15 John Travolta Facts You Probably Never Knew

6. Actress Diana Hyland played Travolta’s mother in the 1976 film The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, but the two were actually involved in a romantic relationship off-set. Sadly, she died from breast cancer while in Travolta’s arms when she was just 41. Travolta accepted a posthumous Emmy Award for her role shortly thereafter.

7. Most people know Travolta as a talented actor, but what they don’t know is he can also sing! He first took a stab at it in 1975, and his first single actually made it to number 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. In 2008, he even performed a song alongside Miley Cyrus for the Disney movie Bolt.

8. People all over the world love Travolta, but he’s especially popular in Brazil. The makers of the Brazilian rum Ypióca Cachaça liked him so much that they contacted him to star in one of their television commercials.

9. While Travolta was filming the 1980 romantic drama Urban Cowboy, he refused to let a stunt double act in any of the dangerous scenes. He even had a mechanical bull built in his home so he could practice riding before filming even began!

10. In the early ’70s, Travolta had minor roles in television programs and stage shows, but when he landed the character of Vinnie Barbarino in ABC’s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter in 1975, he became a true household name.