Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, William Hurt. Everyone was stars in the early nineties, everyone wanted to play the role of Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction”. She got John Travolta – who had reached the low point of his career before the start of 1993. Or, as his manager Mike Simpson brutally formulated: “Travolta was at that time as cold as they get. He was less than zero.”
But the young director Tarantino, 31, poured his favorite in the leading role at the Miramax production company. Travolta should therefore embody the mafia killer on which half of Hollywood was sharp.
Competitor Bruce Willis became the second violin, as a traumatized boxer Butch.
In interviews, Travolta openly speaks of Tarantino’s unusual decision: “I was so disappointed with the course of your career,” the director is said to have told him. “I want to get that back.” Travolta: “I was deeply moved.” He did not believe in a success of the “little indie film”. In the end, the figure of Vincent Vega brought him an Oscar nomination as a “best leading actor”.
No wink!
For the then 40-year-old, who buried his reputation from the mid-eighties through films such as “Kuck times who speaks there”, it was the beginning of his second career. In “Pulp Fiction” he played the heroin -dependent, long -haired murderer in tuxedo, which can still be used on the dance floor with abdominal base. The homage to his previously best known presentation, in the milieus study “Saturday Night Fever” (1977), was not even aware of younger viewers.
Travoltas reminiscent of a facial striptease, which he pulls over the eyes when dancing in “Pulp fiction” is still copied. He delivered one of the biggest comebacks in the most unworthy role. And no matter which genre man “pulp fiction” would like to squeeze, what irony, how many quotations you hope to find in the film – it was a line -up decision that the director made without a wink.
In the seventies, everything started for John Joseph Travolta. “Saturday Night Fever” had made the former TV actor who for the first time in a small role in Brian de Palma’s “Carrie” in the cinema. In “Saturn Day Night Fever” he was the young man Tony Manero, who saw his chance of social advancement in nightlife. The discotheque as a place where ranking regulations are renegotiated.
It was the perfect Hollywood package
Travolta thus addressed an entire generation. His image was also created here as a “cool type”. He didn’t look cool at all, and certainly not like a dancer: rather slag, plus the baby face and these clear blue eyes. He recalled a big boy who has to fight prejudices. In addition Disco and the Bee Gees with their song soundtrack-it was the perfect Hollywood package.
After the world success-and another dance hit with “Grease”-Travolta chose sophisticated roles instead of potential blockbusters; So he was the “Urban Cowboy” (1980) that he had headed, and for Brian de Palma’s “Blow Out” he played his most moving role, as a good -faith Tonmann who has the technology under control, but as a person the decisive seconds too late comes. To date, he is most convincing as a figure that strives for luck but fails.
With the “Saturday Night Fever” continuation “Staying Alive” (1983), his star was already falling. Travolta, who now wanted to go to Broadway as a Tony Manero, came across like a dance jug, no longer like a survival fighter. Director Sylvester Stallone was completely overwhelmed with the scenic orders. The eighties had run for Travolta, he was not yet 30 years old.
He rejected so many roles
After the comeback with “Pulp Fiction” ten years later, the man from New Jersey was over -caution. Travolta is one of the actors who rejected a variety of roles for films that were then made: “Forrest Gump” (Oscar for Tom Hanks), “Apollo 13”, “An Officer and Gentleman”, “It couldn’t be better” (Oscar for Jack Nicholson). Perhaps because he had to experience the crash, he now took part in action films and comedies in which his line -up would not be a challenge. Including high-class action drama (“Face/ Off”), but also clichéd explosion cinema such as “The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3”.
It can be felt fairly that his sci- fi work “Battlefield Earth” is described as one of the worst films ever.
To date, Travolta, who turns 70 on February 18, 2024, has no role since “Pulp Fiction”. On the contrary: in 2020 he won his fourth golden raspberry for his acting performance in “Burning Speed - victory at all costs”.
Nevertheless, he remains an icon for many, one of the most casual from Hollywood. “I don’t think I’m cool as a person,” he said in an interview. “I’m only better than anyone else – to make one on cool.”