Sandy Kenyon sits down with John Travolta to talk 'The Forger,' life

NEW YORK (WABC) -- In Hollywood, John Travolta is about as A-list as it gets. But family and religion are topics you don't often hear him discuss.

But he touched on both in a recent sitdown with entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon.

Travolta's films have grossed a total of $2.5 billion, so the star has earned the right to make a low-budget film that showcases his considerable acting skills and allows him to refine his artistic sensibility.

Travolta knew he could be believable as "The Forger," busted out of prison early by a crook who needs him to copy a painting so he can steal the real one.

The star's grandfather was a painter and he dabbled in art as a young man, but this required a whole new level of skill, requiring him to try and duplicate a painting by Claude Monet.

And his copy was surprisingly good.

"I framed it, and that's hanging in my home," he said.

There's another reason this film hits close to home for Travolta, as his character's son has a terminal illness.

The father's pain is clearly evident, and filming came just a few years after the death of Travolta's son Jett at the age of just 16.

"I try not to collapse my personal life into the art, but I think it would be impossible not for it to be a reflection of what I experienced," he said.

And it was an experience made more intense by the scrutiny of the press.

"There's a word called flat, where you kind of have no real response anymore to stuff," he said. "So I think when you've been around as long as I have, you kind of get flat on things, and you gravitate towards more respectful journalism. And you ignore the less valid journalism."

He has no plans to see a new documentary he calls one-sided, a film sharply critical of Scientology.

"I've had nothing but success with it for 40 years, so that's the truth," he said.

The truth about "The Forger" is that it's worth seeing for the power of his performance. It's in a few theaters Friday, but it's the kind of intimate story that's perfect to see at home on demand, where it will also be available this weekend.