As the ever evolving John Travolta gets ready to introduce his directorial debut ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’ in Cannes this year, I wanted to revisit this piece from 2019, when I had a chance to listen to the Italian American actor at the Rome Film Festival. See you on the Croisette Tony Manero! (Sorry, I meant Mr. Travolta of course)…
Earlier last week, onstage, John Travolta appeared at ease, elegant and way younger than his 65 years. I mean, all newly bald headed and such, still how does he do it?? Maybe it was the leather jacket, maybe his calm demeanor and philosophy of life or maybe just his contentment at being a superstar — and obviously loving it! There is none of that tormented famous person attitude, or apologizing for having become a household name so young. No, Travolta is the actor and the actor is the superstar — no apologies needed or required.
At this year’s Rome Film Festival to promote his latest film The Fanatic, Travolta also met the public in an encounter that sent his fans in a tizzy. And he got a Lead Acting Award from the festival. As a journalist, I wanted to be a part of the press conference before the event because I knew I would find more insight there. From the hugely popular actor — who first appeared on my radar in Saturday Night Fever and Grease and never really left after that — I learned about acceptance of popularity, acceptance of success at such a young age, as well as giving yourself the freedom to try. Until someone asked him about Scientology, a question which his producer Oscar Generale quickly shot down, he entertained all questions and pondered on all comments. He is a mega star and somehow, his wondrous attitude in the face of fame makes him even larger than life.
A still from Travolta’s directorial debut ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’ which will debut at the Festival de Cannes in mid-May, photo courtesy of Apple
Have he ever been afraid of someone like your character Travolta plays in The Fanatic?
As someone from the audience asked the question, Travolta smiled knowingly. In Fred Durst’s film, where he plays an obsessed fan, harmless at first but then not so much, Travolta found the human emotion behind the scary character. “This role is number one my favorite character I’ve ever played as an actor, because it reflects my hidden passions as a fan.” Travolta continued, “ I understand being a fanatic. It’s a reflection of being so utterly possessed of someone else that you love. Whatever triggers your heard it was more about that than fear of a fan. Which is not something I’ve ever had a fear of.”
Does he have a favorite film?
Travolta was very diplomatic in answering this question. “The truth is a person’s life is a mosaic of art and experience, the collage of everything that makes a lifetime. There is always the pieces of that that you like the best,” he admitted, then continued, “certainly I’m very proud of making any movie that creates a mark that carries through the decades. Something that is timeless. It’s always a privilege tho be part of any movie that is timeless. That translates to anything. A timeless piece of clothing or a beautiful piece of furniture.” When pressed further on titles, Travolta conceded, “I think the three films that are most memorable are those that span time the best, like Pulp Fiction, Saturday Night Fever and Grease.”
Was it difficult to deal with success so young?
Hailing from a family in the theater, Travolta always felt at ease in his profession — thus the lack of angst, so often present in other actors. “Sometimes people are made for certain things,” he answered, continuing, “my family is from the theater and we embraced all of it. When I arrived at a performance that would allow the world to come into my life, I embraced that too. I am not trying to say I wasn’t appreciative or humble but I embraced it to see what else I could do. That [Saturday Night Fever, his breakout role] became a blueprint for the rest of my career and permission to do things that would be very different.”
How has he approached his roles?
Humble as ever, Travolta started to talk about the creative process, by saying he appreciated most “the audience allowing me to be so different in every role, the freedom that I had. I never imagined I would play the president of the United States [in Primary Colors], I never imagined I would play a cynical lawyer [in A Civil Action] — so many roles were created by writers and I became their muse. So much of my career was made by being a muse to their imagination.” He also admitted that he made a decision early on his career, “I decided I was an interpreter rather than a creator of original roles. That gave me a lot of confidence.”
Speaking of being a fan, who is Travolta a fan of?
When asked the question Travolta had no trouble listing off a lot of names. He answered “I like Sofia Loren, because who doesn’t, I like Fellini a lot as a director, I loved the Beatles. I loved Cabaret, Funny Girl, I loved The Godfather. I’ve always been able to admire Marlon Brando, he was s friend of mine and I loved him very much. I have no embarrassment for loving people and admiring them. If I feel that way, I don’t hide it. Oh, I loved Bertolucci because he was a brilliant filmmaker — I could go on for an hour with the people I love. ”
Top image courtesy of the Rome Film Festival, used with permission.