Profile of the Day: John Travolta

Posted February 18, 2020 by Amanda | No Comment

Happy birthday to John Travolta! Today the film star turns 66.

Image: Georges Biard / Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Travolta was born on February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey. The youngest of six children, Travolta was born into a family of entertainers. His father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional football player and his mother, Helen Cecilia Burke, was an actress and singer. Intent on pursuing a career in acting, Travolta dropped out of high school at the age of 16.

In 1975, he landed a role on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and became a teen idol. However, it was not until he starred in the box office hit Saturday Night Fever that his career skyrocketed to international fame. The film also earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The following year, he starred in the hit musical Grease opposite Olivia Newton-John. He earned his second Academy Award nomination in 1994 for his role in Pulp Fiction.

What’s your favorite John Travolta movie?

Explore John Travolta’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the star.