Flashback: How Vinnie Barbarino Turned John Travolta Into a Star

What? Where?

Who knew that these two little words would be the beginning of the  great roller coaster acting career of John John Travolta.

Dim witted on TV but very cerebral and thoughtful in real life , no one thought that Travolta’s Vinnie Barbarino character on Welcome Back Kotter would have such an impact on pop culture, when the show debuted in 1975.

Cool like Happy Day’s Aurthur The Fonz Fonzarelli, but not as bright, Vinnie Barbarino was the lead stooge of the comically misunderstood Sweat Hogs.

In some aspects the Sweat hogs were more like a 70’s version of the Marx Brothers, where Travolta’s Barbarino was Groucho, Juan Epstein was Chico, Arnold Horseshack was Harpo and Freddy Boom Boom Washington was a funnier chocolate version of Zeppo.

Though his good looks, head full of hair and piercing blue eyes made Travolta the break out star on screen, one could sense that off screen he was happy and loyal to his fellow cast mates, who not only also had their own distinct comedic charm about them, but also pushed Travolta into becoming a stronger comedic actor.

Fans learned that Travolta was more than his television character with the 1976 made for TV flick The Boy in the Plastic Bubble A very un-Barbarino role, a young man who had to live in bubble to protect himself from the outside world, (the film could literally be a metaphor for Travolta’s own life became insular after the success of Saturday Night Fever).

Even after Travolta became a mega star with Saturday Night Fever in 1977 and then Grease in 1978, Travolta could have very easily left Welcome back Kotter and continued to make blockbuster movies, yet he stayed.

Grant it, he only appeared in only eight of episodes of the remaining two years of the show, (where Barbarino decided to work as a hospital orderly than to repeat the 11th grade), but the fact Travolta stayed on Welcome Back Kotter, even part time than to chase millions of dollars was admirable.

It could have been contractually agreement or loyalty to the show that gave him fame or maybe John Travolta was happy remaining one of the guys. By remaining one of the Mr. Kotter’s Sweat hogs, the private Travolta could still be one of the Marx Brothers, while shielding himself away from the intense media glare that has destroyed many young actor’s talent and sanity.

In the years since television viewers fell in love with Vinnie Barbarino, there has been many good looking dim witted characters who has made viewers laugh (Matt Le Blanc’s Joey character on Friends comes to mind).

Yet there has never been another character like Vinnie Barbarino.

Stupid, but sweet.

A leader with no one really following him.

Vinnie Barbarino is a classic TV character for the ages.

Although it is blasphemous that Travolta never received a Emmy for his work on Welcome Back Kotter (or a Oscar for Saturday Night Fever or Pulp Fiction later in his career) his legacy as one of the most iconic characters on TV will be always be remembered for two simple words:

What? Where?