John Travolta And Daughter Ella Were 'Born To Hand Jive' In New Super Bowl Advertisement

Feb 03, 2021

It's been almost 43 years since the hit movie "Grease" rocked the worlds of people across the globe and made John Travolta the superstar that he is today. Thankfully John is giving us another dose of his musical moves now in a Super Bowl advertisement with his daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, which is set to run on Sunday, Feb. 7.

John can still shake it, and this time he's got his daughter by his side to prove it. The Miracle-Gro Superbowl Ad featured the 66-year-old actor and his 20-year-old daughter Ella Bleu in their lush, green backyard, re-creating the famous hand jive that John was known for in 1978. John was just 23-years-old during the musical sensation that was "Grease," but the legacy of the film has carried him through a fruitful career in Hollywood.

John has been in the spotlight since the 1970s, having graced the screen in many classic movies, including "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever," through to his famed comeback in the 1990s in "Pulp Fiction," "Get Shorty," "Face/Off" and many more. Despite all of his success, he still made time for building a family.

John had Ella Bleu with his late wife Kelly Preston, who tragically passed away from breast cancer at the age of 57 in July 2020. Preston was also a well-known actress, starring in such movies as "Jerry Maguire" and "For the Love of the Game."

In fact, the couple met through their work as actors on the set of their 1987 film "The Experts." Although Preston was married to someone else, she said in a 2018 interview that she "was really with the wrong person" at the time. Her marriage couldn't stop the love from growing, though. The couple started spending more time together and soon enough Preston and Travolta married in 1991 and had babies on their minds. Over the following years, their children Jett, Ella Bleu and Benjamin were born. Tragically, however, Jett passed away in 2009 at the age of 16 due to an unexpected seizure and resulting fall. The couple was devasted at the loss of their firstborn. John later described his teenage son's death as "the worst thing that's ever happened in [his] life."

Despite the hardships the family has faced, they still find time to spend together and have fun, like in the Superbowl commercial. Now that John's daughter, Ella Bleu, is almost the same age as he was during "Grease," the throwback allusion is all the more exciting. 

Ella Bleu, now 20-years-old, has followed in her famous parents' footsteps and begun working as an actress. And considering her looks — coming from both of her parents — it's no surprise Ella Bleu wants to work in show business. Speaking with People last year, she stated,

"Since I was very little, I’ve loved performing, singing, dancing, and putting on shows at home for my family and friends."

She already made her acting debut all the way back in 2009 in the movie "Old Dogs," which also starred both of her parents, as well as Robin Williams. Ella Bleu told Celebrity Pulse, "It was awesome to act with my parents in my first movie, it made it a lot easier." Since then, she's starred with her father once more in the movie "The Poison Rose." The father-daughter duo's working relationship seems to be a very positive and good one.

Ella Bleu also seems to have just as much love for her father as he for her, sharing a heartwarming message for him on Father's Day in June. Alongside a photo of the two of them dressed up, with John holding a martini, Ella Bleu captioned the picture:

"One of the many things I admire most about you is that you never cease to love and help your fellows. You are gracious and selfless and that inspires me to be a better person everyday. Thank you for raising me with so much love and kindness. I am forever thankful to have you in my life and I love you so much. Happy Fathers Day Daddy!!!❤️❤️❤️"

In 2019, Ella Bleu appeared in a joint interview with her dad on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," in which the up-and-coming actor spoke to guest host Lena Waithe about growing up with famous parents. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 20-year-old had some interesting stories to tell. Growing up on sets, Ella explained that she had met multiple famous figures throughout her life — even Oprah Winfrey. 

"I actually lost my first tooth with Oprah on a boat," Ella Bleu revealed with a giggle. "I guess (she was a tooth fairy), you know, it just happened. I was really excited. I think I swallowed the tooth."

While that might not have been ideal, the young Ella Bleu assured Waithe that she "still got money under [her] pillow." The young star also revealed that while her father might be regarded as the "King of Cool," he can — just like most dads — have some pretty "uncool" moments.  

The Miracle-Gro advertisement video featured one of those "uncool" dad moments, as it began with Ella Bleu telling her father to press the red button in order to record the dance video. As John struggled to find the button, Ella Bleu said, "Dad it's the red one ... the other red one." John replied with, "I know," and after a few more tires the two are featured dancing away, doing the famous hand jive.

However, one difference in the commercial is that it features different music from what the cast of "Grease" jived to in the movie. Instead of "Born to Hand Jive" by Sha Na Na, the father-daughter duo dances to "Sunday Best" by Surfaces. Despite the choice to dance to a different song, John and Ella's hand jive moves are on point. Besides, the hand jive itself was not necessarily originated from the "Grease" movie. The dance was popularized in the United States by American singer Johnny Otis and his hit single "Willie and the Hand Jive."

The commercial is planned to air during the second quarter of this year's Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 7, and the Travolta father-daughter duo are not the only celebrities featured in the advertisement. Keen eyes can spot Martha Stewart, Leslie David Baker from the hit show "The Office," Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell, NASCAR's Kyle Busch and Carl Weathers. Among all of the celebrities, John and Ella Bleu dance away until the end of the commercial, and we can't wait to see it on the big Super Bowl screen!

Isn't this a cool throwback moment to the hand jive? Let us know if this video gave you the urge to get moving and grooving — or even got you to rewatch "Grease!" And be sure to pass this on to your friends and family so they don't miss out on this Travolta father-daughter moment!