John Travolta was told to accept the role in ‘American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson’ by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
The 62-year-old actor, who played the role of O.J. Simpson’s attorney Robert Schapiro in the popular FX series, has admitted he spent four months contemplating whether to star in the 10-part series for months, but the advice of the American director, the ‘Cast Away’ star and his wife Rita swayed his decision.
Speaking to GQ.com about the show, which follows the 1994 murder trial of the former American football player’s partner Nicole Brown Simpson, the ‘Grease’ star said: "It was [Steven] Spielberg. It was Oprah [Winfrey]. It was Rita [Wilson] Hanks and Tom Hanks. And it was [former Disney magnate] Michael Eisner.
"They all thought it was completely the right move.
"[Spielberg and Eisner were] the most enthusiastic."
And John – who boasts a successful career in the entertainment industry spanning over four decades – has revealed there are high points in everyone’s career, although actors are not "guaranteed" to be involved in every "high quality" project.
The ‘Forger’ actor – who has Benjamin, as well as 15-year-old daughter Ella, with wife Kelly Preston and whose eldest son Jett, 16, tragically died in 2009 – explained: "You have these points in your career when you are associated with high quality, with depth, communication, and things that matter on a social level. And when you hit those notes — whether it be ‘Primary Colors’, or on the cover of ‘Time’ magazine, or ‘Pulp Fiction’, or ‘Saturday Night Fever’, or ‘Urban Cowboy’ – where you’re affecting the society on a global level, then you feel a different kind of pride. It’s beyond the pride of success. It’s the pride of … integrity, I guess?
"You’re not always guaranteed to be involved with projects that will hit those notes. When you are, you really do register it."
John Travolta advised by Tom Hanks to accept role
