John Travolta dedicates new film to late wife Kelly Preston and son Jett: 'Life has tested me'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actor and filmmaker John Travolta has reflected on maintaining hope and positivity despite enduring profound personal loss, including the death of his son, Jett Travolta, in 2009 after he suffered a seizure that resulted in a fatal fall.
More than a decade later, tragedy struck again when his wife, Kelly Preston, died in 2020 following a two-year battle with breast cancer. While discussing the new film 'Propeller One-Way Night Coach,' he reflected on the enduring influence of loved ones and the role of optimism in overcoming life's challenges.
John Travolta honors Kelly Preston and Jett
Speaking to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Tuesday, June 2, Travolta revealed, “I dedicated the film to Kelly, to my son Jett, to my brothers and sisters, to my mother and my father, because they are the model from which this film was born."
When asked how he remains optimistic despite experiencing significant loss, he acknowledged, “Life has certainly tested me,” adding that his “nature is to look for the positive, even in the face of the worst. I’m not made to remain absorbed in the darkness.”
The 'Pulp Fiction' actor continued, “I can look at the darkness, but I don’t choose to die in that darkness.”
The semi-autobiographical film is inspired by his first childhood flight and the 1997 children’s book of the same name.
It stars 26-year-old daughter Ella Bleu Travolta and follows 8-year-old Jeff as he experiences life across the United States in 1962.
While the story addresses difficult historical subjects, including concentration camps, it remains rooted in the perspective of a child. He said, “I wanted this sincerity, a child’s hope and resilience are unique; we adults have forgotten what that means."
John Travolta recalls iconic 'Pulp Fiction' moment
Travolta explained that as a child, he always viewed life optimistically and hoped audiences would “rediscover that gaze of hope.”
Reflecting on the era in which the film is set, he noted that in 1962, people were not as overwhelmed by “the obligation to always look at the dark side of life.”
The actor presented 'Propeller One-Way Night Coach' at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where he received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or. During the interview, he also recalled attending the 1994 Cannes premiere of 'Pulp Fiction,' the first time he had seen the film.
Travolta remembered sitting beside Preston when a scene featuring him and actress Uma Thurman appeared on screen. He recalled Preston turning to him and asking, “Honey, do you realize what this film is about?” He described the moment as his strongest memory of the screening.
Elsewhere, he also paid tribute to his mother, Helen Travolta, describing her as a “kind, cultured, generous woman,” a “brilliant actress,” and someone who “loved her family deeply.” Meanwhile, Ella Bleu, who portrays flight attendant Doris in the film, honored both of her parents at the movie’s New York City premiere.
She said, "Even if I decided to do something else in the end, they would have been supportive of that, too, but I think that they were happy because they enjoy this job so much, and I have an equal love for it. So I think that they were just happy that I enjoyed doing something that much."
