I’ve made no attempt to hide my admiration for John Travolta on this here website over the past few months. Besides being a strong actor with diverse tastes in the movies he makes and the parts he plays, the star is one of the nicest guys in Hollywood, in my experience, and he always seems to talk frankly and honestly when a reporter puts a microphone in front of him.
So it didn’t surprise me to read Travolta’s recent comments in London’s Independent newspaper, in which he apparently expresses some regret about the roles he turned down and path he has taken. The actor says he could have had Richard Gere’s roles in An Officer and a Gentleman and Chicago and Tom Hanks’ parts in Splash and The Green Mile, and indeed Travolta says that he’s jealous of Hanks’ career.
Well, my gosh, who wouldn’t be? And, of course, setting aside the filmsTravolta turned down, he’s made some even more boneheaded decisions inthe movies that he actually opted to do (Battlefield Earth, duh,among others). He may have had more ups and downs than anybody inHollywood, but can we really criticize him for taking on somewhatdaring mainstream projects like Primary Colors or risky indie fare like White Man’s Burden or A Love Song for Bobby Longjust because critics or the ticket-buying public may not have embracedthem? I mean, as my colleague Gary Susman argues, when he’s up theregetting an Honorary Oscar in 20 years, people will remember Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Urban Cowboy, Get Shorty, and Pulp Fiction rather than, you know, Perfect.Moreover, when you look at how much someone like Clint Eastwood (who,heck, played opposite an orangutan… more than once!) has done tospruce up his legacy in the waning years of his career, it’s clear thatTravolta, who’s only 53, has plenty of time to make us forget hisembarrassing turn as the hulking alien Terl. Don’tcha think? Shouldn’tthe erstwhile Tony Zuko Vega buck up?
Why is this news? Actors from George Raft (as Rick Blaine) to Tom Selleck (as Indiana Jones) have been up for roles that eventually went to someone else (who then went on to acclaim and movie immortality), this is no different.
Those actors were “up for roles”, but this is news because it’s about one of the biggest stars in Hollywood over the last 30 years actually admiting that he’s made mistakes.
I suspect that all actors have regrets about roles they’ve turned down, but they either play it close to the vest or swear on their grave they have no regret. I think Josh is giving Travolta his props for being real.
I deliberately avoid ALL movies with John Travolta in them. Ick.
This seems a little like admitting a fondness for circus peanuts. Yow.
Though they ARE very honest, and are unremittingly kind to the other candies on the shelf.
Good Plug for Scientology. And how can you even compare Travolta and Hanks? Man, what are you thinking.
>but this is news because it’s about one of the biggest stars in Hollywood over the last 30 years actually admiting that he’s made mistakes<
Again, news? Not.
The fact that the guy is a scientologists doesn’t take anything from his acting skillz. And really he is talented, especially playing bad (or not so good) guys with a hint of self-irony and smirk.
I like him – even in some mediocre movies, he manages to do good role turns (Swordfish, Get Shorty, Face Off). I think he still hasn’t find his best role yet – then he’ll be able to show Tom Hanks!
The last movie I saw him in was Pulp Fiction. He would have been perfect in Chicago.
I think both of these guys are terrific! They are so different you can’t compare them. I love there work because they put there heart and soul into what they do. They are my faves.
Ok, kcholt, I was just saying that I suspected that was the reason Joshua thought this was news, but since you don’t think it’s news, why don’t you just go ahead and list all the huge stars in Hollywood that openly admit that they’re jealous of other huge Hollywood stars AND openly admit they’ve made huge mistakes.
I also don’t really get this Scientology hangup that people have with him and Cruise. Although, Cruise is much more in-your-face about it than Travolta, what does it matter that either of these guys choose to believe in what most of us consider to be a silly religious cults with aliens? I just want to be entertained and these are two of the guys who’ve done it the best in my lifetime.
Not to get all cultwatch or anything, but Scientology isn’t just silly. It’s also pretty nasty. The famous people don’t get to know about the truth, because the “church” gets so much publicity from their membership.
Scientology is one dark, controlling, and vicious-if-questioned cult. True, it is ridiculous, but it is also highly retributive. It’s got a ton of front organizations, a ton of money, and an evangelical zeal about its tenets, including the idea that psychiatry is evil.
When I look upon a famous Scientologist, I have to question his or her intelligence, gullibility, and willingness to be pampered and lauded as an evolved magical being, no matter what the cost.
Lafayette Ronald, wherever you are, you’ve done a terrible disservice to humanity.
i am sorry, but tom hanks is unparalleled. i’ll watch him in anything.
My problem with John Travolta is that he and Nicolas Cage have pretty much had parallel careers ever since they did the movie “Face/Off”! They’re like interchangeable actors now, although I couldn’t imagine Cage doing “Hairspray”!
You’re onto something Jakeem…maybe Cage and Travolta periodically have that improbably face-swapping procedure as they star in several truly horrible movies before bouncing back with a solid effort, then making a couple more stink bombs, then coming up with a huge box office hit, and so on.
Exactly!
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