The One Movie That Made Quentin Tarantino Cast John Travolta in Pulp Fiction

John Travolta had reached a point in his career where the bright lights of Hollywood were beginning to dim. After the massive success of his early years, he found himself starring in projects that failed to capture the public’s imagination, such as the poorly received sequel Staying Alive and the Look Who’s Talking franchise. While he was still a recognizable face, the prestigious roles had seemingly dried up.

Everything changed when Quentin Tarantino began casting for his second feature film, Pulp Fiction. During an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Tarantino recalled the state of Travolta’s career at the time, noting that the only thing he’d done that had made any noise in a long time was those Look Who’s Talking movies. The director then detailed the complicated journey of bringing the actor back to the A-list.

According to Tarantino, his deal with Tristar required him to provide a list of every actor who could potentially fit a role. He admitted to writing down a s**tload of names, including those who were a wildest stretch of the imagination, just to ensure he had a large talent pool to choose from. Interestingly, the studio specifically asked him to remove Travolta from that initial list before Tarantino had even decided he wanted him for the lead.

At the time, the role of Vincent Vega was actually intended for Michael Madsen, who had starred in Reservoir Dogs. Tarantino confessed that this was before I actually wanted John Travolta; I’d written the part for Michael Madsen. However, when Madsen chose to film Wyatt Earp instead, the director was left looking for a replacement. Once the project moved from Tristar to Miramax, the possibility of casting Travolta resurfaced.

Tarantino initially met with Travolta to discuss the role of Lance, the d**g dealer, but he was quickly charmed by the actor’s presence. He began to feel that Travolta could be a real legitimate replacement for Michael Madsen as Vincent.

Not everyone was on board with this idea, as industry veterans like Harvey Keitel questioned why the director would choose someone who was mostly doing home-to-video work when he could have landed stars like Daniel Day-Lewis.

Tarantino remained firm in his vision, despite the industry telling him he was crazy for trying to revitalize a “cold” actor’s career. To convince the producers at Miramax, he showed them Travolta’s impressive work in the thriller Blow Out.

He argued that if they couldn’t see the talent in that performance, they weren’t the right partners for his film. Travolta eventually won the role, leading to one of the most iconic comebacks in cinema history.

As of this year, Travolta remains an active figure in both Hollywood and the aviation world. He was recently seen hosting the Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Beverly Hills, where he continues to serve as an official ambassador for flight.

On the big screen, he is set to lead the upcoming survival thriller Black Tides, directed by Renny Harlin. In the film, he plays an estranged father who must protect his family from rogue orcas off the coast of Spain.

Do you think John Travolta’s performance as Vincent Vega is the definitive highlight of his long and varied career? Share your thoughts in the comments.