John Travolta is opening up about his "magical moment" on the dance floor with Princess Diana.
In a recent interview with Esquire Mexico, the 67-year-old actor detailed how he and the late royal shared moves on the dance floor at a 1985 White House state dinner, which was hosted by former President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan. And given his impressive dancing skills in Grease and Saturday Night Fever, we're sure that Diana was especially impressed with his footwork.
Travolta said, "I didn't expect to be asked to dance with her. I had the great privilege and honor to do so. And I thought: 'There must be a reason to do this and I better give it my all..." This meant guiding the dance well and seeking to have fun. That was the easy part, but introducing myself to Diana in the proper way, conveying assurance, and asking her to be my dance partner was a complicated task."
The actor also told the outlet that his dance with the Princess of Wales was like a fairy tale, adding, "Think of the moment. We are in the White House. It's midnight. The whole stage is like a dream. I go up to her, touch her on the shoulder, ask her to dance. She turns around and when she sees me she displays that captivating smile, somewhat sad, and accepts my invitation. And there we were, dancing together like in a fairy tale."
Travolta continued, "Who could imagine that something like this is going to happen to you one day? I was smart enough to register it in my memory as a very special, magical moment."
In a previous interview with the Dutch TV station, Één, the Pulp Fiction actor also revealed that it was Nancy Reagan who encouraged him to dance with Diana at the time. He recalled, "[Reagan] said, 'It is her wish.' At midnight, I had to tap her on her shoulder, and I had to say, 'Would you care to dance?' She turned around and dipped her head in that Lady Diana way, and we were off for 15 minutes dancing. I'll never forget it."
A chance to twirl across the dance floor with a real-life princess? We're sure Tony Manero would approve.
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