Interviews Reveal The Story Of John Travolta's Heritage And Childhood

Dec 21, 2021 by apost team

John Travolta has been stealing hearts since the 1970s. The heartthrob burst onto Hollywood's scene when he appeared in a succession of films, including "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," and quickly, he became a rising star. And although his career has had its ups and downs, he's always managed to rise back to the top.

Sadly, the last couple of years have been difficult for John and his family, as his wife of nearly three decades, actress Kelly Preston, passed away in July 2020 after a long battle with breast cancer. Since then, John has made a few public mentions of the family's loss, as has his lookalike daughter Ella Bleu Travolta.

After taking some time to grieve in private and to be there for his daughter and son, John began making a reappearance on social media in late 2020, often posting moving tributes to his late wife and honoring her legacy. In February 2021, the "Grease" actor also brushed off his boogying skills for a Super Bowl commercial that he appeared in with Ella.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro ad featured John and Ella in their lush, green backyard, as they recreated the famous hand jive scene from the prom in "Grease." Beginning with John struggling to find the record button on a smartphone that's set up to film them, the ad cuts to the two of them performing the exact same moves that John did over 40 years earlier!

The actor has been a household name for decades, but it may be surprising to learn how he got his start in the industry and where his passion for acting came from. Keep reading to learn more about John's recent life, how he got his big break, and his personal history and heritage. 

John first met Kelly Preston in 1987 at a screen test for "The Experts," but as Preston was married to someone else, it took a few more years for them to get together. But eventually, by September 1991, the couple had tied the knot, first in France followed by a second wedding in Florida. 

Shortly after the couple discussed they were thinking about children, revealing to Entertainment Tonight, as reported by People magazine: 

"We plan to have some babies. We're practicing right now. This could be barefoot and pregnant for the next 10 years."

Soon after their first son Jett Travolta was born, he was registered on the Autism spectrum and diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at 15 months. From the age of 2, he began to have regular seizures. 

In the year 2000, their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta was born, and the family was whole. Then, a seizure ultimately claimed Jett's life in 2009.

By 2011 the family had some positive news — they announced the birth of their second son Benjamin Travolta. Speaking with People magazine at the time, Travolta said that their new son had "given the house a renewed spirit and purpose." He also told Good Morning America in a 2016 interview:

"We certainly have bonded together. And certainly, having little Ben has been a beautiful kind of glue for us to rebond after tremendous loss."

Travolta has also continued to be a family man, spending time with his daughter and his son, Benjamin. Evidence of that quality time was on display on Instagram, where the "Pulp Fiction" actor posted a photo of himself with his kids alongside a caption wishing his son a happy birthday on Nov. 23, 2021.

"Happy birthday my beautiful boy. Your dad adores you!" the caption read.

apost.com

John Travolta has been through a lot in the past couple of years. He's starred in some big movies like "Gotti," "Savages," and "From Paris with Love," but he's also suffered tremendous heartbreak in the past two decades. In January of 2009, Travolta's 16-year-old son, Jett, died during a vacation in the Bahamas, according to the BBC. The boy died after suffering a seizure. 

"Jett was the most wonderful son that two parents could ever ask for and lit up the lives of everyone he encountered," John wrote in a statement posted on his website. "We are heartbroken that our time with him was so brief. We will cherish the time that we had with him for the rest of our lives."

Years later, Travolta's wife lost her battle with breast cancer in July 2020. After struggling with the condition for two years, she died at the age of 57. Preston was a well-known actress, starring in such movies as "Jerry Maguire," "Twins," and "For the Love of the Game." John married the actress in 1991, and they had three children together. The couple had been married for almost 29 years.

Here's what the actor posted on Instagram following Preston's death:

"It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer. She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side."

The actor vowed to keep his wife's memory alive but made it clear he needed a break from the public. Travolta continued, "Kelly's love and life will always be remembered. I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don't hear from us for a while. But please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal."

The family had to celebrate their first Christmas without Preston in December 2020. Many described Travolta's late wife as a courageous, strong, and loving woman, and she lives on in the hearts of those she knew in life. 

Recent Work

Travolta has led a successful life. He is one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, and he has many popular big-budget films to back his fame. However, what's great about the actor is the fact that he discovered his passion and decided to stick with it.

Despite the many hardships the Travolta family has faced in the past decade, the actor continues to do what he does best, working in show business and updating fans on his most recent projects on Instagram. One of his most recent endeavors was a role in a popular 2021 Super Bowl advertisement for Miracle-Gro. 

"Super Bowl for me is a major yearly celebration," the actor said in a Feb. 2021 statement to People. "When Scotts Miracle-Gro asked me to do an ad for the Super Bowl with my daughter I was thrilled, especially since we were asked to dance together. We had a blast honoring the backyard along with all of these wonderful people, in our 'Sunday Best' for Super Bowl Sunday."

"Each year I always look forward to watching the Super Bowl and all of the great commercials," John's daughter Ella added in the same interview. "When Scotts Miracle-Gro offered my dad and I this opportunity, I was overjoyed to share this amazing experience — not to mention dance together!! We are so excited to pay homage to the backyard along with all of these incredible people and are 'feeling good' spending time outside on this Super Bowl Sunday."

The advertisement, which has accumulated millions of views on YouTube since its release, also features celebrities like Leslie David Baker of "The Office" and television personality Martha Stewart.

Stewart's final line in the commercial sums John's life up pretty nicely. After she watches John and his daughter bust some moves, she says, "He's still got it."

One of John's most recent projects is the Quibi series "Die Hart," in which Kevin Hart plays himself. Hart goes to a premier acting school, where he meets its crazed director, who's played by John. The show was renewed for a second season and is ongoing, so we're sure to see more acting from the "Hairspray" actor in the near future.

In 2016, Travolta received his first Primetime Emmy Award for being a producer on season one of the anthology series, "American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson." He also starred in the series, portraying Robert Shapiro. He received an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for his performance.

We're excited to see what John has planned for the future. Who knows what the actor's next role could be? Could he finally get his dream role as a Bond villain? Will he keep starring in high-profile advertisements? Only time will tell.

After starring in "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble," John got his big break, not once but twice. He first appeared in 1977's "Saturday Night Fever" in a role that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, making him one of the youngest ever nominees in the category at the age of 24. 

The following year he starred as Danny Zuko in "Grease," a role with which he's still often associated. He put his vocal abilities to use once again, singing several songs in the film. His back-to-back appearance in two of the decade's most commercially successful movies catapulted him to international stardom. To this day, these two films are generally his most noted screen roles, and their enduring popularity has even meant that the actor still references the characters he played.

By the end of the '70s, John was one of Hollywood's leading men, so nobody could have expected the downturn that his career took in the 1980s. After multiple films of his were commercially and critically panned, the actor seemingly couldn't catch a break. He even turned down roles in "American Gigolo" and "An Officer and a Gentleman" — both of which went to Richard Gere — and regretfully, they were huge box-office hits.

But just as things can go down, they can just as easily come back up, and that's exactly what happened to John's career in the 1990s. He finally got another box-office hit with "Look Who's Talking," which prompted two sequels. 

John appeared in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," and his turn as Vincent Vega not only earned him an Oscar nomination but propelled him back onto Hollywood's A-list. The second half of the decade saw him appear in notable films such as "Get Shorty," "Broken Arrow," "Face/Off," "The General's Daughter," and more. 

Born into a family with Italian and Irish heritage in Englewood, New Jersey, on Feb. 18, 1954, John was the youngest of six children. He grew up in an Irish American neighborhood and was raised Catholic. John's father was a semi-professional American football player, while his mother was an actress and singer before she became a high school drama and English teacher. This inspired all of the Travolta children to pursue acting. 

After dropping out of school at age 17, John moved to New York City and landed some work on Broadway before taking his aspirations to Los Angeles. It didn't take too long before he was noticed, and by the mid-'70s, he had parts in the cult classic horror movie "Carrie" and the TV show "Welcome Back, Kotter." 

In an interview promoting the film "From Paris With Love," the star shared some details he had learned about his heritage. John revealed, "I'm half Irish. My mother's people came from Kenmare in Co. Kerry and I've been down there to research where they lived. We're related to Burkes and Murphys on her side, and I researched all the connections that there were."

From the way the actor spoke, it seemed like he was interested in knowing more about Ireland. John added:

"It's a beautiful country, just gorgeous and I've said many times I would love to make a movie there. You know, all it would take is the right script. I would love it. It would be great."

Hopefully, John will get a chance to make a movie in Ireland and connect more deeply with his Irish roots.

Are you a fan of John Travolta's films? Did you know about his heritage? Let us know what you think, and feel free to pass this story along to your friends and family that love his movies!