From Grease To Gotti 19 Pics Of John Travolta Over The Years

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that John Travolta has been in the entertainment industry for nearly fifty years now - he got his start back in 1972 and has been hard at work ever since. He's earned many fans over the years thanks to his varied roles, in everything from musicals to more serious flicks. One thing is for sure - the man definitely knows how to dance!

Most people fell in love with Travolta as Danny Zuko in the classic film Grease. Girls around the world were swooning right alongside Olivia Newton-John as Travolta crooned and danced his way to her heart. However, he's taken on a ton of roles over the years that are definitely more serious than the teen musical.

Travolta has faced his fair share of drama over the years, including issues with religion, but he's managed to keep fighting in the entertainment industry, year after year. And, if he ever decides to retire, he can just become a full-time pilot - he's completely trained and actually owns four planes. Who knew? In fact, given how passionate he is about flying, we're surprised he hasn't helped to develop a movie or series that focuses on pilots. Perhaps that's what he's got on his schedule next after playing John Gotti on film.

19 John Travolta As The Heartthrob Danny Zuko In Grease

If John Travolta looks a little too old to be playing a high school student in the movie, that's because he was - he was already in his mid-20s when he snagged the role of Danny Zuko. However, once you saw him on camera, you couldn't help but fall in love with him - he had major charisma, and every girl watching fell for him just like Sandy did. No matter what he's starred in over the years, Grease will definitely remain one of his most iconic roles - there's just something about the movie that people responded to. And, though he's sung on screen in several of his other roles, there was just something about bad boy Danny Zuko.

18 Joking Around With Idina Menzel, Whose Name He Totally Butchered Onstage

It definitely isn't easy to pronounce everyone's name, especially those who have slightly more unusual names in Hollywood, but John Travolta pretty much went down in history as being the person who messed up someone's name the worst on stage. When he was introducing singer and actress Idina Menzel, who is basically Broadway royalty, he butchered her name to the point where most people didn't even know whose name he was trying to say. Luckily, Menzel was kind about it, but we can't imagine how embarrassed Travolta must have been afterward! Perhaps next time he'll have to request a phonetic pronunciation.

17 Looking A Little Western In Urban Cowboy

By the time 1980 rolled around, Travolta had starred in a movie that was about high school love and a movie that was all about the disco scene - so it only makes sense that he'd branch out to play a cowboy in a flick that was basically a love letter to country music. Travolta starred alongside Debra Winger in the movie that revolved around a honky tonk - and we got to see some more moves from the rising movie star. It's not as well known as some of his other movies, but it definitely has its fair share of fans - and who doesn't want to see a young, gorgeous Travolta in a cowboy hat?

16 Rocking A Dramatically Different Look On The Red Carpet

Travolta's hair is such a well-known part of his appearance that many fans assumed he'd just continue dyeing his hair black if he ever went grey. However, he proved his fans wrong by showing up on the red carpet with hair that definitely wasn't salt and pepper - it was straight up grey. Especially when combined with the facial hair, it's a look that's totally different for Travolta. We have to admit, though, it's pretty amazing that he can still switch up his look and surprise his fans after so many years in the business. And, what's not to love about a bit of a transformation?

15 Starring Alongside Olivia Newton-John Again In 1983's Two Of A Kind

If you thought that Grease was the only movie in which Travolta starred alongside English beauty Olivia Newton-John, think again - just a few years after that movie, he appeared in Two of a Kind with her. Obviously, the movie wasn't nearly as successful as Grease, but it did spawn some musical hits that ended up making the soundtrack a success. Honestly, we're not sure why these two weren't brought together more to try to capture the insane chemistry that Sandy and Danny had - surely they could have been the leads in a compelling movie that wasn't set in a high school setting!

14 Looking Like A Completely Different Person In Hairspray

Most actors and actresses love to take on roles that get them far outside of their comfort zones, and it seems that's exactly what Travolta did for this musical revamp. It allowed Travolta to go back to his musical roots - and, in fact, his success as Danny Zuko in Grease all those years ago is one of the main reasons that the producers for Hairspray wanted to have him on board as the main character Tracy's mother, Edna Turnblad. Honestly, if you give the guy the chance to sing, he's pretty much guaranteed to get audiences excited - we have a feeling that he would've become a musician if he decided not to pursue acting.

13 Playing The Dad Roles In Look Who's Talking

Early in his career, Travolta played a lot of bad boy or love interest roles, which is why it was fun to see another side of him in this film franchise, where he played a dad alongside Kirstie Alley. Whenever you see photos of Travolta from the first decade or two of his career, you can see exactly why he became such a star - there's just something about his expressive eyes and perfect pout that sets him apart from the crowd. He's still attractive, but not quite as conventionally attractive as many other male stars - there was something unique about him that audiences responded to.

12 Looking Far Edgier In The Cult Classic Pulp Fiction

Grease and Pulp Fiction are probably tied for the two most iconic Travolta films - for very different reasons. While Grease was a feel-good high school musical where Travolta played a bad boy who, well, wasn't really all that bad, Pulp Fiction is a Tarantino masterpiece that brought out a whole different side of the actor. Many might have questioned whether he could convincingly play such a villain, but he managed to do a phenomenal job - and bring a ton of flair and style to the role as well. The film quickly became a huge cult classic, and basically cemented Travolta's stardom.

11 Tearing It Up On The Dance Floor In Pulp Fiction

This is probably one of the most iconic scenes in Pulp Fiction, and for good reason - it's an amazing scene! And quite frankly, we're surprised that Travolta isn't called on to dance in every movie role he gets. Sure, his moves are probably a little bit different now that he's in his 60s than when he was in his younger years, but there's just something about the style and charisma he brings to the dance floor that is totally intoxicating. The man was born to dance, and we hope that more and more of his roles going forward continue to incorporate that.

10 Looking Oh So '90s With Quentin Tarantino At Cannes In 1994

They may not have predicted what a huge cult classic Pulp Fiction would end up becoming, but Travolta and Tarantino probably had a pretty good idea that it was something special. After all, they headed to the Cannes Film Festival together to celebrate the movie - and seem to be having a blast. It's crazy to see them both looking so young and unpolished, considering that they're both huge figures in the industry today who are rarely seen looking quite this whimsical. I mean, Tarantino's t-shirt is peak '90s perfection - and the fit of Travolta's suit pretty clearly indicates what decade this photo was taken in.

9 Playing An Angel In The 1996 Film Michael

While his hair was long and sleek for Pulp Fiction, a year later for the movie Michael, he allowed his natural curly texture to come through as he played an angel. The movie isn't one that many people remember, but considering that it was directed by Nora Ephron, it's a surprise that more people don't! Travolta definitely doesn't play a typical sort of angel - Michael lives an interesting life and definitely has a few vices - but his character is a fascinating one who manages to majorly impact the figures around him. It was probably a fun challenge for Travolta to take on this role - plus, who wouldn't want to work with Nora Ephron?

8 As Chili Palmer In The 1995 Classic Get Shorty

It's crazy how Travolta is able to bounce between good guy and bad guy roles - but he definitely has done so over the course of his career. In the movie Get Shorty, which was released in 1995, Travolta played Chili Palmer, a loan shark who certainly does some questionable things over the course of the movie. This film was more of a crime comedy, but still, we have to imagine that playing all kinds of unsavory characters over the years definitely helped Travolta broaden his horizons and prepare for meatier roles in the years to come. Even though we'd happily watch him in only musicals, he probably didn't want to be a one trick pony.

7 In The 1996 Film Phenomenon

While he looks different now than when he was first starting out, we have to admit, there was about two decades where it seemed like Travolta just didn't age. Sure, he got a little more mature looking in comparison to the roles he had in the '70s, but not by much - he still had the same youthful features and the same trademark amazing black hair. In Phenomenon, Travolta got to play around in the fantasy genre, playing a regular old mechanic who ends up being transformed and gaining telekinetic powers somewhere along the way. He really has had a wide range of movie roles over the years!

6 Looking Like A Totally Different Creature In Battlefield Earth

This movie actually has a pretty interesting story behind it - and allowed Travolta to play a completely different kind of role, one in which he got to dress up as a totally different species. This movie was based on a book by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, which as many know is the controversial religion that Travolta follows. This film was a total flop, and had a lot of drama surrounding it, but it was an instance where Travolta pursued something he was passionate about bringing to the screen. Every actor has those types of projects at some point in their careers!

5 Playing A Clean Cut Military Man In The General's Daughter

Honestly, is there any type of role that Travolta hasn't played at some point in his decades in the industry? In addition to playing bad boys and criminals, good guys and love interests, he even played a military man for one role. Many people associate Travolta with one of the more well-known roles he's had, but they fail to remember that he's had a full career with countless movies under his belt. It just goes to show what diversity he has as an actor - whether or not you agree with his personal choices, you have to give the guy props for a long career!

4 Starring Alongside The Late Robin Williams In The 2009 Flick Old Dogs

We imagine it must be incredible for actors to have the memory of starring alongside a talented fellow actor who ended up leaving the world far too soon - and that's exactly what Travolta got to do in Old Dogs. He starred in the 2009 film alongside comedian Robin Williams, and basically got a masterclass in comedic acting. Although he had been in the industry for decades at that point, we have a feeling that there's always something to learn, especially when you're spending so much time on set with such comedic giants. The movie may not have been a huge critical success, but Travolta probably had an absolute blast.

3 Playing The Bad Guy In Savages

When you see photos of Travolta in the past decade, you can see that his age is definitely catching up to him. Though his trademark features are still the same, he's traded his lush black hair for a slightly thinner alternative. Even though his hair was shaved down for this role, you can see that the hairline definitely isn't what it used to be back in the day. However, aging is just a part of life - it's always better when celebrities simply accept it rather than trying to combat it at every turn and getting excessive amounts of plastic surgery.

2 Looking Far More Grey In Gotti

Many actors have expressed over the years that it's particularly tough to play a character that's based on a real-life person. After all, it's completely different than translating a character from the page into life - you have to get all the information about what their mannerisms were and how they spoke, and then transform that into your own interpretation of the individual. When Travolta was announced to be the one playing infamous mobster John Gotti, many were skeptical, and the critics certainly haven't been kind to the project. However, it just shows off another component of his skills as an actor.

1 Posing With Wife Kelly Preston In 2018

John Travolta and Kelly Preston aren't really the type of couple that gets the front page of the tabloids every week, so many fans may not even be aware of the fact that the two have been married for over 25 years now. That's right - they tied the knot way back in 1991, and though they've had their drama and struggles over the years, they've kept their relationship strong and supported one another through thick and thin. Especially in Hollywood, where many relationships fizzle quite quickly, a marriage that's lasted for decades is no small feat. We wonder how these two will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary - that's definitely a major milestone!