Ellen Travolta
Ellen Travolta (born October 6, 1939) is an American actress known for playing Louisa Arcola Delvecchio in Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi as well as Gloria Cerullo in General Hospital and Lillian in Charles in Charge (1987–1990).
Ellen Travolta
- Name
- Ellen Travolta
- Born
- 6 October 1939
- Birthplace
- Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
- Education
- Dwight Morrow High School
- Known for
- Happy Days Joanie Loves Chachi Charles in Charge
- Occupation
- Actress
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ellen Travolta • Born — 6 October 1939 • Birthplace — Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. • Alma Mater — Carnegie Mellon University • Education — Dwight Morrow High School • Known for — Happy Days Joanie Loves Chachi Charles in Charge • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1975–present • Children — 2 • Relatives — Joey Travolta (brother) Margaret Travolta (sister) John Travolta (brother)
Early life
Early life
Ellen Travolta was born on October 6, 1939, in Englewood, New Jersey to Salvatore ("Sam") Travolta and Helen Cecilia (née Burke) Travolta. Her father was a semi-professional football player before becoming a tire salesman and a partner in a Firestone franchise called Travolta Tires. Travolta has five younger siblings: Joey, Margaret, Sam, Ann, and John. Travolta attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Career
Career
As an actress and singer, she appeared with "The Sunshine Sisters," a radio vocal group. She later became a drama coach, actress, and director of student productions. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Louisa Arcola Delvecchio, the aunt of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) and mother of Chachi Arcola (Scott Baio), in five episodes during the 1980s of the 1950s-era American sitcom Happy Days and in episodes of its spin-off Joanie Loves Chachi. Travolta also played the mother of Baio's character on the syndicated comedy series Charles in Charge from 1987 to 1990. She had already portrayed Jimmy Baio's mother on a 1978 episode of The Love Boat. Travolta played Mrs. Horshack-O'Hara in three episodes of Welcome Back, Kotter, a comedy series on which her brother, actor John Travolta, starred as Vinnie Barbarino. She also appeared alongside her brother in the 1978 summer blockbuster Grease. Later in the 1970s, she played Dorothy Manucci in the short-lived television series Makin' It.
Personal life
Personal life
Travolta has been a longtime performer and supporter of the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre where she appeared in a production of Hello, Dolly! in 2000 and 2012 playing the star role opposite her husband's portrayal of Horace Vandergelder. The theatre is the beneficiary of the Helen Burke Travolta Memorial fund, established in honor of Travolta's mother. Travolta has stated, "My mother was the beginning of all of this for us. She loved the theater, and she was always involved with the community theater and she encouraged all of us to be in it." Travolta married James Fridley in May 1964. They had two children, a son, actor Tom Fridley and a daughter, Molly Allen Ritter. Travolta and Fridley divorced in 1977. She then married actor Jack Bannon on April 9, 1983. In 1994, the couple moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. They remained together until Bannon's death in 2017.
Selected TV and filmography
Selected TV and filmography
• 1976: All in the Family (TV Series) - Secretary • 1976–1977: Visions (TV Series) - Nurse / Angie • 1977: Cover Girls (TV Movie) - Photographer • 1977: What's Happening!! (TV Series) - Lily • 1977: Police Story (TV Series) - Karen Ramsey • 1977: Intimate Strangers (TV Movie) - Marilyn Burns • 1977–1978: Welcome Back, Kotter (TV Series) - Mrs. Horshack-O'Hara • 1977–1978: Eight Is Enough (TV Series) - Real Estate Agent, Della Gale / Dr. Abbott • 1978: One Day at a Time (TV Series) - Mrs. Shaddock • 1978: The President's Mistress (TV Movie) - Analyst • 1978: CHiPs (TV Series) - Helen • 1978: Wheels (TV Mini-Series) • 1978: The Courage and the Passion (TV Movie) - Emily • 1978: Grease - Waitress • 1978: Are You in the House Alone? (TV Movie) - Rouillard • 1978: The Love Boat (TV Series) - Norman's Mother • 1978: Diff'rent Strokes (TV Series) - Ms. Aimsley • 1979: Elvis (TV Movie) - Marion Keisker • 1979: Chief of Detectives (TV Series) - Janine • 1979: Human Experiments - Mover • 1979: Marie (TV Movie) - Carla Coburn • 1979: Makin' It (TV Series) - Dorothy Manucci • 1980: The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (TV Series) - Myra Kimberly • 1980: Three's Company (TV Series) - Mrs. Marconi • 1980: Number 96 (TV Series) - Rita Sugarman • 1981–1984: Happy Days (TV Series) - Louisa Arcola Delvecchio • 1982: Quincy, M.E. (TV Series) - Mrs. Margolin • 1982–1983: Joanie Loves Chachi (TV Series) - Louisa Arcola Delvecchio • 1986: Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (TV Movie) - Marion • 1987–1990: Charles in Charge (TV Series) - Lillian • 1989: Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) - Mona • 1994–1996, 2023-2024: General Hospital (TV Series) - Gloria Cerullo • 1997: The Single Guy (TV Series) - Mrs. Cordova • 1997: The Pretender (TV Series) - Dara's Mother • 1998: Too Hard to Die (Video) - Rose Devlin • 1998: Mel - Dr. Vogul • 1999: The Basket - Agnes • 1999: Passions (TV Series) - Alice • 2001: Face to Face - Joanne • 2002: Judging Amy (TV Series) - Mrs. Haskell's lawyer • 2006: Lonely Hearts - Ida • 2006: Waitin' to Live - Gossipy Woman • 2009: Falling Up - Dean Swift • 2018: Mistrust - Margie • 2019: The Untold Story - Hope • 2022: Haul out the Holly - Mary Louise • 2023: Haul out the Holly: Lit Up - Mary Louise
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1939
Ellen Travolta born at Englewood.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Ellen Travolta, revision 1376193324 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Skipper, Richard. Jack Bannon : Horace Vandergelder (opposite Ellen Travolta) Coeur D'Alene Summer Theater' 2000 and 2012 productions of Hello, Dolly!. Richard Skipper's Celebrities.
- 2.https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ellen-travolta-527566
- 3.http://www.fanmail.biz/82990.html
- 4.Tunetown Studios. Featured Birthday John Travolta.
- 5.Saks, Diane. Overcoming Celebrity Obsession. iUniverse. 217. August 2011. 978-1-45022-847-3.
- 6.Holmes, Abby. Dear Ellen. The Wenatchee World. 2010-09-15.
- 7.Reeves, Michael. John's mom gave him introduction to acting. The Milwaukee Journal. March 2024.
- 8.Kerschner, Jim. Travolta family to put on a show. The Spokesman-Review. 2004-05-23.
- 9.Kershner, Jim. Keillor And Radio Show Here In June. The Spokesman-Review. 1998-02-22.
- 10.Saks, Diane. Ellen Travolta. iUniverse. June 2001. 9780595182763.
- 11.Dear Ellen. The Wenatchee World. 2010-10-15.
- 12.Skipper, Richard. Ellen Travolta - Call on Dolly: Celebrating The First Fifty Years of Hello, Dolly!.
- 13.Bannon, Ellen Travolta and Jack. Excitement of Summer Theater (video). YouTube cbignore. May 14, 2012.
- 14.Ellen Travolta is Headed Back to 'General Hospital' – Here's Why. April 23, 2024.
- 15.Haul Out the Holly: Lit up. IMDb.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 02 October 2026.
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