John Travolta is one of the most famous men in Hollywood, and he's made a fortune thanks to starring in some amazing films. Even some of his notable misfires have landed him a premium payday.
During the 1990s, the performer was a hot commodity in Hollywood, and one studio offered him a $17 million check to star in a film. Travolta would eventually turn his back on the massive payday, which got a lawsuit underway.
It's an unusual story featuring a controversial filmmaker, and we have all the details about Travolta losing out on the payday below.
John Travolta Is A Legend
Having been in the spotlight since the 1970s, John Travolta knows a thing or two about being a star and receiving tons of coverage. The man has had a wonderful career, and though it's had its highs and lows, he is nothing short of a legend in the industry.
Television was the place where Travolta first gained recognition. He was a perfect fit for the small screen, but Travolta had much bigger things in mind for his career.
Eventually, he transitioned into major film acting, and it didn't take long for his career to skyrocket with huge hits like Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
His career would see a slide in the 1980s, but people knew he was bound to get back on top. This is precisely what took place in 1994 when Travolta turned in a brilliant performance in Pulp Fiction. That movie single-handedly turned things around, and the actor would go on to land plenty of other hits, all while rolling in a fortune.
Travolta had major offers coming his way, and at one point, he had $17 million staring him in the face.
He Was Offered $17 Million For 'The Double'
During the '90s, shortly following his career-resurrecting performance in Pulp Fiction, John Travolta was begging to land some lucrative films.
Per CelebAnswer, the actor would score huge paydays like a whopping. $12 million for Michael. He even made a combined $40 million for Face/Off and Mad City. Believe us when we say that there were plenty of other movies that paid Travolta a fortune for his services.
It was during his post-Pulp Fiction revival when Roman Polanski and The Double came knocking.
"The film was to be an adaptation of the book by Dostoyevsky, and Isabelle Adjani signed up as Travolta’s co-star in the film. John Goodman was to take on a supporting tole," Film Stories writes.
This was going to be a massive film, as indicated by Travolta's huge price tag. Again, the actor was red-hot at the time, and studios were practically offering up a blank check to get his services for the biggest projects.
Everything seemed to be moving along well, but unfortunately, things went down in a flash before cameras even began rolling on the project.
He Backed Out And Was Sued
So, why did John Travolta bolt from the movie and forego a massive payday? Allegedly, he had some issues with Polanski, and he didn't like the rewrites done to his character.
According to The Irish Times, "John Travolta stormed off the Paris set of Roman Polanski's latest comedy The Double and flew back home after a row with the veteran director. The star of Saturday Night Fever, his career given new life by the acclaimed Pulp Fiction, dropped out in the middle of rehearsals, only five days before cameras were due to start rolling."
In an interview following his departure, Travolta would also dish on an unapproved nude scene that was added in.
"First of all, there were no naked scenes in the original script. Roman added it for no reason. And what's more, I have never acted naked in my whole career, and it's not now that I'm fat that I'm going to start," he said.
Things didn't end there, as Travolta was then sued for departing the film.
Hollywood reported that the lawsuit was eventually settled, though there were no specifics given at the time of their reporting.
In an unusual twist, Polanski was never able to get the film made. Other actors had stepped in to replace Travolta the in film, but nothing ever materialized, and this project simply went down in flames.
$17 million is a lot of money to walk away from, but Travolta stuck to his guns and did what he felt was right. This didn't hurt his career much, as he spent the rest of the '90s and early 2000s making millions for his starring roles.