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John Travolta’s acting genius is now known to many; however, with a string of success always comes its fair share of setbacks, which even theGreaseactor was not immune to. The 1990s were not kind to the actor after a series of box office failures such asTwo of a Kind, The Experts, andPerfect.
Whatever he tried at this point in his career was leading to failure and box-office disasters. But this one movie, directed under the brilliance of Quentin Tarantino, proved to be a career-saving move for Travolta.
How did Quentin Tarantino save John Travolta’s failing Hollywood career?
While many wondered, it was a miracle in itself that Travolta was even getting cast after his back-to-back debacles; however,Quentin Tarantinohad other plans for the actor and approached him for his crime moviePulp Fiction (1994).
Tarantino was a major fan of Travolta’s performance of Jack Terry in Brian De Palma’s conspiracy thrillerBlow Out, even though the film bombed at the box office, and added (viaFar OutMagazine):
John Travolta, by the way, gives one of the best performances of all time in this movie.
This movie was the main reason why the director contacted John Travolta after his first choice, Michael Madsen, wasn’t available for the same. TheGreaseactor wholeheartedly accepted the role, given the significant success Tarantino had already garnered with his debut,Reservoir Dogs(1992). In the movie, Travolta played Vincent Vega, a hitman who works with Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) for the mob kingpin Marsellus Wallace.
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The actor earned the iconic role at the right time, as the media was tearing him apart based on his physique and weight. For instance, based on this animosity, critic Gene Siskel offered some valuable advice to the actor (via1989Los Angeles Timesprofile), who had been labeled as“overweight, underappreciated, and overlooked”by multiple casting directors. He added:
He should be gritty and R-rated. (Further) He should be realistic again.
The advice eventually proved to be true, as his acting inPulp Fictionnot only restored his career, but the gritty and R-rated movie also helped him receive his second Academy Award nomination.
Not John Travolta but Michael Madsen was Quentin Tarantino’s first choice forPulp Fiction
The behind-the-scenes happenings come out in the open only after the movie has hit theaters. From the original lead to the entire plot, it is kept under wraps. Finding himself on this side of the bandwagon wasJohn Travolta,who could have missed his shot atPulp FictionifMichael Madsenhad not rejected the role.
The reason for this rejection was that the actor had already signed to lead Lawrence Kasdan’s 1994Wyatt Earp. In an interview (viaEntertainment Weekly), he stated that:
I was already committed to Wyatt Earp. And now, here’s Quentin, wants me to do Pulp Fiction. And they were both going at the same time…It became John’s comeback. He was doing movies about talking babies! And suddenly he’s Vincent Vega!He had that wig on. No one had seen Travolta with a fucking gun. That’s a huge, huge, huge reason why the movie worked.
The actor stated this when appearing forQT8: The First Eight,a documentary about Quentin Tarantino’s first eight films. While many actors are remorseful for not being a part ofTarantino’scriminal smash, the character of Vincent Vega was written with Madsen’s Vic Vega fromReservoir Dogsin mind.
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So, it’s only natural that he wanted him to play the character inPulp Fictionas well. Even after John Travolta grabbed the role, Madsen had no bitter feelings and noted that casting Travolta contributed to the film’s popularity.
Pulp Fiction, currently streaming on Max.
Sakshi Singh
Articles Published :1436
Sakshi Singh has written over 1,300 entertainment articles, mostly about Netflix shows and reality TV. She’s spent the last two years covering everything from surprise engagements to shocking eliminations and previously wrote for Essentially Sports in their Netflix Junkie division. A self-proclaimed reality TV addict, Sakshi has watched all 48 seasons of Survivor and never misses a new dating or competition series. She loves watching how strangers meet, fall in love, team up, or betray each other - it’s the mix of strategy and drama that keeps her hooked. When she’s not glued to a reality show, she’s usually watching a crime thriller or tracking the next big streaming hit.
