They say there is no rest for the wicked, and this was the case for Travolta. Just four short days after filming on “Saturday Night Fever” wrapped, Travolta started working on his next hit movie, “Grease.” This was the biggest box office hit of 1978, so it’s no surprise he wanted to get stuck in straight away. This was an especially difficult time for Travolta as his girlfriend, Diana Hyland had recently passed away in his arms.
According to the “Grease” director, Randal Kleiser, Travolta was having trouble lip-syncing the words “heat lap trials” and kept on saying, “heap” instead. As a professional, Travolta eventually got there and was able to lip sync correctly.
Kelly and Charlie Sheen
Kelly Preston was not just married previously, she was also engaged to Charlie Sheen for a short time in 1990. Sheen proposed with a 2.5-carat diamond engagement ring. The relationship ended after an accident with a handgun which Kelly wrote about in her autobiography.
Charlie had a gun which he had kept in the pocket of his pair of jeans. Kelly was trying to tidy up and moved the jeans when the gun went off and shot Kelly in the arm. The split was amicable, and they decided to sell the engagement ring and share the profits. Now that's one way to break up.
He Was a Loner
High school wasn’t the easiest for Travolta as he often found himself alone. He did not enjoy the same popularity as he does now, and he wasn’t successful with girls either. Travolta was mostly interested in perfecting his acting craft and so would spend most of his spare time in acting classes.
In an interview with the Phoenix, Travolta said, “Not too many of my friends identified with what I was doing. I participated in football and basketball and did what they were doing, but not many kids understood my going to acting studios at night.” It was this love for acting that most likely separated Travolta from his peers and as a result, he spent much of his teen years alone.
Welcome Back, Kotter
When Travolta finished work touring with the cast of "Grease," Travolta was well and truly at the top of his game and very much living the high life. He wanted to continue riding the crest of this wave and was happy when he was cast by ABC in their popular sitcom, “Welcome Back, Kotter” in the role of Vinnie Barbarino. Travolta portrayed this bad-boy role successfully for four exceptional years.
Along the way, he won the hearts of women of all ages across the United States and further afield. Reflecting on the show in the years since Travolta has noticed similarities with his character Vinnie.
Rejected Role Of A Lifetime
Travolta was now in a position where he could pick the roles he wanted. In 1984, he was offered the lead role in a movie called "Splash," with Daryl Hannah playing a mermaid who finds herself in New York City. Other popular actors of the time also turned down the role, including Michael Keaton, Bill Murray, Dudley Moore, Allen Bauer, and Chevy Chase, with Tom Hanks eventually accepting the opportunity.
Travolta was discouraged by his agent who thought it wasn’t the right role for him at the time. This turned out to be a mistake as it was one of the huge box office hits of the year. Who knows how popular it could have been with Travolta in the starring role.