John Travolta Pays Emotional Tribute to a Dear Friend at The Oscars
ADVERTISEMENT
John Travolta Pays Emotional Tribute to a Dear Friend at The Oscars
Among the deceased icons honored was Travolta's late 'Grease' costar Olivia Newton-John.
John Travolta speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Trigger warning: This article contains themes of grief and loss that some readers may find distressing
John Travolta took to the stage to pay tribute to entertainment icons who died over the last year during an emotional In Memoriam segment at the 95th annual Academy Awards on Sunday. The actor was moved to tears as he paid tribute to his Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John. According to ET Online, the segment featured a moving piano performance by Lenny Kravitz of Travolta's song Calling All Angels. The segment honored late stars such as Ray Liotta, Angela Lansbury, James Caan, Raquel Welch, Kirstie Alley, Robbie Coltrane, Louise Fletcher, Burt Bacharach and more.
ADVERTISEMENT
John Travolta speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
At the iconic Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, Travolta also gave an emotional nod to his late Grease costar Olivia Newton-John who sang the song Hopelessly Devoted to You. She died in August at 73. "In this industry, we have the rare luxury of getting to do what we love for a living, and sometimes getting to do it with people that we come to love," shared Travolta. "And since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community in this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we've lost, who dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera."
Lenny Kravitz performs onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
An emotional Travolta choked up and said, "Through their immeasurable contributions, each of them left an individual and indelible mark that shared and informed us. They've touched our hearts, they've made us smile, and became dear friends who we will always remain hopelessly devoted to," he continued, as his voice cracked and tears welled up in his eyes. He was referring to the iconic song in their 1978 musical, Grease.
Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta attend the Academy Presents "Grease" (1978) 40th Anniversary at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on August 15, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Following the news of her death on August 8, 2022, he captioned a throwback photo of Newton-John at the time, writing, "My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!" According to Variety several names were not mentioned during the In Memoriam segment at the Oscars including Leslie Jordan, Gilbert Gottfried, Tom Sizemore and Cindy Williams. Fans wondered why Anne Heche, Triangle of Sadness star Charlbi Dean and Paul Sorvino were not mentioned either but the three were memorialized on the Oscars website.
ADVERTISEMENT
Charlbi Dean attends Netflix's "Spiderhead" New York Screening at Paris Theater on June 15, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
32-year-old South African model/actress, Charlbi Dean had a lead role in Triangle of Sadness, a film nominated for three Oscars this year, including Best Picture. She died of bacterial sepsis on August 29, 2022. The film's producer Erik Hemmendorff recently told The Hollywood Reporter, "She was just one of those people who made everyone feel great always. You could do as many takes as you want. She was always ready for the next one, a professional. The nicest, most easygoing person, very hardworking. She was one of a kind."
Actors Karsen Liotta (L) and Ray Liotta attend the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 30, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
ADVERTISEMENT
According to PEOPLE, Ray Liotta who appears in the new film Cocaine Bear died suddenly on May 26, 2022, at 67. His 24-year-old daughter Karsen remembered him during his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony last month as she accepted the star on his behalf, "I couldn't be more proud of him. He was a one-of-a-kind actor and the best friend, brother and father anyone could have asked for. I lucked out with you."
Share on Facebook