Dalton Gardens boy stars in John Travolta’s new aviation adventure film
A Dalton Gardens boy landed the lead in a John Travolta aviation film, after local theater ties and a surprise screen test opened a rare Hollywood door.
Clark Shotwell of Dalton Gardens has landed a role most North Idaho child actors only dream about: the starring part of Jeff in Propeller One-Way Night Coach, a family adventure film written, co-produced and directed by John Travolta. The project gave Kootenai County a rare national spotlight, with a local boy at the center of a movie that premiered in Cannes and then went global on Apple TV.
Apple describes the film as a story set in the golden age of aviation, following a young airplane enthusiast, Jeff, played by newcomer Shotwell, and his mother, Kelly Eviston-Quinnett, on a one-way cross-country trip to Hollywood. Along the way, the movie folds in airline meals, charming flight attendants, and unexpected stopovers that turn the journey into a cross-country adventure.
For Shotwell, the role was more than a credit. He said he was shocked when he learned he had gotten the part and described the experience as a major step toward a possible acting future. He also said film acting differs from stage work because movies allow multiple takes, while theater happens live and only once.
The opportunity grew out of local connections rather than a traditional Hollywood casting pipeline. Shotwell submitted clips through Ellen Travolta, who lives nearby and knew his mother through Christmas-show work in Coeur d’Alene. From there, Clark and his mother flew to Florida to meet Travolta, took part in a script reading, and later learned he had been cast.
That path matters for families in North Idaho because Shotwell was not starting from scratch. He had already performed in local theatrical productions, and his family had been involved in holiday shows at The Coeur d’Alene Resort produced by Ellen Travolta. In a region where most young performers build experience in school stages, church productions and community theater, Shotwell’s jump from local holiday work to a Travolta film shows how those early opportunities can lead to something far bigger.
Apple says the film had its world premiere at the Festival de Cannes on May 15, 2026, and began streaming globally on Apple TV on May 29. The company also said John Travolta was honored at Cannes with the Honorary Palme d’Or. Shotwell’s role places Dalton Gardens on a much larger stage, and gives local parents and young performers a clear example of how talent, preparation and hometown connections can turn a small-stage start into a major screen opportunity.
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