John Travolta Ready for Quentin Tarantino Reunion, but ‘You Never Want to Force Something’
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John Travolta and Quentin Tarantino were photographed together this week at a celebration for the director’s Oscar contender “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” at The Musso and Frank Grill in Los Angeles (see photo above). Naturally, “Pulp Fiction” fans were left wondering if the filmmaker and the actor might ever reunite in the future. In an interview with Deadline following the “Hollywood” party, Deadline asked Travolta if he would be interested in reuniting with Tarantino. The actor made it seem like he wouldn’t hesitate at the chance, although he stressed that a collaboration with Tarantino could never be forced.
“I would love that,” Travolta said about re-teaming with Tarantino. “These great directors, they hire you because 90% of their job is done when they cast you. Because they believe you’re the rightest person, so you don’t ever want to force something that isn’t organic. Look how much Quentin fought for me to be in ‘Pulp Fiction.’ This guy put his reputation, his career on the line because he had that much confidence. You give them their leeway, just like you want your leeway and you don’t force that hand.”
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Travolta’s career came roaring back to prominence after Tarantino cast him as Vincent Vega in “Pulp Fiction.” The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and landed Travolta an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, the second of his career after “Saturday Night Fever.” Travolta almost missed out on the part because Tarantino first pitched the role to his “Reservoir Dogs” star Michael Madsen. The actor had to turn down the role because he was already committed to “Wyatt Earp,” but Madsen fully realizes that part of the appeal of “Pulp Fiction” was the very casting of Travolta.”
“Isn’t it true that part of John Travolta being in it, it became John’s comeback?” Madsen says in the recently-released documentary “QT: The First 8.” “He was doing movies about talking babies! And suddenly he’s Vincent Vega! He had that wig on. No one had seen Travolta with a fucking gun. That’s a huge, huge, huge reason why the movie worked.”
Unfortunately for Travolta, a reunion with Tarantino might not happen because the filmmaker is close to retiring. Tarantino has said he is sticking with his plan to retire from movie directing after his next film, which will be his 10th feature. Both Tarantino and Travolta have been awards campaigning this fall, the latter for his performance in “The Fanatic.”
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