John Travolta on ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’: ‘I Love Films About What We Should Have Done’

By James Patrick Herman

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – John Travolta is a fanatic.

The veteran actor stars as nerdy celeb-stalking superfan named Moose in his new thriller, “The Fanatic,” sporting a sleek mullet to play the character. But 25 years ago, the actor famously rocked another iconic hairstyle, the slick ponytail of hitman Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” The role not only revitalized Travolta’s career, but it also earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor in a leading role. And coincidentally, the word — “fanatic” — also best describes the zeal he feels for Tarantino’s latest project “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

“I loved it, and I’ll tell you why,” Travolta told Variety at the Hollywood premiere of “The Fanatic,” taking a break from talking about his own movie to share his review of Tarantino’s Leonardo DiCaprio-Brad Pitt buddy pic. “I love films about what we should have done as opposed to what happened.”

“Instead of going: ‘Remember the horror that happened?’ It’s saying, ‘Well, what if we turned back history and actually didn’t do that and did it this way?’” Travolta added, noting Tarantino’s atypical storytelling technique. “He did the same thing with ‘Inglorious Basterds.’ You know, it was what we should have done with Hitler, not what we did.”

Travolta also shared that he’s a big fan of Sharon Tate, the late actress brutally slain by the Manson family and portrayed by Margot Robbie in the film, saying “I love Sharon Tate — a spectacular star. I obsessed over her.”

And Travolta is certainly not the film’s only fan — “” has been a big hit, earning $125 million at the box office and passing 2009’s “Inglorious Basterds” to become the director’s second highest grossing film.

“The Fanatic” is in theaters on Aug. 30 and on Digital and On Demand on Sept. 6.