Travolta advised by Tom Hanks to accept role

Actor John Travolta was told to accept the role in "American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson" by filmmaker Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks.

The 62-year-old, who played the role of O.J. Simpson's attorney Robert Schapiro in the TV series, has admitted that he spent four months mulling whether to star in the 10-part series or not. But the advice of Hanks swayed his decision, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"It was Steven Spielberg. It was Oprah Winfrey. It was Rita Wilson Hanks and Tom Hanks. And it was former Disney magnate Michael Eisner. They all thought it was completely the right move.

"Spielberg and Eisner were the most enthusiastic," Travolta told GQ.com about the show, which follows the 1994 murder trial of the former American football player's partner Nicole Brown Simpson.

Travolta, who has worked in the entertainment industry for over four decades, says there are high points in everyone's career, although actors are not "guaranteed" to be involved in every "high quality" project.

The "Forger" actor, whose eldest son Jett died in 2009, has son Benjamin as well as daughter Ella with wife Kelly Preston. Travolta said: "You have these points in your career when you are associated with high quality, with depth, communication, and things that matter on a social level.

"And when you hit those notes -- whether it be 'Primary Colors', or on the cover of 'Time' magazine, or 'Pulp Fiction', or 'Saturday Night Fever', or 'Urban Cowboy' -- where you're affecting the society on a global level, then you feel a different kind of pride. It's beyond the pride of success. It's the pride of... integrity, I guess?

"You're not always guaranteed to be involved with projects that will hit those notes. When you are, you really do register it," he added.

--IANS

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