John Travolta: Legend

That was when Saturday Night Fever released for those of you not in the know. Travolta knows how to be a ladies man and he’s known that for thirty three years now. He’s gone from playing the man’s man in Saturday Night Fever to Face Off to filling up the Thames with drool in Grease and now to playing a mother in Hairspray.

But en route he’s also become a member of the mai-baaps of all exclusive clubs - the one populated by men who’ve been drooled over by consecutive generations.

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In India recently, Travolta didn’t let repetitive questions of Indian hacks ruin his good mood. Yes he has a pilot’s license. Yes he flew his own jet here. Yes It was slightly tricky. Yes he has seen Bollywood. He was still excited about traveling to India with his daughter and sisters while his baby momma was at home prepping for the arrival of another little Travolta.

Travolta insists he always thought films would bring him down to Bollywood, but it never happened. But if Sly Stallone can make an appearance in a dud like Kambakht Ishq then why can’t Travolta?

From being an alpha male in Face Off and Grease to being a mother in Hairspray, how did Mr Travolta pull it off? Well, according to the man himself, they were both ‘fun’ and ‘like a sequel to each other (Grease and Hairspray)’. Now that is something we hadn’t thought of.

“In one I am playing a young ladies’ man and in the other I am playing a mother!” So which one was more of a challenge? “It was hard dancing in heels,” reveals Travolta. Is it harder than playing a mother? “Ha, ha, ha, yes harder. Luckily, I didn’t trip or sprain an ankle or something while dancing in high heels.”

Travolta sure has done some crazy stuff on screen. From jumping in high heels to playing a mother – he sure has done a lot. But, what about off screen? What’s the one crazy experience he’s had while flying?

“Oh god! I haven’t had any CRAZY experience while flying…No, actually I did,” remembers Travolta. “I was a trainee pilot back then. And I was asked to fly upside down. And I had NEVER flown upside down. Everything I did that day was for the first time. They made me do loops and stuff. But I was pretty confident. And I did really well considering I had never done it before.”

FACTS

JOHN TRAVOLTA

BORN: Englewood, New Jersey

AGE: 56

MOVIES: Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Face-off, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty

Travolta’s Planes

Did you know that John Travolta got aviation fever when he was just 10? After earning his wings in 1974, he has logged 5,000 hours in the air. And with his heavy earnings from the flicks he acted in, he has two jets right outside his house. If he still manages to be late, its only because he doesn't want to be there.

Travvy's 707-138B was built in 1964 whose first owner was Qantas. After chasing it, it 'Jet Clipper Ella” was finally his in 1992. This plans is equipped with four JT3 turbojets of 10,000 pounds going upto 885 km/h. In June 2002, Travolta participated in the Qantas “Spirit of Friendship”piloting a 35,000 mile tour.

Another plane that made the cut is Gulfstream II. Powered by two Rolls-Royce turbofan engines, this baby can up to a maximum of 936 km/h. Equipped with military survelliance and night vision, god knows what Travolta needs these features for.

With his airborne addiction going back to the days of yore...He also owned a military aircraft ,Siddley 125-1, a British Vampire, a Lockheed Jetstar, a Learjet 24B, a Hawker a Canadian Tebuan CL-43 and a Cessna Citation I.

From the November 2010 issue of FHM India.