Not a whole article on Dwayne but he talks about Travolta:

Play it cool

HOLLYWOOD — The role of Chili Palmer fits John Travolta like a glove. Chili
is the former Miami mobster turned Hollywood mogul who Elmore Leonard created in
his novel Get Shorty.

Leonard was so thrilled with the 1995 movie version of his novel, that
starred Travolta as the hit man who becomes a hit producer, that he wrote the
sequel Be Cool.

Bored with making movies, in Be Cool, Chili brings his street-wise savvy to
the music business, never losing his cool even when he gets caught in the
crossfire between the Russian mafia and a powerful rap mogul.

Everyone from Travolta’s Be Cool director, F. Gary Gray, to the actor’s
co-stars insist Travolta defines cool After all, this is the man who flew his own jet into L.A. to do interviews
for the film, opening Friday, and who personally selects the catering services
for his movies.

Dwayne Johnson, who acts under his wrestling name the Rock, insists
Travolta “is the coolest person I’ve ever worked with anywhere. (Travolta’s
Welcome Back, Kotter character) Vinnie Barbarino was the coolest guy on TV when
I was growing up and John has lost none of that cool,” says the Rock, who
insists he plagued his famous co-star “by asking him about his old movies
and all the cool guys he’s played whenever I could.

“The man is an icon. He’s a legend.”

At this suggestion, Travolta, who turned 51 nine days ago, trots out some
modesty.

“I think what Dwayne means by that is I now have enough pull on a movie
set to change the atmosphere. I feel it is my role to help get the actors on my
movies in the right spirit to deliver their best work. I use everything from
humour to great food,” says Travolta. “It’s something I can do after
30 years in the business.”

Travolta feels that Chili Palmer “is the American version of James Bond.
He’s cool because he is fearless and smart. Both Dustin Hoffman and Sean Connery
are fascinated by this character. They ask me what I do to make him cool.”

After some soul searching, Travolta concluded, “Chili loves and knows
movies, which became the key to portraying him. He knows what Humphrey Bogart,
James Bond or Cary Grant might do in a situation and goes from there.

“For an actor, that’s a library of great source material.”

Be Cool paints the music industry as ruthless, underhanded and cutthroat and
Travolta is not about to disagree.

“Of course things are slightly exaggerated for our movie but I always
found the music business sleazy and it seemed much more corrupt and cutthroat
than the movie business,” he says.

Travolta recorded his share of singles in the late ’70s and recalls, “I
got screwed out of my royalties but never when the record or album was attached
to a film. It’s not as easy to hide profits from movies as it is from
records.”

Travolta initially turned down the offer to portray Chili Palmer in Get
Shorty.

“There was a lot I didn’t like about the original screenplay so I passed
on it,” recalls Travolta, who then got a phone call from his friend,
Quentin Tarantino.

“Quentin said I had to do it. I told him why I was reluctant and he told
me to tell the producers, which I did, and they made adjustments to the
script.”

Tarantino and Travolta have remained close friends since their collaboration
in 1993 on Pulp Fiction.

The actor says Tarantino “always promises we’ll do something together
again but he doesn’t call when he’s casting his new movies.”

One of the highlights of Pulp Fiction was the cocaine- fueled dance Travolta
and Uma Thurman’s characters have.

Be Cool reteams the actors and they have a much more controlled dance.

“I wanted Chili to dance in Get Shorty but (director) Barry Sonnenfeld
nixed the idea,” admits Travolta, who insists he wasn’t too upset. “I
didn’t get to dance in Broken Arrow either.

“At first no one thought it was a good idea for Chili to dance in Be
Cool but when we set up the cabaret scene with the Black Eyed Peas everyone
suddenly realized I was right this time around.”

Travolta’s co-stars report he has an infectious laugh and a sly sense of
humor. The actor knows why.

“I’m a classic child of the ’60s and that decade was filled with sugar
highs. There’s still a mischievous child inside of me. I’m filled with the
spirit of fun. I’m really rather rambunctious.”

For a long time, Travolta thought his sense of humour might be a case of
arrested development. Then he met Marlon Brando.

“Marlon was just filled with fun and play and he was one of the greatest
actors ever. That made me feel better about my own mischievousness.”

Be Cool is Travolta’s only movie for 2005. He has just signed to star
opposite James Gandolfini in Lonely Hearts based on the true story of a pair of
detectives who tracked down the Lonely Hearts Killers, who lured their victims
through personal ads, in Texas.

credit: Edmonton times