John Travolta Almost Became a Pilot After This 1985 Movie Disaster originally appeared on Parade.
The year was 1985, and John Travolta was about to face the biggest career crisis of his life. Fresh off a string of blockbuster hits that had made him one of the most recognizable movie stars in Hollywood, Travolta was ready to team up with rising sensation Jamie Lee Curtis for what seemed like a blockbuster hit.
What followed was a major box office letdown. Perfect, the aerobics-themed drama that brought these two stars together, failed to connect with audiences and critics alike — so much so that it marked a setback in Travolta’s career.
The setup had seemed foolproof at the time. Travolta was still riding high from the success of Saturday Night Fever and Grease, films that had turned him into a household name. Curtis, for her part, had just delivered a scene-stealing performance in the Eddie Murphy hit Trading Places, showing off her comedic chops and undeniable screen charm.
Instead, Perfect was dismissed as “a trashy movie about women jumping up and down in leotards,” per The Washington Post. The industry’s contempt became clear when the film was reportedly nominated for three Golden Raspberry Awards and landed on the ballot for Worst Picture at the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.
The reception sent Travolta into a personal and professional tailspin that had him questioning whether he wanted to remain in the entertainment business at all. For his backup plan, Travolta seriously considered leaving the movie business behind to fly passengers for a living.
As a qualified commercial pilot, the actor seemingly had other options. When asked if he thought his career was over at the time, he said, “No, but I thought that I might not want my career to happen anymore.”
“I didn’t know if I could take the whole package,” he once told the LA Times. “Was it worth the pleasure of making a movie–which is always a pleasure–and the pain of releasing it? I’m talking about all the stuff that goes into getting a movie out. I remember saying to someone at the time, ‘I don’t know if I can continue doing this.’”
Despite the shake-up, Travolta still pushed forward and quickly recovered after starring in the 1989 comedy Look Who’s Talking. However, the turning point came five years later when Quentin Tarantino cast the beloved actor in Pulp Fiction.
The former teen heartthrob was transformed into a Hollywood icon, earning an Academy Award nomination and reestablishing himself as one of the industry’s most compelling leading men.
John Travolta Almost Became a Pilot After This 1985 Movie Disaster first appeared on Parade on Aug 18, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
