Travolta John

American actor on stage, film and TV who gained popularity as Vinnie Barbarino on the TV series "Welcome Back Kotter." He became a superstar through roles in such films as "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," 1978. A one-man acting industry, he has effortlessly played such diverse roles as a lusty angel, simple genius, star struck thug, FBI agent, presidential candidate and egocentric lawyer. With every role, his appeal comes through. His high energy is electrical, grabbing the audience by the lapels and hanging on. The youngest of six kids born to Salvatore, a tire shop owner and Helen, a drama coach, John learned from his folks to appreciate the little niceties, such as a ritual daily cup of tea or the evening cocktail. He remembers his childhood as being indulged, as his parents had "learned patience and tolerance by the time I was born." Travolta began dancing when he was just a kid and had his acting debut at 12 with a small speaking part in a local production. A high school dropout at 16, Travolta began doing commercials and off-Broadway. In the evenings his folks would watch him lip-sync, tap-dance and make up plays. His dad (who died in 1995), would say, "Oh, Helen, jeez hes great!" His mom supported his decision to drop out of school to pursue acting, with the promise that he would later work for his high school equivalency degree. When he left school, he started with a national touring company, which led to other noted stage appearances and his big break in 1975 with "Kotter." When he had just turned 22, he met Diana Hyland, born 25 January 1936. They fell in love and had a May-December romance that ended with her death of cancer in March 1977. The following year, in December, his mother died. He married actress Kelly Preston on 5 September 1991; their son Jett was born the following April. Preston and Travolta met in 1988 while they were both filming the box-office flop, "The Experts." Two years later, on 1 January 1991, Travolta proposed to Preston with a six-carat engagement ring at the stroke of midnight in Gstaad, Switzerland. Preston, a fellow Scientologist, says that her husband is "the most sensitive, considerate, romantic man Ive ever known." A dedicated family man, he manages to spend hours every day with his son whom he says "owns my heart." Simon West, the director of "The Generals Daughter," said that he was so easy and friendly that "I had to build an extra 10 to 15 minutes into the shooting schedule so John could say hello to everyone in the crew." Travolta credits Scientology with his rebound in the 90s. He took his first course in 1975 and was enamored, finding great insight and change in himself with the discipline. His role as Vinnie in "Kotter" came just one month after starting Scientology. After poor reviews for his film "Moment by Moment," 1979, his film career limped through the 80s with films such as "Two of a Kind," 1983 and "Perfect," 1985. Travoltas comeback started in 1989 with the "Look Whos Talking" movies and continued into the 90s with such films as "Pulp Fiction," "Phenomenon," "Get Shorty" and "Michael." In 1994 when he got the gangster role in "Pulp Fiction," he was paid $100,000; four years later he cleared $20 million for "Primary Colors." His output of ten films in the last three years of the 90s is even more impressive when the breadth of the roles is considered. A stylish dresser who owns homes in California, Maine and Hawaii, Travolta savors the finer t Read less