John Travolta in Norfolk: why was Grease actor at a Morrisons in Fakenham, what is he filming and how old is he?

Hollywood star John Travolta was spotted at various locations in Norfolk on the weekend of 3 April.

The Oscar-nominated actor was seen at a Morrisons supermarket in the town of Fakenham in north Norfolk where he posed for photos with fans.

He was also seen drinking in a Wetherspoon called The Romany Rye in the nearby village of Dereham.

A member of staff at the pub shared a picture of the two of them to Instagram with the caption: “So… I met John Travolta at work… a little star-struck to say the least.”

Travolta also shared a video of himself and his daughter, Ella, having afternoon tea to celebrate her 22nd birthday.

Why is John Travolta in Norfolk?

Travolta explained in the caption to the Instagram post that he was in Norfolk to shoot a short film called The Shepherd.

The film will be based on a 1975 novella by the thriller writer Frederick Forsyth.

The 54-page short story is about a fighter jet pilot travelling home on Christmas Eve 1957 when his plane suffers a total electrical failure and gets lost in fog.

The pilot encounters a fighter-bomber plane which has been sent to shepherd his plane home.

Much of the story focuses on the first pilot’s efforts to find the pilot who rescued him.

Travolta, an aviation enthusiast and licensed pilot has previously said that the book is one of his favourites because it personalises the two planes.

It is believed that filming for The Shepherd is currently taking place at Raynham Hangar Studios in West Raynham, Norfolk, a former airbase.

The Rayman Hangar studios website states: “Raynham Hangar Studios unlocks the huge potential of the region’s contrasting locations and landscapes, both real and imagined.

“There is an industrious pragmatism and collaborative spirit in this welcoming yet discreet county, embodied by the diverse skills of its creative community, from world class industry professionals to an emerging generation of fresh talent.”

Other productions being filmed at Rayman Hangar studios include The Souvenir Part II, and This Sceptred Isle, a Sky Original TV drama that will see Kenneth Branagh play Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

What is John Travolta known for?

The 68-year old actor has a career spanning six decades - Travolta’s breakout role was as Tony Manero in the 1977 high school dance drama Saturday Night Fever, where he immortalised the Brooklyn Shuffle.

He quickly followed up this success with the musical smash hit Grease, playing bad boy but deep down softie Danny Zuko.

Other major roles include Vince Vega in Tarantino’s cult classic Pulp Fiction, Castor Troy (and Sean Archer) in action thriller Face/Off, and Chili Palmer in Get Shorty for which he won a Golden Globe.

The actor is also one of the most famous members of the Church of Scientology, alongside fellow Hollywood mega-star Tom Cruise.

What other projects is John Travolta working on?

Travolta is set to star alongside Bruce Willis in the upcoming action film Paradise City.

The film follows Willis’s character, Ryan Swan who battles the Hawaiian underworld in order to get revenge on the crime lord who killed his father.

The film is in post-production and could mark Willis’s final film following his retirement from acting due to his aphasia diagnosis.