Biographic - Sunday November 22, 2015 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

He's a movie icon whose career has taken him from Sitcom star to chart-topping pop singer and earned him two Academy Award nominations. He is also a licensed pilot, wiht a private collection of five planes, including a Boeing 707. He lives on a Florida estate that is so opulent, he can lend his jet on his private runway and taxi straight to his front door! But John Travolta has also experienced tremendous sadness in his life- In 2009, John and his wife, actress Kelly Preston, lost their teenage son, Jett, in tragic circumstances. Born in Englewood, New Jersey, on February 18, 1954, John Travolta's early credits include roles on the Broadway Stage, a touring production of the musical "Grease" and appearances in TV commercials. After small parts in a number of TV shows, in 1975, he landed the leading role of Vinnie Barbarino on the sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter." By the time the series ended in 1979, he was one of the biggest stars in the world, thanks to two huge hit movies- 1977 "Saturday Night Fever" which showcased his phenomenal dance moves, in 1978s "Grease" in which he danced and sang opposite Olivia Newton-John. The soundtrack album, which has so far sold nearly 45 million copies, took John to the top of the record charts-worldwide. In 1980s, his hit movie "Urban Cowboy" sparked a country music dance craze- but then came a string of messes,which were compounded by his turning down such movies as "Splash" "An Officer And A Gentleman" and "Fatal Attraction" his career floundered and his successes were limited to the "Look Who's Talking" comedy movies. Then came his role as hitman Vincent Vega in 1994's ultra-hip Tarantino movie "Pulp Fiction." Suddenly, Travolta was very hot property once more, and movies such as "Broken Arrow" and "Get Shorty" followed. By the late 1990s, and with such hits as "A Civil Action" and "The General's Daughter" his salary had risen to $20 million per movie, an asking price that was met for the likes of "Swordfish" "Be Cool" and "Ladder 49." His early career was hallmarked by comedy and musical theater, and he has occasionally returned to familiar territory, taking a cameo in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," donning wig, dress, and padding for the movie "Hairspray" and starring in the smash hit "Wild Hogs" Upcoming projects include the western "In A Valley Of Violence" and a portrayal of attorney Robert Shapiro in "American Crime Story" a TV miniseries centered around the trial of O.J, Simpson.

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