In a revealing new memoir, Barry Diller shares that John Travolta left “American Gigolo” at the last minute due to the film‘s gay subtext, a decision that would change the trajectory of Hollywood in the 1980s. Diller’s account provides new details on why Travolta made his choice, with the focus keyword John Travolta leaving American Gigolo due to gay subtext at the center of this Hollywood puzzle.
Barry Diller Reveals the Story Behind Travolta’s Exit
Barry Diller, who served as CEO of Paramount Pictures during the pivotal years depicted in his memoir Who Knew, has publicly come out as gay and is now candidly sharing stories from decades in Hollywood. Among these is his recollection of John Travolta’s near-involvement in “American Gigolo,” a neo-noir film later made iconic by Richard Gere. According to Diller, Travolta backed out just before production, troubled by the “somewhat gay subtext” of the script.
The memoir recounts that Diller believed Travolta manipulated then-Paramount Pictures president Michael Eisner in order to escape the role. Diller describes how Travolta, mourning his mother Diana Hyland who died in 1978, met with Eisner in a visibly distressed state and pleaded to be released from the project. Diller writes that Travolta said,
“I can’t do American Gigolo. I’m too sad. I’m still in mourning. It’s the wrong thing for me to do. You have to let me out of it.”
Diller adds,
“Michael came down to my office and said, ‘John’s just left, and we have to let him out of the movie because he just can’t do it.’ I said, ‘He’s faking it and using you. It’s too late to recast, and he’s perfect for it.’”
The Neo-Noir Genre and Casting Shift
“American Gigolo” marked a significant moment for neo-noir films, which revived and modernized elements from 1940s and 1950s film noir. Despite the genre’s strong resurgence in the 1980s, with many films now viewed as underrated classics, the original casting drama is less well-known.
Diller remained convinced that Travolta’s meeting with Eisner was a performance intended to avoid the role. He asserts that Travolta’s concerns centered on the film’s gay subtext, fearing the implications of portraying such a character at the height of his fame. Although Diller initially resisted letting Travolta break his contract, he relented, and the part ultimately went to Richard Gere, launching the actor into a new level of stardom.
Industry Confirmation and Director’s Perspective
Director Paul Schrader, who shaped the style and tone of “American Gigolo,” has echoed these sentiments in recent interviews. In 2024, Schrader told The Hollywood Reporter that three main reasons prompted Travolta’s withdrawal: the death of his mother, the failure of his earlier film Moment to Moment, and increasing anxiety about the gay subtext.
Travolta’s apprehension, rooted in both personal grief and the film’s controversial themes, reflected persistent industry anxieties about sexuality. The actor’s reputation was shadowed by rumors regarding his own orientation, which, fairly or not, became part of his public narrative.
Persistent Rumors and Public Scrutiny
John Travolta, despite a long marriage to Kelly Preston before her death in 2020, has been surrounded by speculation about his private life for years. The rumors gained renewed attention after lawsuits and media reports, such as a 2012 suit by a male massage therapist and the coverage by Gawker in 2016.
Travolta’s ties to the Church of Scientology — an organization widely believed to discourage open acknowledgment of queer identity — have added to this public tension. This context may have heightened his reluctance to accept roles that challenged stereotypes or addressed sexuality directly.
Carrie Fisher’s Unfiltered Perspective
Back in 2010, Carrie Fisher openly discussed Travolta’s rumored sexuality and related media controversies in an interview with The Advocate. When asked whether Travolta’s legal team had grounds to demand Gawker remove posts about him, Fisher said:
Wow! I mean, my feeling about John has always been that we know and we don’t care. Look, I’m sorry that he’s uncomfortable with it, and that’s all I can say. It only draws more attention to it when you make that kind of legal fuss. Just leave it be.
—Carrie Fisher, Actress and Author
Fisher’s remarks reflected the general sentiment in some Hollywood circles: public denials and legal threats often fueled speculation rather than quelling it. Her matter-of-fact attitude highlighted the pressures faced by celebrities whose personal lives became tabloid fodder, especially on matters of sexuality.
Why Travolta’s Choice Still Resonates
The episode involving Travolta’s exit from “American Gigolo,” set against the broader context of Hollywood secrecy and the challenges of being publicly queer or perceived as such, remains a poignant example of the obstacles faced by actors in the industry. Diller’s own experiences — a gay man long in the “glass closet,” once married to designer Diane von Furstenberg — offer a parallel lens on why Travolta may have found the role too risky.
The decision to leave “American Gigolo” had a lasting effect, allowing Richard Gere to assume the role and reshape his own career, and leaving Travolta with questions about what might have been if he had confronted the script’s subtext head on. With both Travolta and Diller reflecting on choices shaped by an era’s prejudices and pressures, the story underscores how much has changed, and how much still hasn’t, in Hollywood’s approach to sexuality and stardom.
As new details emerge from Diller’s memoir and other firsthand accounts, the narrative around John Travolta leaving American Gigolo due to gay subtext represents more than a missed role — it is a window into a decades-long industry struggle over personal truth, public perception, and the complicated boundaries set by fame.
