John Travolta, Kelly Preston say 'Gotti' reflects their love of family

May 15 (UPI) -- Longtime couple John Travolta and Kelly Preston say their movie Gotti reflects their own love of family.

The 64-year-old actor and 55-year-old actress, who play mobster couple John Gotti and Victoria Gotti in the new film, discussed in an interview with Variety how they connected to Gotti by drawing parallels to their own marriage.

"You want to bring the longevity, the closeness, the familiarity, and [that] comfort that you just know each other so well," Preston said of playing Gotti's wife, Victoria. "They loved their family. They both loved their kids."

Travolta and Preston married in September 1991, and have two children, Ella and Benjamin. Gotti centers on Gotti's role as boss of the Gambino crime family, although Travolta said the role proved dynamic.

"[Gotti] was a composite that was very intriguing," the actor said. "He had a lot of style, but he was down to earth. He was thoughtful, considerate, but tough as nails, and would do what he had to do."

Travolta and Preston were all smiles while attending a Cannes International Film Festival photocall for Gotti on Tuesday. The couple have previously co-starred in The Experts, From Paris with Love and other films.

"We really care deeply about each other and we protect each other," Travolta said of his marriage in an interview with Closer Weekly in November.

"Keep checking in and keep growing and changing," Preston advised. "Keep doing new things, just the two of you."