Dick Clark interviews John Travolta on American Bandstand in 1976

John Travolta, the youngest of six children, was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey in an Irish-American neighborhood. His father, Salvatore Travolta was a second-generation Italian American and his mother, Helen Cecilia Irish American was an actress and singer who became a high school drama and English teacher. He always said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture even though he was raised Roman Catholic. His first significant movie role was as Billy Nolan, in the horror film Carrie which starred Sissy Spacek. Soon after, his breakthrough role was as Vinnie Barbarino in the ABC television series Welcome Back Kotter. In 1977 at the age of 24, he became one of the youngest actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Saturday Night Fever. The next year he starred as Danny Zuko in Grease. In 1980, Travolta inspired a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film Urban Cowboy. His career slowed down in the 1980s, a time in which he turned down starring roles in two box office hits American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman in which both starring roles then went to Richard Gere. In the 1990s his career began to surge again with roles in Pulp Fiction, Face/Off, Primary Colors, and Get Shorty.