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John Travolta
By : Celeste Rodas de Juarez
Endless vitality
Shortly before his movie Basic grossed $26 million in ticket sales, and just before his new film Ladder 49 entered into its post-production stage, the star of Saturday Night Fever, Face/Off, Look Who’s Talking, The General’s Daughter and other box-office hits met with several media organizations, small and large, treating them all as equals.
Due to the fact that his movies have earned over $2 billion worldwide, Travolta can very well enjoy the luxury of never granting any more interviews. However, with a cordial smile, he told us why he does it: “This was the way it was done in the beginning, you know? An actor would grant individual interviews. After the 1980’s, I don’t know why, but press conferences became the norm. This time (promoting the movie Basic) I said, ‘No, I want to have more personal contact.’ I’m also very happy with this movie and with the others that I’m filming, and I wanted to talk about them as much as possible.”
Relaxed and wearing a black sweater, he described how the film Basic makes him feel: “I loved the character I played, his lines and personality. He’s very good at what he does and is also extremely intelligent. I also like the storyline because it has lots of twists that had me fascinated throughout the script, to the point that I thought: ‘It’s fantastic! How many times do you encounter a story like this?’”
Even though you’re an avid traveler, this was the first time (when you were filming Basic) that you visited Panama.
Correct. I really enjoyed its architecture. I think it is, above all, a very modern city and very well laid out. I always observe the architecture of the places I visit, and Panama’s was very attractive due to its modernity. I also liked the Panama Canal.
Success after setbacks
Did you ever imagine that your movies, such as Grease and Saturday Night Fever, would greatly influence pop culture?
Sometimes, but not always. For example, with Saturday Night Fever we thought that what we were doing was a bit retro because the disco era had ended two years before. We thought that we’d target a group that still liked that type of dancing. But we never imagined that we would infuse it with a new spirit, or that we were going to revive it. The movie was so well made that it turned a small phenomenon into a huge one.
After the movie’s tremendous success, how did you handle it when your other movies didn’t fare as well?
I don’t think much about that. When I finish filming a movie, I just try to think about the next project. When I did Pulp Fiction, I was very far from popular; I had just finished work on a comedy that was far from successful. I just kept working and suddenly there it was: Pulp Fiction became an instant hit. The most important thing is not to get stagnated.
That was about the same time you met your wife (actress Kelly Preston), right?
It was some time before Pulp Fiction, when things were not going that well in my career. It was a blessing. I was learning to fly airplanes. She was impressed that instead of feeling sorry for myself because one of my movies wasn’t doing well, I was keeping busy with other things. It was a blessing not only meeting her, but also marrying her.
Afterwards came box office hits like Phenomenon, but you didn’t stop your aviation classes…
Absolutely not, I love to fly. I love the emotion, the speed, the perspective from the sky…all that makes you feel great!
Aren’t you also in love with being in control?
Perhaps, yes…being in control of something so powerful is always fascinating, but more than anything flying is wonderful because of the ability it gives you to reach distant places. And if that isn’t enough, it allows us to escape from our surroundings; in other words, it allows us to forget whatever we’re thinking about and concentrate on something completely different.
A family man
Your wife also has a very successful career…
Yes, fortunately things are going phenomenally well for her. This year alone, she has four movies: Bar Hopping, Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat, View from the Top and What a Girl Wants. Isn’t that great?
You’ve just celebrated your 12th anniversary. How do you manage a stable relationship when you’re both very successful?
The key is to maintain good communication. I won’t say that we’ve never had problems or disagreements, because I’d be lying, but the most important thing is that we always try to communicate with each other and pay attention to our needs. Marriage has taught me to communicate better, and I’m not only referring to talking—I’ve also become a better listener. When I met Kelly, she liked flowers a lot, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. One day she started crying and said: “Flowers are very important to me.” I replied: “Now I understand.” Since then, my wife always gets lots of flowers.
What is the key to educating your children?
When I’m working, they come on location with me, and even in my contracts I make sure to state that I have to finish work by a certain time. I like being home when my son Jett comes back from school. I turn off the phone, and sit with him and enjoy some quality time together. I always take time off to spend with my kids and give them my undivided attention. I’d never miss a conversation with them for anything in the world. I might have to be late for an appointment, but I’ll never leave them in mid-sentence.
Getting back to your career, now that musicals are popular, would you like to do another one?
They offered me Chicago three times, and I never thought it would be as good as it was. I didn’t accept it! I didn’t take it because it was missing a few details. I still have mixed feelings about it. But yes, someday I’d like to do another musical.
And is an Oscar also in your future?
Well (he smiles), it would be awesome to win one before I die. Of course, I’d love it!
Interesting Facts
• In addition to having a pilot’s license, Travolta owns three jets and lives in an exclusive community where the owners can arrive by plane.
• He’s the actor who’s appeared the most times on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (1978, 1980, 1983 and 1985).
• When he was six years old, he took dancing lessons from Fred Kelly (Gene Kelly’s brother).
• He has a son, Jett, who’s 11 years old, and a three-year-old daughter, Ella Bleu.
• In the next few months, we’ll see him in Ladder 49 (an action flick where he plays a firefighter chief) and The Punisher (based on the Marvel comics’ character).
• Aside from singing, he also plays the guitar.
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
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