John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston turned out for the LA opening of his latest flick The Punisher this week, along with co-star Thomas Jane and his wife Patricia Arquette.
The movie sees the aviation-enthusiast return to the role of baddie, as a smooth Florida mobster who orders a hit on a family. A classic revenge tale adapted from the Marvel comic, it focuses upon an FBI agent, played by Thomas, who survives a hit that destroys his family and vows to get even with Travolta's gangster.
Face Off and Swordfish actor John says of playing the darker side: "It frees you up completely. Not at first, because it has to be kind of controlled, but by the time (my character) starts getting paranoid, then the fun begins.''
While he obviously relishes his villains, the former Grease star says it is variety which keeps him stimulated. "I change up as much as I can,'' explains the actor, who has four releases in the pipeline for 2004. "This year, all of these four films are as different as they can be."
Coming up next is Love Song For Bobby Long, where he shares the screen with Scarlett Johansson, followed in October by Ladder 49 in which he plays mentor to Joaquin Phoenix's firefighter. Meanwhile, he's currently lensing the Get Shorty sequel Be Cool with Uma Thurman.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
