john travolta brain trust

John Travolta Only Agreed to Do People v. O.J. Simpson After Oprah, Tom Hanks, and Some Other Famous Advisers Told Him To

Vanity Fair And FX's Annual Primetime Emmy Nominations Party - Arrivals
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Playing People v. O.J. Simpson’s Robert Shapiro has certainly worked out well for John Travolta, netting him an Emmy nomination. But his decision to take the part was a tough one that involved the counsel of a star-studded cast of characters. As Travolta told GQ, he was torn for months about whether to take the part and at some point realized the question of joining the show was one for more than himself. He thus took it to “four of the top people.” And while Travolta initially refused to name names, he eventually broke, saying, “I don’t know if they would mind my mentioning them … Do you think?” Okay, enough with the buildup. The famous trustees of John Travolta’s brain trust are: “It was Spielberg. It was Oprah. It was Rita Hanks and Tom Hanks. And it was [former Disney magnate] Michael Eisner.” (You are indeed counting correctly; that is five, not four, top people, confirming that there is in fact room at the top.) And these wise soothsayers were in unanimous agreement. “They all thought it was completely the right move,” Travolta said, with the caveat that Spielberg and Eisner were “the most enthusiastic.” Hey, we all have our passions, and you just know that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were gunning for Hairspray.

Travolta Did O.J. Because Oprah Told Him to