John Travolta

Cast in the comedy-adventure Wild Hogs, as one of four middle-aged friends who decide to rev up their routine suburban lives with a freewheeling motorcycle trip

Portrayed housewife Edna Turnblad in the big screen version of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Hairspray ; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Again played Chili Palmer, his charater from the hit film Get Shorty in its sequel Be Cool

Cast as Chief Kennedy in the drama Ladder 49 also starring Joaquin Phoenix

Cast opposite Thomas Jane in The Punisher

Co-starred with Scarlett Johansson in A Love Song for Bobby Long

Played a DEA agent in dramatic thriller Basic

Portrayed a spy in the thriller Swordfish

Realized dream project of starring in the feature adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard s sci-fi novel Battlefield Earth ; film and performance was panned by critics

Starred opposite Lisa Kudrow in the Nora Ephron-directed Lucky Numbers

Played attorney Jan Schlichtman who battles powerful companies on behalf of the victims of toxic poisoning in A Civil Action ; based on the book by Jonathan Harr

Portrayed Governor Jack Stanton in the political feature, Primary Colors ; helmed by Mike Nichols

Starred opposite Nicolas Cage in second film with director John Woo Face/Off

First film with John Woo, Broken Arrow

Cast as Chili Palmer in Barry Sonnenfeld s Get Shorty ; starred with Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito

Revitalized feature acting career with an acclaimed portrayal of a junkie hitman in Quentin Tarantino s Pulp Fiction ; earned second Best Actor Academy Award nomination

Co-wrote screenplay and starred in Chains of Gold

Initially revived career with Look Who s Talking but did not follow up on movie s success

Returned to TV to co-star in Harold Pinter s The Dumb Waiter ; a one-act play directed by Robert Altman

Reteamed with De Palma for Blow Out

Starred with Debra Winger in Urban Cowboy

Reprised stage role for the feature version of Grease

First starring role in a feature, as Tony Manero, in Saturday Night Fever ; earned Best Actor Oscar nomination

Had featured role in Brian De Palma s Carrie

TV-movie debut, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (ABC)

Cast as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter (ABC); began appearing with less frequency toward the end of its run

Made feature film debut in a bit part in The Devil s Rain

Made Broadway debut in Over Here! ; acted opposite the Andrews Sisters for 10 months

Dropped out of high school at age 16

Stage debut in Who Will Save the Plowboy? at age 12

Acted in Off-Broadway productions

Appeared in the original Broadway production of Grease (also toured with show for 10 months)

Began acting career in summer stock in New Jersey