Was strongly considered for the role of Stuntman Mike in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (2007), but due to Grindhouse (2007) co-director Robert Rodriguez urging, Tarantino ultimately decided to give the role to 'Kurt Russell.' Tarantino then wrote Jarratt a small but memorable role in Django Unchained (2012).
A carpenter/builder by trade who worked on the council at the same time
he was making movies.
In the mid-late 1990s, he was well-known in Australia for co-hosting the
Home and Lifestyle TV program, Better Homes and Gardens (1995), with his then-wife, Noni Hazlehurst, from their home. During the show's run, the high-profile couple divorced and John left the show, with Noni staying on as a host until 2004.