John Travolta has shared that a near-death experience he had while piloting a plane in 1992 inspired him to reincarnate himself in the new Disney+ short film The Shepherd.
"The Shepherd" tells the story of a young pilot who tries to land safely after suffering an electrical failure in mid-air. The premise is eerily similar to what Travolta, a licensed pilot, says he experienced in 1992.
According to Variety, recalling the incident during a Q&A in London, Travolta said he "experienced a complete electrical failure" in the plane he was piloting while flying over Washington with his family.
"I knew what it felt like to think you were definitely going to die," he said. "I had two good jet engines, but I had no tools, no electricity, nothing. And I thought it was over."
He eventually made a safe landing "like a miracle," he says. That's why Travolta was drawn to The Shepherd, which is based on Frederick Forsyth's 1975 book with the same plot.
In the short, Travolta plays a good Samaritan who guides a young pilot (Ben Radcliffe) to safety after he finds himself "in peril when his radio and electrical power fail, leaving him stranded and with limited fuel," according to the official synopsis.
Travolta says Radcliffe "captured that despair when you think you're actually going to die."
The "Criminal" actor said the story of "The Shepherd" deeply resonated with him because it's about "life and death and how precious life is." "The Shepherd" will start on Disney+ from December 1./BGNES
