Ellen Travolta
Travolta in 2004
Born
Ellen M. Travolta

(1939-10-06) October 6, 1939
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationDwight Morrow High School
Alma materCarnegie Mellon University
OccupationActress
Years active1975–present
Known forHappy Days
Joanie Loves Chachi
Charles in Charge
Spouses
James Fridley
​
​
(m. 1964; div. 1977)​
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1983; died 2017)​
    [1]
    Children2, including Tom Fridley
    RelativesJoey Travolta (brother)
    Margaret Travolta (sister)
    John Travolta (brother)

    Ellen M. Travolta (born October 6, 1939) is an American actress known for playing Louisa Arcola Delvecchio in Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi as well as Gloria Cerullo in General Hospital and Lillian in Charles in Charge (1987-1990).

    Early life

    Ellen M. Travolta was born on October 6, 1939, in Englewood, New Jersey[2] to Salvatore ("Sam") Travolta and Helen Cecilia (née Burke) Travolta. Her father was a semi-professional football player[3] before becoming a tire salesman and a partner in a Firestone franchise called Travolta Tires.[4]

    Travolta has five younger siblings: Joey, Margaret, Sam, Ann, and Hollywood star John.

    Travolta attended Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, New Jersey and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[5]

    Career

    As an actress and singer, she appeared with "The Sunshine Sisters," a radio vocal group.[3] She later became a drama coach, actress, and director of student productions.[6]

    She is probably best known for her portrayal of Louisa Arcola Delvecchio, the aunt of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and mother of Chachi Arcola (Scott Baio), in five episodes during the 1980s of the 1950s-era American sitcom Happy Days and in episodes of its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi. Travolta also played the mother of Baio's character on the syndicated comedy series Charles in Charge from 1987 to 1990.

    She had already portrayed Jimmy Baio's mother on a 1978 episode of The Love Boat. Travolta played Mrs. Horshack-O'Hara in three episodes of Welcome Back, Kotter, a comedy series on which her brother, actor John Travolta, starred as Vinnie Barbarino. She also appeared alongside her brother in the 1978 summer blockbuster Grease. Later in the 1970s, she played Dorothy Manucci in the short-lived television series Makin' It. She played Marion Keisker in John Carpenter's 1979 television film Elvis.

    Personal life

    Travolta has been a longtime performer and supporter of the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre[7] where she appeared in a production of Hello, Dolly! in the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre in 2000 and 2012 playing the star role opposite her husband's portrayal of Horace Vandergelder.[8] The theatre is the beneficiary of the Helen Burke Travolta Memorial fund, established in honor of Travolta's mother. Travolta has stated, "My mother was the beginning of all of this for us. She loved the theater, and she was always involved with the community theater and she encouraged all of us to be in it."[9]

    Travolta married James Fridley in May 1964.[10] They had two children, a son, actor Tom Fridley and a daughter, Molly Allen Ritter.[11]

    Travolta and Fridley divorced in 1977. She then married actor Jack Bannon on April 9, 1983. In 1994, the couple moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[8][12] They remained together until Bannon's death in 2017.

    Selected TV and filmography

    References

    1. ↑ Skipper, Richard. "Jack Bannon : Horace Vandergelder (opposite Ellen Travolta) Coeur D'Alene Summer Theater' 2000 and 2012 productions of Hello, Dolly!". Richard Skipper's Celebrities. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
    2. ↑ "Ellen Travolta: Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
    3. ↑ Saks, Diane (August 2011). Overcoming Celebrity Obsession. iUniverse. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-45022-847-3.
    4. ↑ Holmes, Abby (September 15, 2010). "Dear Ellen". The Wenatchee World. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
    5. ↑ Reeves, Michael. "John's mom gave him introduction to acting". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
    6. ↑ Kerschner, Jim (May 23, 2004). "Travolta family to put on a show". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
    7. 1 2 Skipper, Richard. "Ellen Travolta - Call on Dolly: Celebrating The First Fifty Years of Hello, Dolly!". Retrieved October 14, 2013.
    8. ↑ Kershner, Jim (February 22, 1998). "Keillor And Radio Show Here In June". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
    9. ↑ Saks, Diane (June 2001). Ellen Travolta. ISBN 9780595182763.
    10. ↑ "Dear Ellen". The Wenatchee World. October 15, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
    11. ↑ Bannon, Ellen Travolta and Jack. "Excitement of Summer Theater (video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021.
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