John Travolta

Biography

John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor. He began acting on television before transitioning into a leading man in film. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. Travolta came to prominence starring in the sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–1979), followed by leading roles in Carrie (1976), Grease (1978), Urban Cowboy (1980), and Blow Out (1981). He earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Pulp Fiction (1994). His other notable films include Get Shorty (1995), Broken Arrow (1996), Michael (1996), Face/Off (1997), A Civil Action (1998), Primary Colors (1998), The General's Daughter (1999), The Punisher (2004), Wild Hogs (2007), Hairspray (2007), Bolt (2008), and Savages (2012). Travolta returned to television, portraying lawyer Robert Shapiro in the series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. He received an Emmy Award as a producer and nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He was also Emmy-nominated for his role in the action-comedy web series Die Hart (2021).  Travolta has released nine albums outside of acting, including four singles that charted on the Billboard Hot 100's Top 40. His albums typically accompanied films he starred in, such as Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (1978), which topped the Billboard 200. Travolta is also a private pilot.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Saturday Night Live

Top of the Pops

The Mike Douglas Show

The View

All Movies (137)

• November 19632026 · as Johnny Roselli
• Propeller One-Way Night Coach2026 · as Retiring Captain / Narrator (voice)
• The Kick That United A Nation2025 · as Self
• High Rollers2025 · as Mason Goddard
• Cash Out2024 · as Mason Goddard
• Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles2023 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• The Shepherd2023 · as Johnny Kavanagh
• Mob Land2023 · as Bodie Davis
• Die Hart2023 · as Ron Wilcox
• Paradise City2022 · as Buck
• American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective2022 · as Self
• Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend2021 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Fanatic2019 · as Moose
• The Poison Rose2019 · as Carson Philips
• Trading Paint2019 · as Sam
• Speed Kills2018 · as Ben Aronoff (Don Aronow)
• Studio 542018 · as Self (archive footage)
• Gotti2018 · as John Gotti
• Saturday Night Fever: The Ultimate Disco Movie2017 · as Self
• Pattern Recognition2017 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Grease Story2017 · as Danny Zuko
• The Fabulous Allan Carr2017 · as Self (archive)
• Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees2017 · as Self - Host
• John Travolta, le miraculé d'Hollywood2017 · as Self - Actor (archive footage)
• Life on the Line2016 · as Beau Ginner
• David Blaine: Beyond Magic2016 · as Self
• In a Valley of Violence2016 · as The Marshal
• Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond2016 · as Self
• I Am Wrath2016 · as Stanley Hill
• Criminal Activities2015 · as Eddie
• Urban Cowboy: The Rise and Fall of Gilley's2015 · as Self
• The Forger2014 · as Raymond Cutter
• Killing Season2013 · as Emil Kovac
• Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking2013 · as Self
• Casting By2012 · as Self
• Close Up2012 · as Self (archive footage)
• Savages2012 · as Dennis
• Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen2012 · as (archive footage)
• I'm Still Here2010 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift2010 · as (archive footage)
• From Paris with Love2010 · as Charlie Wax
• Old Dogs2009 · as Charlie
• The Taking of Pelham 1 2 32009 · as Ryder
• Bolt2008 · as Bolt (voice)
• Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History2008 · as Self
• You Can’t Stop the Beat: The Long Journey of "Hairspray"2007 · as Self
• Hairspray: Inside the Recording Booth2007 · as Self
• 'Hairspray' Extentions2007 · as Self
• It's 'Hairspray'!2007 · as Self
• Hairspray: The Search for Tracy Turnblad2007 · as Self
• Hairspray: Transforming Travolta to Turnblad2007 · as Self
• Hairspray2007 · as Edna Turnblad
• Brando2007 · as Self
• Wild Hogs2007 · as Woody Stevens
• Tony Bennett: An American Classic2006 · as Self
• The Time, the Place, the Motion: Remembering Grease2006 · as Self – Danny Zuko (archive footage)
• Lonely Hearts2006 · as Elmer Robinson
• Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon2005 · as Jim Irwin
• Be Cool, Very Cool2005 · as Self
• Everyday Heroes: Real Stories from Real Firefighters2005
• Be Cool2005 · as Chili Palmer
• Bio.2005 · as Self
• Nos Bastidores de Hollywood2005 · as Self (archive footage)
• Ladder 492004 · as Captain Mike Kennedy
• War Journal: On the Set of 'The Punisher'2004 · as Self
• A Love Song for Bobby Long2004 · as Bobby Long
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies2004 · as Host
• John Travolta: The Inside Story2004 · as Self
• The Punisher2004 · as Howard Saint
• John Travolta Remembers James Cagney2003 · as Self
• ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration2003 · as Self
• Basic2003 · as DEA Agent Tom Hardy
• Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s2002 · as Self - Interviewee (archive footage)
• Pulp Fiction: The Facts2002 · as Self (archive footage)
• Pulp Fiction: Behind The Scenes Montages2002
• Austin Powers in Goldmember2002 · as John Travolta / Famous Goldmember ('Austinpussy')
• Domestic Disturbance2001 · as Frank Morrison
• Swordfish2001 · as Gabriel
• Lucky Numbers2000 · as Russ Richards
• Welcome to Hollywood2000 · as John Travolta
• Battlefield Earth2000 · as Terl
• The General's Daughter1999 · as Warrant Officer Paul Brenner
• Our Friend, Martin1999 · as Kyle's Dad (voice)
• Forever Hollywood1999 · as Self
• A Civil Action1998 · as Jan Schlichtmann
• The Thin Red Line1998 · as Brig. Gen. David Quintard
• Bee Gees: One Night Only1998 · as Self - Tony Manero/Self - Danny Zuko (archive footage)
• Junket Whore1998 · as Self
• Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's1998 · as Self
• Primary Colors1998 · as Jack Stanton
• Mad City1997 · as Sam Baily
• She's So Lovely1997 · as Joey Germoni
• Face/Off1997 · as Sean Archer
• Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life1997 · as Self
• Michael1996 · as Michael
• Phenomenon1996 · as George Malley
• Orientation: A Scientology Information Film1996 · as Self
• Broken Arrow1996 · as Vic Deakins
• America's Flying Aces: The Blue Angels 50th Anniversary1996 · as Hosted by
• White Man's Burden1995 · as Louis Pinnock
• Get Shorty1995 · as Chili Palmer
• Trailer Camp1995 · as (Archival)
• Pulp Fiction1994 · as Vincent Vega
• Look Who's Talking Now!1993 · as James Ubriacco
• Boris and Natasha1992 · as Self
• Shout1991 · as Jack Cabe
• Chains of Gold1991 · as Scott Barnes
• Eyes of an Angel1991 · as Bobby
• Look Who's Talking Too1990 · as James
• Seriously... Phil Collins1990 · as Self
• Look Who's Talking1989 · as James
• The Experts1989 · as Travis
• The Grand Knockout Tournament1987 · as Self
• Basements1987 · as Ben (segment "The Dumb Waiter")
• Scientology: The Road to Total Freedom?1987 · as Self
• Perfect1985 · as Adam Lawrence
• That's Dancing!1985 · as Self (archive footage)
• Two of a Kind1983 · as Zack
• Staying Alive1983 · as Tony Manero
• James Bond: The First 21 Years1983 · as Self
• Blow Out1981 · as Jack Terry
• Urban Cowboy1980 · as Bud Davis
• Rona Barrett Looks at 19781979 · as Self
• Moment by Moment1978 · as Strip
• Grease Day USA1978 · as Self
• Grease1978 · as Danny Zuko
• Saturday Night Fever1977 · as Tony Manero
• The Boy in the Plastic Bubble1976 · as Tod Lubitch
• Carrie1976 · as Billy Nolan
• The Tenth Level1976 · as Lab Technician (uncredited)
• The Devil’s Rain1975 · as Danny
• Nightmare1974 · as Man Outside Store (uncredited)
• That's Amore!— · as Nick Venere
• The Gentleman Thief— · as Mason Goddard
• Black Tides— · as Bill Pierce
• Syndicate— · as Special Agent Felix Miller
• ED—

All TV Shows (62)

• The Playboy Murders2023 · as Self (archive footage)
• Il était une fois Champs-Élysées2022 · as Self (archive footage)
• Hart to Heart2021 · as Self - Interviewee
• Die Hart2020 · as Ron Wilcox
• The True Story of...2017 · as Self (archive footage)
• American Crime Story2016 · as Robert Shapiro
• Behind Closed Doors with Natalie Morales2015 · as Danny Zuko (archive footage)
• Jay Leno's Garage2015 · as Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Vincent Vega (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Guest
• Kirstie2013 · as Mickey Russo
• The Scrat Show2012
• The Jay Leno Show2009 · as Self - Guest
• Oprah's Big Give2008
• El hormiguero2006 · as Self - Guest
• The Reichen Show2005 · as Self
• Fat Actress2005 · as John Travolta
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
• Celebrities Uncensored2003 · as Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Guest
• Fifth Gear2002 · as Self
• Good Day Live2001 · as Self
• Fear Factor2001
• The Early Show1999 · as Self
• Rove1999 · as Self
• Where Are They Now?1999 · as Self
• The View1997 · as Self
• Inside the Actors Studio1994 · as Self
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest
• Sacrée soirée1987 · as Self
• MTV Video Music Awards1984 · as Self
• Goldene Kamera1984 · as Self
• Harty1983 · as Self
• Champs-Elysées1982 · as Self
• Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
• Wetten, dass..?1981 · as Self
• Mr. T and Tina1976 · as Vinnie Barbarino
• The Captain and Tennille1976 · as Self - Guest
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
• Welcome Back, Kotter1975 · as Vinnie Barbarino
• Les Rendez-vous du dimanche1975 · as Self
• The Rookies1972
• Emergency!1972 · as Chuck Benson
• Film '721971 · as Self
• Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law1971
• Great Performances1971 · as Self
• Medical Center1969 · as Danny
• Top of the Pops1964
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self - Guest
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Performer
• Panorama1953 · as Himself (archive footage)
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• Sanremo Music Festival1951 · as Self - Special Guest
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee / Presenter
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Nominee
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Presenter / Nominee