10 superstars who risked their careers for a role (With Pictures)

3. John Travolta: Hairspray

We all remember John Travolta as the dreamy Danny in the 1978 film Grease. His charm, smile, and beautiful set of hair had every girl swooning over him. While Travolta is associated with being macho and masculine, he moves away from this perception with his role in Hairspray.

Travolta plays female character Edna Turnblad. In this role, he was required to dress up head to toe in a female costume, a risk not many actors are willing to take. Having a male actor play a female character in a film is tough, it can come off as drag and be very offensive to the gay community, especially for Travolta, a member of the Church of Scientology whose beliefs are constantly accused of rejecting gays and lesbians.

But that didn’t stop Travolta, who embraced his character as Edna and made sure to portray a character people were willing to watch throughout the whole film. So wrapped up in the role, Travolta’s performance had you forgetting that he’s a male actor in a fat suit and dress singing songs.