John Travolta Showed Up To His Carrie Audition In A Hilariously Unthreatening Costume
Believe it or not, there was a time when studio executives were worried that John Travolta didn't have enough of the "it factor" to make it as a Hollywood leading man. He had a background in theater and was doing well on television, but in the 1970s, television and cinema were two entirely different worlds and actors didn't often jump between the mediums the way they do now. There were TV stars and there were movie stars, and never the twain shall meet. Well, maybe not never but it certainly wasn't common. And yet it was his TV star status that helped him land one of his breakout film roles.
During an interview with Journey To The Center Of The Cinema, casting director Harriet B. Helberg found it hilarious that Travolta arrived for his audition during his lunch break working on the TV comedy "Welcome Back, Kotter," still in his makeup as his character Vinnie Barbarino. For those who've never caught an episode or aren't familiar with any of Travolta's roles prior to "Grease," Vinnie Barbarino is the ultimate 1970s himbo. The character was handsome, flirtatious, effortlessly charismatic, and dumber than a bag of hammers. If he's not trying to woo a girl, he's clapping back with "What?!" anytime anyone talks to him. His catchphrase "up your nose with a rubber hose" became a part of the pop culture lexicon, but the last thing anyone ever would have expected from this heartthrob-in-the-making was playing an antagonist in a horror movie.
And yet, it was showing up as Vinnie Barbarino that helped him earn the role of Billy Nolan in Brian De Palma's "Carrie," because that boyish charm is exactly what the character needed to balance out the venom of Nancy Allen's ultimate mean girl, Chris Hargensen.
Vinnie Barbarino to Billy Nolan
Billy Nolan is the easily manipulated hunky boyfriend of Chris in "Carrie," who agrees to help plan the awful prom night prank of dumping pig's blood on Carrie White. We don't know much about Billy other than the fact he dates the meanest, hottest girl in school, and can be convinced of just about anything if asked mid ... err ... dome polishing. Chris is very clearly the brains of the operation, and Billy is just along for the ride. That certainly doesn't excuse his actions, but it does explain why showing up to his audition looking like Vinnie Barbarino didn't hurt his chances. "John was, and still is, one of the greatest guys in show business," said Helberg. She continued:
"As I said earlier, he came to the screen test in makeup and wardrobe at his lunch break, and he was somebody that, the moment that he walked into the room, he got the part. He was electric, he was vital, gorgeous, the camera loves him. Just really knew how to do it. And he had that innocence that Billy Nolan had, even though Billy also was one of the antagonists, he was the antagonist that you didn't hate."
It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Billy Nolan, but horror fans may be delighted to know that Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, confessed in his documentary "Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story," that he was also considered for the role. Personally, I think Englund is more of a Tommy Ross, but I can certainly see the vision of an innocent boy with big eyes being corrupted by the Queen Bee of Bates High.