In a room at the Hotel Marriott in Cannes, John Travolta talks about his wife of six years, Kelly Preston. His film "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" is dedicated to her, his late son Jett, and his parents.
Without them I wouldn't be sitting here now," he tells TT.
The hour-long film is being shown at Cannes out of competition (it is produced by Apple and will be shown on Apple TV at the end of May). The film is based on Travolta's own book of the same title, and is about a little boy who flies with his mother from New York to Los Angeles in the 1960s in a propeller plane. There are a lot of adventures for the wide-eyed boy during all the stopovers and plane changes.
Daughter plays a flight attendant
Travolta directed the film and is also the narrator, and his 26-year-old daughter Ella Blue plays a flight attendant.
He is an avid aviator and says he owns no fewer than five aircraft of various sizes.
"Flying an airplane gives me peace. I see the world from above," he says, and Ella Blue, who is present during the interview, adds:
I never feel as safe as when I fly with my dad. Even when I was little, I was allowed into the cockpit and he showed me all the buttons and controls.
Honorary Palme d'Or
John Travolta has visited the Cannes Film Festival several times – his first official visit was in 1994 when he had one of the leading roles in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." The film won that year's Palme d'Or and gave Travolta's career a proper new start.
When it was shown here, it was the first time I saw it, and it was on the biggest screen I've ever seen. My wife was sitting next to me, pinching my arm.
During this year's visit, he received an honorary Palme d'Or, which he now proudly displays.
I'm so incredibly happy and relieved. The festival director says he likes the film and wanted to give it attention. And it was fantastic to get this extra Palme d'Or.
With the daughter in an action movie
So will there be more directing for Travolta? Only if something appeals to him as much as "Propeller One-Way Night Coach," he says.
However, I am starring in a movie called "November 1963" about the Kennedy assassination. And Ella Blue and I are in a new action movie by Renny Harlin.
Facts: John Travolta
Age: 72.
Profession: Actor, director.
Family: Children Ella Blue and Benjamin.
Lives: Los Angeles.
Previous roles: Breakthrough with "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" but has starred in a number of films, including "Carrie", "Staying Alive", "Pulp Fiction", "Get Shorty", "Blow Out", "The Punisher", "Hairspray", "Gotti" and "Mob Land".
Current: With the film "Propeller One-Way Night Coach".
