John Joseph Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey, USA on 18th February 1954 . John dropped out of school at 16 and began his acting career in off-Broadway productions, before first gaining fame on the popular high school sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. His big move to film came in 1977 with Saturday Night Fever where he played an Italian-American disco dancer, and earned an Oscar nomination. The following year, John cemented his popularity and proved himself a capable light romantic lead opposite Olivia Newton-John in Grease. This became one of Hollywood's highest grossing film musicals. Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction received glowing reviews for his performance and launched him to Hollywood's A-list. As long-haired hitman Vincent Vega, John received a second Oscar nomination for best actor.