John Travolta returned to television in a full-length role after nearly four decades in Ryan Murphy’s The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. His last TV role was Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back, Kotter which lasted from 1975 to 1979. It was not an easy decision to take on the role but Travolta had a personal Hollywood ‘consulting’ team to advise him. This esteemed group of people included Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Rita Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, and Michael Eisner.
The Saturday Night Fever actor played the real-life character Robert Shapiro, the famous American attorney who was part of O.J. Simpson’s dream defense team. The series received critical acclaim, however, Travolta’s performance had more polarized reactions.
John Travolta’s Decision To Return To TV Was Influenced By Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Others
American Crime Story creator Ryan Murphy made an inspired casting choice when he approached John Travolta to play the role of American attorney Robert Shapiro. Travolta had the double challenge of pulling off the character convincingly as well as making a grand reentry into the world of television. He struggled with the decision for nearly four months as he revealed in an interview with GQ.
Travolta decided to transform into Shapiro only after hour-long conversations with “four (five) of the top people.” He refused to reveal his advisors initially. However, when the publication followed up with him again and pressed for the details, he gave up the names on his elite advisory committee. Travolta shared with GQ:
“It was Spielberg. It was Oprah. It was Rita Hanks and Tom Hanks. And it was [former Disney magnate] Michael Eisner.”
Murphy should thank these five Hollywood legends to get the Grease actor to play a crucial role in his series. All of them gave the series their blessing, with Travolta sharing that they all thought it was the right move for him. He specifically mentioned that it was Steven Spielberg and Michael Eisner who were “the most enthusiastic” about Travolta’s appearance in The People v. O. J. Simpson.
How Did John Travolta Feel About Taking On The Role Of Robert Shapiro?
John Travolta felt fantastic about doing the series as he revealed that he was once again at the point in his career where he was associated with a project that mattered on a social level. He revealed that he felt a different kind of pride while doing such projects, calling it the “pride of integrity”. He shared that such projects don’t always happen, but when they happen “you really do register it.” The Pulp Fiction actor shared with GQ:
“You have these points in your career when you are associated with high quality, with depth, communication, and things that matter on a social level. And when you hit those notes—whether it be Primary Colors, or on the cover of Time magazine, or Pulp Fiction, or Saturday Night Fever, or Urban Cowboy—where you’re affecting the society on a global level, then you feel a different kind of pride. It’s the pride of integrity.”
Travolta had a completely different experience on the set of the series from his earlier TV role in Welcome Back, Kotter. He revealed that the set reminded him of a film set rather than a TV set. He shared with The Hollywood Reporter:
“My whole memory of television didn’t really come back to me. It was more like working on a movie.”
According to another THR report, Travolta was interested in doing a role in the second season of American Crime Story. The initial plan for the season was to explore the Katrina Hurricane, which was personal for Travolta. However, it eventually didn’t happen.
The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story is now available for streaming on Hulu.
