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American actress (born 1939) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
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Ellen Travolta | |
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.jpg) Travolta in 2004 | |
| Born | Ellen M. Travolta October 6, 1939 Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Dwight Morrow High School |
| Alma mater | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Known for | Happy Days Joanie Loves Chachi Charles in Charge |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Joey Travolta (brother) Margaret Travolta (sister) John Travolta (brother) |
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[citation needed] and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[5]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.
2023 Haul out the Holly Lit up[13]
2023-2024 General Hospital[14]
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