John Travolta has explained his striking new look at the Cannes Film Festival, where he sported an array of colored berets and round glasses. The 72-year-old actor and director turned heads while promoting his directorial debut, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which stars his daughter Ella Bleu Travolta.
Channeling an Old-School Director
In a CNN interview shared Monday, Travolta revealed that his fashion choice was deliberate. "I said, 'I'm a director this time,'" he explained. "'You're an actor, play the part of a director, look like an old-school director.'" He added that he researched looks from the 1920s through the 1960s, noting that classic directors often wore berets and glasses. "I thought, 'That's what I'm doing. I'm doing an homage to being a director, so I'm going to play the part of being a director,'" he said.
A Memorable Red Carpet Strategy
Travolta also noted that his distinctive appearance—which included black, white, navy, and brown berets—would help him remember the event. "I've been around for over 50 years doing movies, but I can't tell, when I look back, the difference between the events," he said. Now, he explained, "I'll know—'Oh, that was Propeller One-Way Night Coach, that was Cannes, that's when I won the Palme d'Or,' and I'll have a vividness of it."
Honorary Palme d'Or and Emotional Moment
During the festival, artistic director Thierry Frémaux surprised Travolta with the Honorary Palme d'Or ahead of the film's world premiere. Wearing a white beret, Travolta was visibly moved and clutched his chest while accepting the award. "This is beyond the Oscar. I can't believe this. This is the last thing I expected," he said.
About the Film
Travolta wrote, directed, and co-produced Propeller One-Way Night Coach, based on his 1997 children's novel. The story follows a young aspiring pilot named Jeff and his mother on a cross-country journey to Hollywood. Ella Bleu Travolta plays a flight attendant. The film will begin streaming globally on Apple TV later this month.
Travolta, a flying enthusiast who has held a pilot's license since age 22, flew his own plane to the premiere while wearing a navy beret, as shown in a video he shared on Instagram.
