The actors John Travolta was constantly competing with: “If I didn’t get it, one of those guys would”
When John Travolta first Cossacked his way into our hearts as the leading man in Saturday Night Fever, few could have predicted the utterly insane career trajectory he was about to embark upon. Monumental success followed the year after with Grease, but he struggled to maintain this momentum over the next decade or so. A career resurgence was touted off the back of Pulp Fiction, but following a series of up-and-down appearances in action flicks and family comedies, he’s now settled into the role of a veteran performer with just of ‘What if?’ about him.
The plane-loving performer had a chance to reflect on his career on the Hart to Heart podcast. In conversation with host Kevin Hart, he reminisced about various roles he missed out on, naming Tom Hanks, Richard Gere, and Treat Williams as the actors who regularly beat him to the punch.
“There’s enough for everybody,” he admitted with regard to parts. “Arts aren’t – shouldn’t be hoarded. But it was just Richard Gere, myself, Treat Willaims up for most parts. So if I didn’t get it, one of those guys would. … And then Tom was a few years later. So maybe by like ‘81 or two, Tom came into the scene. … And those roles would get interchangeable, depending on what was happening.”
He referred to the 1984 romantic comedy Splash as such an example. Travolta was one of many established names up for the male lead in that movie, a list that also included Dudley Moore, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray. A then-unknown Hanks was chosen because producers felt he had more of an ‘everyman’ quality to him. Splash ended up being Hanks’ big breakthrough, setting him to superstardom. The movie was a decent hit, so Travolta was probably a bit dejected at missing out, but, as he put it himself, “Then we wouldn’t have Tom Hanks. So let’s have Tom Hanks, you see what I mean?”
As for the other two names Travolta mentioned, Richard Gere is a few years older than his contemporaries but made his film debut in the same year. His star-making performance came a few years after Travolta’s in 1980’s American Gigolo, but these days, he’s viewed in a much more prestigious light. As for Treat Williams, he interestingly starred as Danny Zuko in the original theatrical run of Grease. He would go on to appear in movies like Hair, 1941, and Prince of the City. He passed away in 2023, aged 71.
Competing against three huge names sounds like a stressful time, but according to the Battlefield Earth star, things would only get worse. “Now, there’s a ton of people competing. It’s much more difficult to establish yourself in any aspect,” he revealed. “Music, movies. It’s easier and it’s more difficult, depending on how your avenue is.” He sort of contradicts himself during that last sentence, but you get the idea.
The transition period from the late 1970s to the early 1980s marked many changes in the movie business, including which sort of actors were getting cast. Travolta’s career might never have reached the heights of some of his closest competitors, but he has carved out his own niche and has established his own impressive legacy.
