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John Travolta, 72, Looks Unrecognizable With Slick New Hairpiece

The actor swapped his usual bald look for a suave coif.

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By Natalie DemareeSep 16, 2026

John Travolta is stunning fans with his dramatic transformation, including a suave-looking hairpiece, for his upcoming film.

The Emmy-winning actor, who is typically bald, appeared nearly unrecognizable in a trailer for November 1963, a biopic about Italian-American mobster John “Handsome Johnny” Roselli and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Travolta, 72, portrays Roselli, whose name often comes up in conspiracy theories related to Kennedy’s death at the hands of Marine veteran Lee Harvey Oswald.

“November 1963, based on a true story. Two shooters, one truth, history rewritten. In theaters November 20th,” the actor wrote in an Instagram post sharing the trailer.

John Roselli arrives in Washington, D.C., before appearing in front of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in 1975. — John Roselli is seen arriving in Washington, D.C., ahead of appearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in 1975. Actor John Travolta plays Roselli in "November 1963."
Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

Several fans rushed to share their excitement about the movie, which has a stacked cast including Robert Carlyle, Dermot Mulroney, Jefferson White, and Mandy Patinkin.

John Travolta as John Roselli in "November 1963." — John Travolta portrays the infamous Italian mobster John "Handsome Johnny" Roselli in "November 1963."
UFDC

“At first, I didn’t even recognize you,” another person said about Travolta’s appearance.

"Again, Travolta on top of his game. Legend," commented a fan on John Travolta's Instagram post sharing a trailer for his new movie, November 1963.
The In Show/Instagram

“Again, Travolta on top of his game. Legend!” one fan commented.

John Travolta and Dermot Mulroney in November 1963 — John Travolta stars as infamous Italian mobster Johnny Roselli in November 1963, a biopic about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that premiers in theaters on Nov. 20.
UFDC

In a trailer for the film, Travolta swaps his normally bald head and scruffy goatee for a slicked-back hairstyle and a perfectly groomed mustache.

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A jaw-dropping makeover is a familiar process for the actor, who has undergone many transformations throughout his six-decade career.

John Travolta, bald and in a black suit with a beard, attends a screening for the 30th anniversary of the movie "Pulp Fiction" in Los Angeles in 2024. — John Travolta attends a screening for the 30th anniversary of the movie "Pulp Fiction" in Los Angeles in 2024.
Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS

Travolta wore prosthetic brow ridges, yellow contacts, and a long mane to play Terl in the 2000 film Battlefield Earth and a custom bodysuit and prosthetics to play Edna Turnblad, a heavier-set woman, in the 2007 musical film Hairspray.

John Travolta as talented dancer Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977).
Paramount Pictures

Travolta also experiments with style off-screen.

In a May interview with Variety, the actor discussed how he chose his new look, which includes a colorful beret and round glasses, ahead of his directorial debut.

“I looked up all the old-school directors, and they all had berets and sometimes glasses, and it was very it was cliché, but in a wonderful way—they were probably reflecting painters and musicians of the type,” Travolta told Variety, adding that he now has at least 12 berets.

Actor John Travolta at the premiere of Apple TV's "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" in New York City on May 21, 2026.
KENA BETANCUR/Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

His semi-autobiographical movie, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which he attended with his daughter Ella Travolta, 26.