
Splash Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to: Common meanings * Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water Entertainment * ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah ** ''Splash, Too'' ...
'', which went to Tom Hanks.


1990s resurgence

In 1989, Travolta starred with
Kirstie Alley Kirstie Louise Alley (January 12, 1951 – December 5, 2022) was an American actress. Her breakout role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 ...
in '' Look Who's Talking'', which grossed $297 million, making it his most successful film since ''Grease''. He subsequently starred in ''
Look Who's Talking Too ''Look Who's Talking Too'' is a 1990 American romantic comedy film and a sequel to director Amy Heckerling's 1989 comedy ''Look Who's Talking''. The film stars the original cast members John Travolta and Kirstie Alley as James and Mollie Ubriacco, ...
'' (1990) and ''
Look Who's Talking Now ''Look Who's Talking Now'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy film, and the third and final installment in the film series that began with ''Look Who's Talking'' in 1989. It finds John Travolta and Kirstie Alley reprising their roles as James an ...
'' (1993), but it was not until he played against type as
Vincent Vega ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rham ...
in Quentin Tarantino's hit '' Pulp Fiction'' (1994), with Samuel L. Jackson, for which he received an Academy Award nomination, that his career was revived. Travolta starred in all three films alongside Bruce Willis. 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), a factory worker in ''
White Man's Burden "The White Man's Burden" (1899), by Rudyard Kipling, is a poem about the Philippine–American War (1899–1902) that exhorts the United States to assume colonial control of the Filipino people and their country.Hitchens, Christopher. ''Bloo ...
'' (1995), an archangel in ''
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...
'' (1996), an everyman with extraordinary powers in '' Phenomenon'' (1996), 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 A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a bro ...
'' (1998), and a military investigator in '' The General's Daughter'' (1999).


2000–present

In 2000, Travolta starred in and co-produced the science fiction film '' Battlefield Earth'', based on the novel of the same name by
L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianetic ...
, in which he played the villainous leading role as a leader of a group of aliens that enslaves humanity on a bleak future Earth. The film was a dream project for Travolta since the book's release in 1982, when Hubbard wrote to him to try to help make a film adaptation. 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 The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...
. Throughout the 2000s, Travolta remained busy as an actor, starring in ''
Swordfish Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfis ...
'' (2001); '' Ladder 49'' (2004); '' Be Cool'' (2005); '' Lonely Hearts'' (2006); '' Wild Hogs'' (2007); the Disney computer animated film ''
Bolt The BOLT Browser was a web browser for mobile phones including feature phones and smartphones that can run Java ME applications. The BOLT Browser was offered free of charge to consumers and by license to mobile network operators and handset manuf ...
'' (2008), in which Travolta voiced the title character; '' The Taking of Pelham 123''; and ''
Old Dogs Old Dogs was an American country music supergroup composed of singers Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare, and Jerry Reed. Signed in 1998 to Atlantic Records, Old Dogs recorded a self-titled studio album for the label that year. The album ...
'' (both 2009). In 2007, Travolta played Edna Turnblad in the remake of '' Hairspray'', his first musical since ''Grease''. Since 2010, Travolta has starred mostly in action films and thrillers. 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. At the
86th Academy Awards The 86th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2013 and took place on March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. ...
, Travolta notoriously mispronounced Idina Menzel, calling her " Adele Dazeem". Menzel performed the award-winning song " Let It Go" from the Disney animated movie ''
Frozen Frozen may refer to: * the result of freezing * a paralysis response in extreme cases of fear Films * ''Frozen'' (1997 film), a film by Wang Xiaoshuai * ''Frozen'' (2005 film), a film by Juliet McKoen * ''Frozen'' (2007 film), a film by Sh ...
''. Following the death of his wife Kelly Preston in July 2020, Travolta hinted on his
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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."


Personal life


Family

Travolta was in a relationship with actress
Diana Hyland Diana Hyland (born Diane Gentner; January 25, 1936 – March 27, 1977) was an American stage, film and television actress. Early years Hyland was born Diane Gentner to John Theodore and Mary (Gorman) Gentner in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Sh ...
, whom he met while filming '' The Boy in the Plastic Bubble'' (1976). They remained together until Hyland's death from breast cancer on March 27, 1977. In 1980, Travolta dated French actress Catherine Deneuve. Travolta also had an on-again/off-again relationship with actress
Marilu Henner Mary Lucy Denise Henner is an American actress. She began her career appearing in the original production of the musical '' Grease'' in 1971, before making her screen debut in the 1977 comedy-drama film '' Between the Lines''. In 1977, Henner wa ...
, which ended permanently in 1985. In 1988 while filming '' The Experts'', Travolta met actress Kelly Preston, whom he married in Paris in 1991. They had three children: Jett (1992–2009), Ella Bleu (born 2000), and Benjamin (born 2010). They regularly attended marriage counseling and Travolta has stated that therapy helped the marriage. They resided in
Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...
. On January 2, 2009, 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 history of seizures, reportedly suffered from Kawasaki disease since the age of two. Travolta confirmed that Jett was autistic and suffered regular seizures, and immediately made his public statements while giving testimony at a multimillion-dollar extortion plot against him in connection with Jett's death. 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. In memory of Jett, Travolta created the Jett Travolta Foundation, a nonprofit organization to help children with special needs. It has contributed to organizations such as the
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls – South Africa (OWLAG) is a boarding school for girls, grades 8–12, in Henley on Klip, Gauteng Province, South Africa. The school is a project begun by the American entrepreneur and philanthr ...
, Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, and Simon Wiesenthal Center. On July 12, 2020, Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, died at the age of 57, two years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Preston was receiving treatment at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas; she was also treated at other medical centers. Preston was at her home in
Anthony, Florida Anthony is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is located on County Road 200A (Jacksonville Road). The community is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area. Anthony has a post office with ZIP code 32 ...
when she died.


Scientology

Travolta has been a member of the Church of Scientology since 1975. He converted after being given the book ''
Dianetics Dianetics (from Greek ''dia'', meaning "through", and ''nous'', meaning "mind") is a set of pseudoscientific ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubba ...
'' while filming '' The Devil's Rain'' in
Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
, Mexico. After the
2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
, joining other celebrities in helping with the relief efforts, Travolta reportedly flew his
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
full of supplies, doctors, and Scientologist Volunteer Ministers into the disaster area.


Aviation

Travolta is a private pilotFA
Airmen Certification Database
of September 1, 2014, lists Travolta as ID A1927078, with
private pilot licence A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration). The licence requirements are dete ...
ratings P/ASEL (Private Airplane Single Engine Land), P/AMEL (Private Airplane Multi-Engine Land), P/INSTA (Private Instrument Airplane), and eight aircraft: P/B-707 (
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
), P/B-720 ( Boeing 720), P/CE-500 ( Cessna 500), P/CL-600 ( Bombardier Challenger 600), P/EA-500S ( Eclipse 500), P/G-1159 (
Gulfstream II The Gulfstream II (G-II) is an American twin engine business jet designed and built by Grumman and then in succession, Grumman American and finally Gulfstream American. Its Grumman model number is G-1159 and its US military designation is C-11A. ...
), P/HS-125 ( British Aerospace 125), P/LR-JET ( Learjet).
and owns four aircraft. Travolta owned an ex-Qantas
Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is an American, long-range, narrow-body airliner, the first jetliner developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype first flown in 1954, the initial first flew on December 20, ...
-138B (Ex-VH-EBM) which bears an old livery of Qantas, and Travolta acted as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flew. Travolta named his 707 "Jett Clipper Ella", in honor of his children. The "Clipper" in the name refers to the use of that word by Pan Am in the names of their aircraft. In 2017, Travolta donated the Boeing 707 to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) near Wollongong, Australia. This was expected to be flown to Australia in November 2019, but was later delayed to sometime in 2020 due to condition of the aircraft. Travolta planned to be on board when the aircraft was to be flown to Illawarra Regional Airport, where HARS is based, however was not allowed to fly it, because it was to be registered as an Australian aircraft. His estate in
Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...
is situated at
Jumbolair Airport Jumbolair Airport is a private-use airport. It is located in the unincorporated community of Anthony, which is seven miles (11 km) northeast of Ocala, Florida, United States. Frank Merschman owned and operated Jumbolair until 2019 when it ...
with its own runway and taxiway right to his house, with two outbuildings for covered access to planes. 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. On November 24, 1992, Travolta was piloting his Gulfstream N728T at night above a solid
undercast Overcast or overcast weather, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization, is the meteorological condition of clouds obscuring at least 95% of the sky. However, the total cloud cover must not be entirely due to obscuring phenomena near t ...
when he experienced a total electrical system failure while flying under instrument flight rules into
Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...
. During the emergency landing, he almost had a mid-air collision with a
USAir US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon b ...
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 Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
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. 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. Travolta is rated to 737, 707 and 747 planes.


Sexual assault allegation

In May 2012, an anonymous male 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". 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. On September 27, 2012, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Malcolm Mackey dismissed a defamation lawsuit against Travolta and his attorney Marty Singer by writer Robert Randolph because he found that a letter, written by Singer in response to allegations in a book by Randolph, was protected by free speech.


Filmography


Discography


Albums


Singles


Awards and nominations


See also

* List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest Nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role


Explanatory notes


References


Further reading

* Tast, Brigitte (ed.). ''John Travolta''. (Hildesheim/Germany 1978.) .


External links

* * * * * *
John Travolta
at
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Travolta, John 1954 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American singers American aviators American film producers American former Christians American male dancers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male pop singers American male singers American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American Scientologists Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Converts to Scientology from Roman Catholicism David di Donatello winners Dwight Morrow High School alumni Film producers from Florida Film producers from New Jersey Former Roman Catholics Male actors from Florida Male actors from Maine Male actors from New Jersey Musicians from Ocala, Florida New Jersey Hall of Fame inductees People from Englewood, New Jersey People from Islesboro, Maine Primetime Emmy Award winners Science fiction fans Singers from Florida Singers from Maine Singers from New Jersey Television producers from Florida Television producers from New Jersey Travolta family