The many shades of Ella Bleu Travolta
When Ella Bleu Travolta appears on our video call, the first thing I register is her beaming smile. She might come from lofty parentage — the actors John Travolta and the late Kelly Preston, to be precise — but right now she looks like the classic girl next door: Travolta is in a black turtleneck and her newly cropped hair is scraped back into a ponytail. In the background I can see the traditional furnishings of an upmarket New York hotel room — she’s currently in town for MoMA’s annual Chanel-sponsored film benefit, and the budding actor-slash-musician is palpably delighted to be in the Big Apple.
“I’m going to show you my view,” she says, turning her phone around to reveal the amber hues of Central Park. “It’s so beautiful right now. I love the weather, the trees changing. All of it.” There’s an almost-childlike warmth in the 24-year-old’s demeanour — an appreciation for life’s small joys that could easily be lost on someone of her ilk. Equally, it’s clear that stepping into the limelight in her own right is a welcome novelty for Travolta. When the conversation turns to her HUNGER cover shoot, she displays an earnest excitement. “We shot in Chelsea and it was just so pretty with all the Halloween decorations on people’s doorsteps,” she says. “We also shot on the rooftop of an apartment building and the view was just incredible. It was such a fun time.”
Despite Travolta having many strings to her creative bow (and the fact we’re here to talk about her debut EP), she’s refreshingly open about acting being her primary venture. Having already worked alongside seasoned industry stars like Morgan Freeman and Robin Williams in Eye for an Eye and Old Dogs, respectively, she also starred as the lead protagonist in the feature film Get Lost, a modern-day exploration of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
“Acting is the first thing that I knew I wanted to try to do,” Travolta says. “But the only opportunity I get to act is when I’m auditioning or have an actual project going on. It’s not much of a one person process creatively.” In part, it was this need for a self- sufficient creative outlet that led her to music. “The two worlds, for me at least, go hand in hand,” she continues. “I’ve always loved singing, but I didn’t think I could write a song. I just had less confidence in that.” When Covid hit, however, the “Dizzy” singer began fiddling around with her chosen instrument — the ukulele — and putting demos together. “I’d be doing something random, like walking or driving, and a melody or a few lyrics would pop into my head and I’d record it on a voice memo,” she says. “Then I’d sit down with a ukulele and start playing chords and make it more into a song.” These were the humble beginnings of Travolta’s EP, Colors of Love.
This excerpt was taken from HUNGER Issue 33: Good People. Stay tuned for the full story.
- PhotographerAndrew Yee
- Fashion and Beauty DirectorMarco Antonio using CHANEL Holiday 2024 Winter Tale make-up collection and N°1 de CHANEL Body Serum-in-Mist
- WriterScarlett Coughlan
- Hair StylistKeith Carpenter at Bryan Bantry using BALMAIN HAIR
