Classic John Travolta Roles Most People Forget About
John Travolta is a bit of a weird name in Hollywood today because he hasn't done anything memorable in a while, but was an icon in the ‘80s and ’90s. He was the face of musicals that changed Hollywood forever, and he made the jump to star in legendary action movies your dad still remembers to this day. However, he was never great at deciding what to do next, often picking a project that would sink his career for a while. Multiple times.
And between his biggest flops and his award-winning movies, there are a lot of John Travolta characters people forgot about. And others are still in our collective memory, like Michael the Angel, but we couldn't say what the movie was about, so we're not sure that actually counts.
So, here are some classic John Travolta roles that most people forget about, and maybe that's okay, he doesn't really mind.
Perfection (1985)
It's hard to remember John Travolta's character here when all you can think of is Jamie Lee Curtis.
Lonely Hearts (2006)
He shared the screen with James Gandolfini, but both were outshone by Salma Hayek in a movie that didn't have a lot more to offer.
The Fanatic (2019)
In 2019, people thought they had already seen the worst of John Travolta, but he proved them wrong.
Carrie (1976)
The original adaptation of Stephen King's book has Travolta playing Billy Nolan, but people hardly remember that. Mostly because his portrayal has little to do with the book's version of Billy, who is a lot creepier.
Broken Arrow (1996)
When you think about John Travolta working with director John Woo, Face/Off is the only one you'll remember, and that's okay. But he did another a few years earlier with a young Christian Slater.
A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)
Another movie where John Travolta shares the screen with a much younger and better-looking female co-star, and is totally outshone by their scenes.
Blow Out (1981)
A very underrated Brian De Palma movie about a sound guy who uncovers a terrible conspiracy.
Staying Alive (1983)
Everybody remembers Saturday Night Fever and Grease, but Staying Alive is a different story. Maybe it's because it's directed by Sylvester Stallone, but it's still a great musical performance by Travolta.
Phenomenon (1996)
A man who gets super intelligence and telekinetic powers. You had to be there.
Lucky Numbers (2000)
A bad movie about a weatherman trying to make money. Surprisingly, not the worst John Travolta movie to come out that year.
White Man's Burden (1995)
After Pulp Fiction, John Travolta wanted to see how much his career could sink, so he starred in a movie where there's a race swap, a lot of bad takes, and many racial stereotypes.
Urban Cowboy (1980)
With a plot you could only think of in the eighties, this is one of Travolta's first movies during his golden musical years, so it's the one no one remembers.
Get Shorty (1995)
One of Travolta's best characters, Chili Palmer, is a mobster who realizes Hollywood works very similarly to the mob. With a great cast and funny jokes, the movie got a sequel years later, but it's highly underrated.
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Considered one of the worst movies in history, it was parodied at awards events for years. The internet was too young at the time, so it's no wonder a lot of people don't know about it today.
The Experts (1989)
Another John Travolta movie about dancing to solve all your problems. After Travolta's success in different musicals, this movie was marketed with references to ‘Fever’ to attract the audience, but the result was underwhelming.
