My Favorite John Travolta Performances

9.

Chili Palmer, Be Cool



Though this sequel doesn't hold a candle to the first film, Travolta was still the personification of cool as the former numbers runner who decides to go from the movie business to the music business romancing the wife of a record mogul (Uma Thurman) in the process.

8.

Michael, Michael



Travolta's breezy performance anchors this comic fantasy about three tabloid reporters (William Hurt, Andie McDowell, Robert Pastorelli) who are sent to investigate the claim from a lonely inkeeper (Jean Stapleton) that she has an angel (Travolta) living in her hotel. This is another one of those performances I love because the actor really appears to be enjoying himself.

7.

Bud Davis, Urban Cowboy



Travolta made country and western sexy in this surprise 1980 hit about a young stud who learns about life, love, and a mechanical bull in a bar called Gilley's.

6.

Jack Terry, Blow Out



With the aid of sharp direction from Brian De Palma, Travolta turned in one of his best performances as a sound effects engineer who might have accidentally recorded a political assassination.

5.

Chili Palmer, Get Shorty



With the aid of a razor sharp screenplay, Travolta offered one of his slickest performances as a a former Florida numbers runner who comes to Hollywood to pursue his dream of making movies.

4.

Sean Archer/Caster Troy, Face/Off



Travolta commanded the screen like never before as the tortured FBI agent caught in a deadly cat and mouse game with the criminal (Nicolas Cage) who murdered his son.

3.

Tony Manero, Saturday Night Fever



Travolta received his first Oscar nomination for his performance as a restless youth with a dead end job at a paint store who finds meaning to his life when he steps onto a disco dance floor every Saturday night. I have never seen an actor command the screen without dialogue the way Travolta does when he steps out onto that dance floor to the Bee Gees' "You Should be Dancin."

2.

Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction



Travolta once again became a movie star and received his second Oscar nomination for his performance as a heroine-shooting hit man who has a couple of close calls with his partner (Samuel L. Jackson) and his boss' wife (Uma Thruman) in the Quentin Tarantino classic.

Well, that's it...no honorable mentions because if you've been paying attention, there's really only one other Travolta performance worth mentioning. And now...my # 1 favorite John Travolta performance:

1.

Danny Zuko, Grease



Scoff if you will, but this was the performance that cemented Travolta's initial position as the number one box office attraction in America. Oddly, some of my favorite parts of this performance have very little to do with singing and dancing...I love the series of scenes with Sid Ceasar where he is trying various sports in order to try and change for Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) or when he approaches Sandy at the juke box in the Frosty Palace trying to get her talk to him or the scene in the drive-in where he gives Sandy his ring and learns it's not going to get him what he wants. I love this movie and this performance had a lot to do with it.



Hope you enjoyed the list.

I like that you included Phenomenon. I really like that film. It's such a sweet little thing.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Apparently I haven't seen, (or liked ), a lot of John Travolta's movies, but from the movies that I've seen, I definitely agree with Grease being his #1 movie.

Get Shorty or Pulp Fiction would be my #1 i think.

I always preferred Cage as Caster Troy and didn't really like either as Sean. Travolta was quite funny as Caster too though,

Like gbg, I can't say I'm a fan of his, though I have no problem with him. It's just that the films which people usually really like (Face/Off, Grease, Get Shorty to name but three) I don't care much for.

I saw Lucky Numbers a few days ago and feel it's a forgotten film that deserves a little more attention. Travolta's performance as the desperate weather host Russ Richards is a huge delight.