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 Early Life |
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| Travolta, the youngest of six children, was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, an inner-ring suburb of New York City. His father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company. His mother, Helen Cecilia (ne Burke), who was 42 when Travolta was born, 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 father was a second-generation Italian American 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. His family was Roman Catholic. |
Early career |
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| After attending Dwight Morrow High School, Travolta moved across the Hudson River to New York City and landed a role in the touring company of Grease (the musical) and on Broadway in Over Here! singing the Sherman Brothers' song "Dream Drummin'". He then moved to Los Angeles to further his career in show business. Travolta played a messenger on the CBS soap opera The Edge of Night. He also appeared on another CBS serial The Secret Storm. Travolta's first California-filmed television role was as a fall victim in, Emergency! (S2E2), in September 1972, but his first significant movie role was as, "Billy Nolan," a bully who was goaded into playing a prank |
Personal life |
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| Travolta was previously involved with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming The Boy in the Plastic Bubble; Hyland died of breast cancer in 1977. Travolta married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. They had two children: Jett, born on April 13, 1992, and Ella Bleu, born in 2000. Their son, Jett, who was born on April 13, 1992, died on January 2, 2009 while the family was on holiday 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 in early childhood. Travolta has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975 when he was given the book Dianetics while filming the movie The Devil's Rain in Durango, Mexico. |
Filmography (1975-1995) |
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| 1975 The Tenth Level playing John, The Devil's Rain playin Danny 1976 The Boy in the Plastic Bubble playing Tod Lubitch, Carrie playing Billy Nolan 1977 Saturday Night Fever playing Tony Manero 1978 Moment by Moment playing Strip Harrison, Grease playing Daniel "Danny" Zuko 1980 Urban Cowboy playing Buford 'Bud' Uan Davis 1981 Blow Out playing Jack Terry 1983 Staying Alive playing Tony Manero, |
Filmography (1996-2003) |
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| 1996 Michael playing Michael, Phenomenon playing George Malley, Orientation: A Scientology Information Film playing Himself, Broken Arrow playing Maj. Vic 'Deak' Deakins 1997 Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's playing Himself, Mad City playing Sam Baily, Face/Off playing Sean Archer/Castor Troy, She's So Lovely playing Joey Giamonti 1998 A Civil Action playing Jan Schlichtmann, The Thin Red Line playing Brigadier General Quintard, Junket Whore playing Himself, |
Filmography (2004-2009) |
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| 2004 Ladder 49 playing Captain Mike Kennedy, A Love Song for Bobby Long playing Bobby Long, The Punisher playing Howard Saint 2005 Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D playing James Benson "Jim" Irwin, Be Cool playing Chili Palmer 2006 Lonely Hearts playing Elmer C. Robinson 2007 Wild Hogs playing Woody Stevens, Hairspray playing Edna Turnblad 2008 Bolt playing Bolt the Dog (voice) 2009 Old Dogs playing Lead Role, Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey playing Dave |
Salary |
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| Pulp Fiction (1994) US$140,000,Get Shorty (1995) US$3.5 million,Broken Arrow (1996) US$17 million,Phenomenon (1996) US$18 million,Michael (1996) US$15 million
,Face/Off (1997) US$15 million,Mad City (1997) US$17 million,Primary Colors (1998) US$18 million,Ladder 49 (2004) US$20 million,Hairspray (2007) US$14 million including ca. US$3 million perquisites |
Television series |
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| 1972 Emergency! playing Casey, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law 1973 The Rookies playing Eddie Halley 1974 Medical Center playing Danny 1975-1979 Welcome Back, Kotter playing Vincent "Vinnie" Barbarino |
Discography |
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| Over Here! (Original Cast Album) (1974),John Travolta (1976),Can't Let You Go (1977),Travolta Fever (1978),Grease (movie soundtrack) (1978),The Road to Freedom (Scientology album) (1986),Let Her In: The Best of John Travolta (1996),The Collection (2003),Hairspray (2007),Whenever I'm away from you, baby, |
Singles |
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| "You Set My Dreams To Music" (1969),"Goodnight Mr. Moon" (1969),"Rainbows" (1969),"Settle Down" (1970),"Moonlight Lady" (1971),"Right Time Of The Night" (1972),"Big Trouble" (1972),"What Would They Say" (1973),"Back Doors Crying" (1973),"Dream Drummin'" (1974),"Easy Evil" (1975),"Can't Let You Go" (1975),"Let Her In" (1976),"Slow Dancin'" (1976),"It Had To Be You" (1976),"I Don't Know What I Like About You Baby" (1976),"Baby, I Could Be So Good At Lovin' You" (1977),"Razzamatazz" (1977),"Sandy" (1978),"Greased Lightnin" (1978),"Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" (1980),"Hooker Madness" (1983),"I Thought I Lost You" (2008) |
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