NEED TO KNOW
Ella Bleu Travolta told PEOPLE exclusively that her parents, John Travolta and the late Kelly Preston, were “always supportive of whatever” she wanted to do
She explained why she thinks they were “happy” that she chose to follow in their footsteps and pursue a career in the entertainment industry
Ella stars in the new Apple TV film Propeller One-Way Night Coach, which is written, co-produced and directed by her father and based on his 1997 children’s novel of the same name
Ella Bleu Travolta says her parents, John Travolta and the late Kelly Preston, always gave her the freedom and support to chase her dreams.
While stepping out to the premiere of Propeller One-Way Night Coach in New York City on Thursday, May 21, Ella, 26, shared how her father feels about her choosing to follow in his footsteps by pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.
“He was always very supportive,” she said. “He and my mom were always supportive of whatever I wanted to do. So even if I decided to do something else in the end, they would have been supportive of that, too.”
“But I think that they were happy because they enjoy this job so much,” she continued, “and I have an equal love for it. So I think that they were just happy that I enjoyed doing something that much.”
From left: Kelly Preston, Benjamin Travolta, John Travolta and Ella Bleu Travolta in 2018
Credit: Nicholas Hunt/Getty
John, 72, and Preston — who died from breast cancer in 2020 at the age of 57 — welcomed Ella in April 2000. The pair also welcomed son Benjamin, 15, in November 2010. Their son Jett, born in 1992, died in 2009 while on a family vacation in the Bahamas.
Ella, whose acting credits include Old Dogs and Alice in Wonderland, stars in her dad’s latest project, Propeller One-Way Night Coach. The Apple TV film, which premieres on the streaming platform on May 29, is based on John’s 1997 children’s novel of the same name.
The movie, which is written, co-produced and directed by the Grease star, follows a young airplane enthusiast and his mother as they embark on a cross-country journey to Hollywood during “the golden age of aviation,” per an official synopsis. “Their simple flight transforms into the trip of a lifetime,” the synopsis adds.
Ella Bleu Travolta and John Travolta at the N.Y.C. premiere of ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’ on May 21, 2026
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Ella plays flight attendant Doris, starring alongside Kelly Eviston-Quinnett and Clark Shotwell. John’s five siblings also make appearances.
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Ella told PEOPLE that working on the film with her father — and aunts and uncles — was “one of the best experiences ever just for the fact that I got to do it with most of my family and with my dad directing.”
“My dad let me be a part of a lot of the creative aspects of the film, which was so nice, and we would kind of lean on each other with advice and run everything by each other,” she added. “So it was just magnificent.”
Ella said that having so many family members on set made the project feel like “an extension” of their “regular life.”
Ella Travolta in ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’; Ella Travolta and John Travolta at the Cannes Film Festival photocall for ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’ on May 16, 2026
Credit: Apple TV; Aurore Marechal/Getty
“Every day, there was always some member of my family working. Everyone was laughing, everyone was telling stories all day,” she shared. “So it was so, so much fun.”
John told PEOPLE at Thursday’s premiere that turning the movie into a family affair was “the only way to go.”
“Because they’re all professional actors and I thought they fit these parts so perfectly,” he explained. “From Ella on down, all these cameos were just suited for them. It was serendipitous. It was so interesting — I couldn’t believe how it all fell into place like it was supposed to be or something.”
Ella said she enjoyed when she and her dad would “run ideas off each other” during the project and shared how they would go up to the restaurant at the TWA Hotel during breaks in filming and “eat and talk about that day’s work or what’s to come.”
“It was really great,” she said of spending that quality time with her dad.
Propeller One-Way Night Coach premieres globally on Apple TV on May 29.
Read the original article on People