John Travolta - Forrest Gump

John Travolta - Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump was a very nuanced character. Playing the part required a great deal of precision and subtlety, and requires a very skilled performer. Tom Hanks is one of the few actors we can think of who would be capable of playing Gump without mocking the subject matter or looking for cheap laughs, and so we'd always thought that he was the first man considered for the position. Imagine our surprise when we found out it was John Travolta.

Don't get us wrong here - we love John Travolta films. From 'Saturday Night Fever' to 'Pulp Fiction,' he's delighted us over and over again. We just can't imagine him playing a part as quiet and studied as Forrest Gump, and so we're a little glad that he decided not to do it. Oddly, he and Hanks are considered for the same roles quite often - he also rejected the part of Jim Lovell in 'Apollo 13,' which again went to Hanks, and did the same thing with the Hanks character in 'The Green Mile.'

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Did You Know...

I

When you fly by private jet charter, you experience travel comfort known only to those who know private jets. And nothing illustrates this luxury better than celebrity private jets. Stars with their own private aircraft fly fancy.

II

John Travolta, the star of 70s cult movies like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, is not only one of the most famous Hollywood actors, but also one of the best celebrity pilots. John Travolta is a bonafide aviation enthusiast with five private planes total, which he parks on his front lawn. His most impressive aircraft is a customized Boeing 707-138 (as pictured above), a beast of a plane that he acquired in 1998 upon his promotion to an honorary pilot of Qantas, the Australian airline.

III

Oprah Winfrey’s production company HARPO bought her custom-built Global Express XRS VIP business jet to provide the media mogul and her associates with maximum aviation comfort. Oprah’s private jet features designer fixtures in the bathroom and galley, along with an exquisite all-leather interior. The aircraft was designed by Bombardier Aerospace to perform as a premier long-range business jet. Custom design allowed for an enhanced cabin layout with nine cushy leather seats, aesthetically-placed lighting, and additional luxury amenities. The jet cruises through the air at high speeds, made possible by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, which produce enough power to send HARPO clear across the map with only one refuel stop

IV

Tom Cruise played an elite naval fighter jet pilot in the blockbuster movie “Top Gun”, and he now indulges his real love for flying in his own Gulfstream IV, one of the finest celebrity private jets around. Cruise’s beautiful business jet accommodates up to 19 passengers, providing comfort and class with state-of-the-art furnishings and aircraft technology. The jet even automatically refreshes the air inside the cabin every two minutes. Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cruise’s jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, propelling the aircraft to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet over a maximum range of 7,820 km, zipping through the air at speeds up to Mach 0.80.

V

Mark Cuban, business mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing his Boeing 767-277 online in 1999, making “the largest single e-commerce transaction”. Cuban modified the jet with large, custom seats to give his team’s lengthy players plenty of room while flying.

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