John Travolta Tricks Friends With Cross Dressing Role  6/21/07

John Travolta tricked friends into thinking they were watching a major new star when he showed them early footage of his larger-than-life character Edna Turnblad in movie musical Hairspray.

The Grease star told producers he'd only play the Baltimore, Maryland housewife if they could promise him he would be unrecognizable in the role.

And Travolta wasted no time in making sure his first film role in drag would be just what he wanted when he staged a screening for friends at his home.

He recalls, "The criteria for Edna was it had to be a woman, it could not be a man dressed up as a woman, and that meant big breasts, big ass, little waist and a full prosthetic where you really visually believed there was not a man in there.

"I showed the screen test to other people and I didn't tell them it was me.

"I showed about 10 people and I said, 'Tell me what you think of this broad that they're thinking about playing one of the parts in Hairspray,' and I'd play them the DVD and they said, 'Woah, she's something.'

"About five minutes in, I'd say, 'You know, that's me.'"