Trouble—that’s what John Travolta’s security ended up calling me.
I had the opportunity to attend the closing night of the Gasparilla Film Festival on March 31. The final film was “High Rollers,” directed by Randall Emmett. Right before the screening, the cast, including John Travolta, who played the main character, came on stage to say a few words and answer questions from the audience.
This was my first real adventure as a journalist. I was one of many who raised their hands for a chance to speak to Travolta. A couple of guys were lucky enough to ask some fun questions, and I could hardly believe it when one of them exclaimed, “I just spoke with John freaking Travolta!” Meanwhile, I was left with my hand in the air.
As I watched the actors walk off stage, my first thought was, I can’t be left hanging. So, I followed them through the corridors to the backstage room. I passed by workers and security, and honestly, I credit my outfit for helping me blend in with the actors. That’s likely how I made it into the backstage area, where sushi, drinks, and John Travolta were all just… chilling. I was so nervous, almost frozen. In a room full of happy, relaxed actors and actresses sharing a drink, I probably looked like a statue. But then I saw Travolta standing alone, and I thought, here goes nothing. So, I walked up to him and conducted a brief interview.
My voice was shaky, but I tried my best to sound professional. I asked him how he would rank his “High Rollers” character, Mason, compared to other iconic roles he’s played. Travolta told me that Mason is actually a bit more like himself—someone who enjoys taking risks. An important part of Mason’s personality is adrenaline. Travolta said he enjoys it too, but added, “I don’t have to have it; I can enjoy it if I’m required to perform.”
What convinced him to take the role in this second movie? “The second script was even better,” he told me, and he confirmed that production for the third film in the series would start the very next day, April 1.
The way Travolta treated me—a random college student who had bent a few rules just to get an interview—was surprisingly kind and gentle. But that changed the moment I turned off the audio recorder and asked for a photo. Right then, security grabbed me by the wrist, took my phone, and began questioning me. “Who are you?” “What were you doing here?” “Who did you come with?” “Who let you in?” I mumbled some not-so-helpful answers, but the fear kicked in fast. I tried to convince them to let me take one picture, but I couldn’t keep fighting security. They dragged me out of the backstage area and all the way out of the theater. As they escorted me down the stairs, I kept hearing more questions. Finally, just before I was fully kicked out, one of the security guys looked me dead in the eye and said, “You are trouble. You can’t come in again.”
I couldn’t believe it—no picture with Travolta, no popcorn, not even a chance to sit down and watch the movie. I was supposed to be covering the final night of the Gasparilla Film Festival. While I didn’t get to write a review of “High Rollers,” everything worked in my favor because I walked away with something far better: an interview with John Travolta and a wild story I’ll never forget.