Crowd for John Travolta: "I love my fans"

On the red carpet it's Travolta show. That Danny Zuko smile still drives women crazy. They all wave their arms and try to approach him to get an autograph or a photo. He satisfies them: he stops, signs copies of DVDs, makes jokes and poses with the fans. The crowd goes crazy:

«John come here, we love you», they scream.

After Martin Scorsese, the Little Italy parade at the Rome Film Festival continues with an exceptional guest: John Travolta, who arrived in Rome driving his helicopter:

«I couldn't wait to do it – he explains – I was eager to participate in this
special evening that you dedicated to me».

The sixth day at the Auditorium is all for him: the crowd lasts so long that it delays him by almost an hour. Divo John Travolta yesterday afternoon on the red carpet of the Film Festival: the star of Pulp Fiction and Grease signed copies and he took photos with the many fans who came for the close encounter scheduled for 5.30pm. It was impossible to separate him from the public first. From Saturday Night Fever to The Thin Red Line, to his latest performance as a movie buff obsessed with his favorite actor in The Fanatic: clips from his most beloved films flow across the screen. Travolta tells his story by giving anecdotes and curiosities.

«At 17 I auditioned to play Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar - he reveals -, I wasn't taken because I was too young, but the producer wrote a note on a piece of paper: "Keep an eye on that boy because he will make his way". And his more than fifty-year career has proven it. Many characters interpreted and some rejections, including cult films such as American Gigolo, Gentleman and Chicago.

“Richard Gere never thanked me,” he jokes.

The actor also received the Film Festival Special Award for his performance in The Fanatic.

«Problems with obsessive admirers? Never had - he is keen to point out - I have a beautiful relationship with my fans: they love me and I love them."

After the meeting, Travolta dined at Emme, the restaurant inside the Boutique Hotel in via Margutta, which organized an exclusive dinner to celebrate the star. The new brigade, led by the young chef Daniele Ladaga and the pastry chef Maria Chiara Serges, proposed an Italian menu: selection of local cheeses and Parma ham, accompanied by homemade bread and focaccia, spaghetti with cacio e pepe and risotto Milanese style. The Film Fest continues: today among the guests Lucia Bosè, Vinicio Marchioni and Gabriel Batistuta.

 La Repubblica-Roma 23/10/2019