What is John Travolta's Net Worth and Salary?
John Travolta is an American actor, singer, producer, and dancer who has a net worth of $250 million. John Travolta's career is a remarkable journey through various phases of critical acclaim and popularity, highlighting his versatility and resilience as an actor. He first gained fame in the 1970s, emerging as a cultural icon with his role in "Saturday Night Fever." This role, along with his performance in "Grease," cemented his status as one of the leading figures in the disco and musical film era. His ability to portray complex characters with charm and depth made him a household name.
However, in the 1980s, Travolta's career faced a downturn. Despite this, he remained active in the industry, demonstrating his dedication and passion for acting. It was in the 1990s that he experienced a remarkable resurgence, largely due to his role in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." This film not only revived his career but also reintroduced him to a new generation of moviegoers, showcasing his range as an actor.
Following this resurgence, Travolta took on a variety of roles in different genres, from action and thriller to comedy and drama. His performances in films like "Face/Off," "Get Shorty," and "Primary Colors" were critically acclaimed, proving his ability to adapt to diverse roles. Additionally, his roles in "Ladder 49," "Hairspray," and "Swordfish" exhibited his ongoing appeal in the Hollywood landscape.
Notable Film Salaries
Over the course of his career, John Travolta has earned hundreds of millions of dollars from film salaries. He earned just $150,000 for 1994's "Pulp Fiction," but, as you know, the massive success totally rejuvenated John's career. For a decade starting in the mid-1990s, he consistently earned $20 million per movie. Here is a list of John's most notable film salaries:
- 1994: Pulp Fiction – $150 Thousand
- 1995: Get Shorty – $6 Million
- 1996: Broken Arrow – $7 Million
- 1996: Phenomenon – $8 Million
- 1996: Michael – $12 Million
- 1997: Face/Off – $20 Million
- 1997: Mad City – $20 Million
- 1998: Primary Colors – $17 Million
- 1998: A Civil Action – $20 Million
- 1999: The General's Daughter – $20 Million
- 2000: Battlefield Earth – $10 Million
- 2001: Swordfish – $20 Million
- 2003: Basic – $15 Million
- 2004: Ladder 49 – $20 Million
- 2005: Be Cool – $20 Million
- 2007: Hairspray – $14 Million
= $230 million
These 16 movies alone, which are just a portion of his filmography, total $230 million in salary.
The story begins in 1994 with "Pulp Fiction," a film that redefined modern cinema and resurrected Travolta's then-waning career. For this pivotal role, Travolta was paid a modest $150 thousand, a humble sum that belied the film's monumental impact on his career trajectory. "Pulp Fiction" not only revived Travolta's stardom but also repositioned him as a top-tier actor in Hollywood.
This resurgence was reflected in his escalating salaries for subsequent films. "Get Shorty" (1995) saw a notable increase, earning him $6 million. This upward trend continued with "Broken Arrow" (1996) at $7 million, "Phenomenon" the same year at $8 million, and "Michael" (1996) at $12 million. By the time "Face/Off" was released in 1997, Travolta's salary had skyrocketed to $20 million, showcasing his restored box office clout.
"Mad City" (1997) and "Primary Colors" (1998) sustained this high earning rate, each bringing in $20 million and $17 million, respectively. "A Civil Action" (1998) saw him again commanding a $20 million paycheck. As the millennium closed, Travolta's star power was unquestionable, with "The General's Daughter" (1999) also fetching $20 million.
Entering the new millennium, "Battlefield Earth" (2000) marked a dip in his salary to $10 million, a reflection perhaps of the film's mixed reception. However, this was a temporary setback, as "Swordfish" (2001) restored his $20 million salary benchmark. The following years saw a consistent pattern of high earnings for Travolta, with "Basic" (2003) at $15 million, "Ladder 49" (2004), and "Be Cool" (2005) each at $20 million. His role in "Hairspray" (2007) also fetched an impressive $14 million, showing his versatility and enduring appeal.
Early life
Travolta was born on February 18, 1954, as the youngest of six children. His mother, Helen Cecilia, was an actress and singer who had a successful career as part of The Sunshine Sisters, a radio vocal group, before becoming a high school teacher. His father, Salvatore, was a semi-professional American football player turned tire salesman.
Beginnings of Success
After dropping out of high school at the age of 17 in 1971, Travolta moved to New York City, where he secured a role on Broadway in the show Over Here!, as well as in the traveling cast of Grease. Soon after, he relocated to Los Angeles to further his career. Once in California, his first significant screen role was in the 1976 horror film Carrie. He also landed the role of Vinnie Barbarino in ABC's television sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-79).
Over the next few years, during the 1970s and into the early 1980s, Travolta enjoyed a great amount of success both on and off-screen. He had a hit single, "Let Her In," that reached number 10 on the July 1976 Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also starred in several films, most notably Saturday Night Fever (1977), Grease (1978), and Urban Cowboy (1980). For his role in Saturday Night Fever, Travolta received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, one of the youngest to ever achieve this level of recognition at the age of 24.
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Decline and Return
After the success he enjoyed in the 1970s, the 80s turned out to be a series of setbacks that impacted his career. His films Two of a Kind (1983) and Perfect (1985) were commercial and critical failures, and although Staying Alive, the 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever, was a commercial success—it grossed over $65 million—critics were unimpressed.
Despite these setbacks, Travolta made a triumphant return in 1989 with Look Who's Talking, which grossed $297 million—his most successful film after Grease. He confirmed and cemented his revived A-list status with his Academy Award-nominated role in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994). With an increased number of movie offers, the 1990s were a productive period for Travolta. Notable films he starred in from the period include Get Shorty (1995), Face/Off (1997), and A Civil Action (1998).
The 2000s continued to be a busy period for Travolta as an actor, starring in multiple films including Swordfish (2001), Ladder 49 (2004), Be Cool (2005), Lonely Hearts (2006), Wild Hogs (2007) and Old Dogs (2009). He also appeared in his first musical since Grease, performing in drag as Edna Turnblad in the 2007 remake of Hairspray.
During this period, Travolta also pursued new types of projects away from his previous traditional acting roles. In 2008, he voiced the title character for the animated film Bolt and provided voiceovers for the 2005 documentary film Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D. He also pursued a pet project of his in 2000, when he both starred in and co-produced the science fiction film Battlefield Earth. The film is based on the novel of the same name by L. Ron Hubbard and has been one of Travolta's dream projects since the book was first released in 1982 after Hubbard personally wrote to him to ask for help making a film adaption of the novel.
Since 2010, Travolta's acting projects have been mostly confined to the genres of action and thrillers. His works from this period include titles such as Savages (2012), Killing Season (2013), In a Valley of Violence (2016), Speed Kills (2018), Trading Paint (2019), The Poison Rose (2019), The Fanatic (2019), and Paradise City (2022). He has also continued with his producing efforts, working as both star and executive producer of the films Criminal Activities (2015) and Gotti (2018).
John Travolta recreated the iconic "Summer Nights" Grease scene in February 2023 in a Super Bowl commercial for T-Mobile.
(LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Personal Life
Travolta married actress Kelly Preston in 1991, and together, the couple had three children. Their eldest son, Jett, passed away on January 2, 2009, at the age of 16 while on vacation in the Bahamas. The official cause of death was listed as being due to a seizure. Travolta has confirmed that his son had autism and suffered from regular seizures. In memory of his son, Travolta established the Jett Travolta Foundation, which is dedicated to serving children with special needs.
Tragically, Kelly Preston died on July 12, 2020, at the age of 57 after battling breast cancer.
Although he was raised in a Catholic family, Travolta converted to the Church of Scientology in 1975, a practice he has maintained. He has credited both his immediate family and Scientology for helping him cope with the death of his son.
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Sexual Assault Allegations
An anonymous masseur filed a lawsuit against Travolta in May 2012, alleging sexual assault and battery. After statements from Travolta's legal team stating the allegations were "complete fiction and fabrication," a second masseur later joined the lawsuit, making similar claims. Both lawsuits were eventually dropped by the complainants and dismissed.
Real Estate
In 1993, the Travoltas spent $3.5 million on a 2.35-acre home in LA's Brentwood neighborhood. The property features an 8,100 square-foot main house, seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a tennis court, a playground, and a large swimming pool. In January 2020, they sold the home to next-door neighbor Scooter Braun, the mega-producer/manager, for $18 million. Braun and his wife, Yael Cohen, purchased the lot next door in 2014 for $13.1 million. John maintains a $2.65 million LA home in Calabasas, which was purchased in September 2019.
Outside of LA, Travolta owns a 50-acre estate in Maine that he was trying to sell in 2022 for $5 million, a mansion in Clearwater, Florida, near the headquarters of Scientology that he sold in 2021 for $4 million, and a very unique home in Ocala, Florida, in a neighborhood called the Jumbolair Aviation Estates. Today, the property is worth around $10 million. This neighborhood is a working private airport for large planes. They were some of the first land purchasers in the development. The runway is large enough for Travolta, an avid aviator, to operate his multiple aircraft; He is said to own at least seven jets along with other smaller aircraft.
