John Michael Turturro(/tərˈtʊəroʊ/[1]Italian pronunciation:[turˈturro];born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied complex roles inindependent films.He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with theCoen brothers,Adam Sandler,andSpike Lee.He has received aPrimetime Emmy Awardand nominations for fourScreen Actors Guild Awardsand threeGolden Globe Awards.
John Turturro | |
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 Turturro at the 2024Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | John Michael Turturro February 28, 1957 New York City,U.S. |
| Citizenship |
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| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1980–present |
| Spouse |
Katherine Borowitz (m.1985) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
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He received his career breakthrough withFive Corners(1987). He acted in Spike Lee'sDo the Right Thing(1989),Mo' Better Blues(1990),Jungle Fever(1991), andClockers(1995). He also starred in Coens'Miller's Crossing(1990),Barton Fink(1991), for which he won theCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor,The Big Lebowski(1998), andO Brother, Where Art Thou?(2000). He also starred inFearless(1993),Quiz Show(1994), andGloria Bell(2018). He portrayedSeymour Simmonsin theTransformersfilm series(2007–2017) andCarmine FalconeinThe Batman(2022).
For playing the role of Ambrose Monk, Adrian Monk's brother, in theUSA NetworkseriesMonk,Turturro received thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.He starred in theHBOminiseriesThe Night Of(2016) earning a nomination forPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.He had a recurring role in theShowtimeseriesThe Plot Against America(2020), and he currently stars in theApple TV+seriesSeverance(2022–present), for which he was nominated for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seriesand aGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Television Series.
He has directed five films,Mac(1992),Illuminata(1998),Romance and Cigarettes(2005),Fading Gigolo(2013), andThe Jesus Rolls(2020).
Early life
editJohn Turturro was born on February 28, 1957, in theBrooklynborough ofNew York City, New York,the son of Katherine Florence (Incerella) and Nicholas Turturro. His mother was born in the U.S. to Sicilian parents with roots inSicily,and was an amateurjazzsinger who had worked in a naval yard duringWorld War II.[2][3][4]His maternal grandmother died of a botched home abortion when his mother was six, leaving his mother in an orphanage, as his grandfather was unable to provide for the children on his own.[5]His father had emigrated at age six fromGiovinazzo,Italy to the United States, and later worked as a carpenter and construction worker before joining theU.S. Navy.
Turturro was raised aCatholicand moved to theRosedalesection ofQueens, New York,with his family when he was 6.[6]He majored in theatre arts at theState University of New York at New Paltzand completed hisMFAat theYale School of Drama.
Career
edit
Turturro's first film appearance was a non-speakingextrarole inMartin Scorsese's critically acclaimedRaging Bull(1980).[7]He created the title role ofJohn Patrick Shanley'sDanny and the Deep Blue Seaat the Playwrights Conference at theEugene O'NeillTheatre Center in 1983. He repeated it the following yearOff-Broadwayand won anObie Award.Turturro had a notable supporting role inWilliam Friedkin'saction filmTo Live and Die in L.A.(1985), as the henchman of the villainous counterfeiter played byWillem Dafoe.
Spike Leeliked Turturro's performance inFive Corners(1987) so much that he cast him inDo the Right Thing(1989). This movie was the first of a long-standing collaboration between thedirectorand Turturro, which includes work together on a total of nine films—more than any other actor in the Leeoeuvre[8]—includingMo' Better Blues(1990),Jungle Fever(1991),Clockers(1995),Girl 6(1996),He Got Game(1998),Summer of Sam(1999),She Hate Me(2004), andMiracle at St. Anna(2008).[9]
Turturro has appeared in both comedy and drama films, and engaged in an extended collaboration with theCoen Brothers—he appeared in their filmsMiller's Crossing(1990),Barton Fink(1991, in the lead role),The Big Lebowski(1998), andO Brother, Where Art Thou?(2000). Turturro has also appeared in several ofAdam Sandler's movies, such asMr. Deeds(2002) andYou Don't Mess with the Zohan(2008). He played a severely disturbed patient ofJack Nicholson's character in the comedyAnger Managementand playedJohnny Depp's character's antagonist inSecret Window.[9]
Turturro hostedSaturday Night Livein 1994, where he spoofed his then-recently made film,Quiz Show,being told he was ineligible to host unless he answered questions in a booth and if he failed, the honor of hosting would go toJoey Buttafuoco,who was actually backstage to witness Turturro's test. He won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Adrian Monk's brotherAmbrosein theUSA NetworkseriesMonk,and reprised the role on numerous occasions. He has also been nominated and won many awards from film organizations such asScreen Actors Guild,Cannes Film Festival,Golden Globesand others.[9]
Turturro produced and directed, as well as acted in, the filmIlluminata(1999), which also starred his wife, actress Katherine Borowitz. He wrote and directed the filmRomance and Cigarettes(2005). In 2006 he appeared inRobert De Niro'sThe Good Shepherd,and as the Sector 7 agentSeymour Simmonsin four films of theTransformerslive-action series.In 2010, he directed (and had cameo on-screen appearances in)Passione,which chronicles the rich musical heritage ofNaples, Italy.[10]His stage directorial debut was in October 2011, with the Broadway playRelatively Speaking,in which he guided an ensemble of veteran actors in a production of three comedic one-act plays, written byElaine May,Woody Allen,andEthan Coen.The cast includedJulie Kavner,Marlo Thomas,Mark Linn-Baker,andSteve Guttenberg.[8]
Turturro's fifth directorial filmFading Gigolopremiered at theToronto International Film Festival (TIFF)in mid-September 2013. Turturro also acts in the film alongsideWoody Allen,who plays a novicepimpoverseeing the sex work of Turturro's character. During a September 2013 interview, Turturro expressed his intention to draw parallels between sex work and acting, explaining that the latter is a "service business" in which actors are "acting out people's wishes or fantasies".[7]In March 2014, Turturro received the Career Achievement tribute and award at the 31st Edition of theMiami International Film Festivalat the Olympia Theater in downtownMiami.[11]Turturro starred in the 2016 miniseriesThe Night Ofand received aPrimetime Emmy Awardnomination. In 2019 Turturro played William of Baskerville ina television adaptationofUmberto Eco'sThe Name of the Rose.
In 2022, he appeared inMatt Reeves' filmThe Batmanbased on theDC Comicscharacter of the same nameasCarmine Falcone.[12]In 2023 he starred as Mickey Sabbath in the off-Broadway adaptation ofPhilip Roth's novelSabbath's TheaterbyThe New Groupat thePershing Square Signature Center.[13][14]
Personal life
editTurturro's brother is actorNicholas Turturro.Composer and film directorRichard Terminiand actressAida Turturroare his cousins.[15]He has one son and one daughter with his wife, actress Katherine Borowitz, who moved on to a social work career in 2016.[6]
John Turturro participates as a member of the Jury for theNew York International Children's Film Festival(NYICFF), which is dedicated to screening films for children between the ages of 3 and 18.[16]Turturro holds dual Italian and American citizenship as of January 2011.[17]
He has lived inPark SlopeinBrooklyn,New York since 1988.[18]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Raging Bull | Man at table | Uncredited |
| 1984 | Exterminator 2 | Guy #1 | |
| 1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Ted From Pinky's | |
| 1985 | Desperately Seeking Susan | Ray | |
| To Live and Die in L.A. | Carl Cody | ||
| 1986 | Hannah and Her Sisters | Writer | |
| The Color of Money | Julian | ||
| Gung Ho | Willie | ||
| Off Beat | Neil Pepper | ||
| 1987 | Five Corners | Heinz Zabantino | |
| The Sicilian | Pisciotta | ||
| 1989 | Do the Right Thing | Pino | |
| 1990 | Catchfire | Pinella | |
| State of Grace | Detective Nick Richardson | ||
| Mo' Better Blues | 'Moe' Flatbush | ||
| Miller's Crossing | Bernie 'The Shamata Kid' Bernbaum | ||
| 1991 | Men of Respect | Mike Battaglia | |
| Jungle Fever | Paulie Carbone | ||
| Barton Fink | Barton Fink | ||
| 1992 | Mac | Niccolò Vitelli | Also director and writer |
| Brain Donors | Roland T. Flakfizer | ||
| 1993 | Being Human | Lucinnius | |
| Fearless | Bill Pearlman | ||
| 1994 | Quiz Show | Herb Stempel | |
| The Search for One-eye Jimmy | Disco Bean | ||
| 1995 | Search and Destroy | Ron | |
| Unstrung Heroes | Sidney Lidz | ||
| Clockers | Detective Larry Mazilli | ||
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Murray | |
| Box of Moonlight | Al Fountain | ||
| Grace of My Heart | Joel Milner | ||
| 1997 | Lesser Prophets | Leon | |
| The Truce | Primo Levi | ||
| 1998 | Illuminata | Tuccio | Also director, writer and producer |
| Rounders | Joey Knish | ||
| He Got Game | Billy Sunday | ||
| OK Garage | Jonny | ||
| The Big Lebowski | Jesus Quintana | ||
| Animals | Tuxedo Man | ||
| 1999 | Summer of Sam | Harvey The Dog | Voice |
| Cradle Will Rock | Aldo Silvana | ||
| 2000 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Pete | |
| The Man Who Cried | Dante Dominio | ||
| Company Man | Crocker Johnson | ||
| Two Thousand and None | Benjamin Kasparian | ||
| The Luzhin Defence | Alexander Luzhin | ||
| 2001 | Monkeybone | Monkeybone | Voice |
| Thirteen Conversations About One Thing | Walker | ||
| 2002 | Collateral Damage | Sean Armstrong | |
| Mr. Deeds | Emilio Lopez | ||
| 2003 | Fear X | Harry | |
| Anger Management | Chuck | ||
| Opopomoz | John | Voice | |
| 2004 | Secret Passage | Paolo Zane | |
| Secret Window | John Shooter | ||
| She Hate Me | Don Angelo Bonasera | ||
| 2BPerfectlyHonest[19] | Sal / Roberto | ||
| 2005 | Romance and Cigarettes | Male Dancer & Singer | Also director, writer and producer |
| The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation | Son | Voice; Short film | |
| 2006 | The Good Shepherd | Ray Brocco | |
| A Few Days in September | William Pound | ||
| 2007 | Transformers | Agent Seymour Simmons | |
| Margot at the Wedding | Jim | ||
| Slipstream | Harvey Brickman | ||
| Joulutarina | Iisakki | Voice; English dub | |
| 2008 | What Just Happened | Dick Bell | |
| You Don't Mess With The Zohan | Fatoush 'The Phantom' Hakbarah | ||
| Miracle at St. Anna | Detective Antonio 'Tony' Ricci | ||
| 2009 | The Taking of Pelham 123 | Lieutenant Vincent Camonetti | |
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Seymour Simmons | ||
| Rehearsal for a Sicilian Tragedy | Himself | Documentary; also writer and executive producer | |
| 2010 | Passione | Himself / narrator | Documentary; also director and co-writer |
| The Nutcracker in 3D | The Rat King | ||
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Francesco Bernoulli | Voice |
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Seymour Simmons | ||
| Somewhere Tonight | Leroy | ||
| 2013 | Fading Gigolo | Fioravante | Also director and writer |
| Gods Behaving Badly | Hades | ||
| 2014 | God's Pocket | Arthur 'Bird' Capezio | |
| Exodus: Gods and Kings | Seti I | ||
| Rio, I Love You | Homem | Segment "Quando não há Mais Amor"; also director and writer | |
| 2015 | Mia Madre | Barry Huggins | |
| Partly Cloudy with Sunny Spells | Lombelli | ||
| The Ridiculous 6 | Abner Doubleday | ||
| 2016 | Hands of Stone | Frankie Carbo | |
| 2017 | Landline | Alan Jacobs | |
| Hair | John Turturro | Short film; also director and writer | |
| Transformers: The Last Knight | Seymour Simmons | ||
| 2018 | Gloria Bell | Arnold | |
| 2019 | The True Adventures of Wolfboy | Mr. Silk | |
| The Jesus Rolls | Jesus Quintana | Also director and writer[20] | |
| 2022 | The Batman | Carmine Falcone | |
| Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio | Dottore | Voice | |
| Forty Winks | Milo | ||
| 2024 | The Room Next Door | Damian Cunningham | Filming |
| The Cut | Boz |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Miami Vice | David Traynor | Episode: "Rites of Passage" |
| 1988 | The Fortunate Pilgrim | Larry | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Saturday Night Live | Himself / host | Episode: "John Turturro/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers" |
| 1995 | Sugartime | Sam Giancana | Television film |
| 2001 | Biography | Narrator | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | Monday Night Mayhem | Howard Cosell | Television film |
| Frasier | Grant (voice) | Episode: "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | |
| 2004–08 | Monk | Ambrose Monk | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | The Bronx Is Burning | Billy Martin | 8 episodes |
| Flight of the Conchords | Credits Cop | Episode: "The Actor" | |
| 2016 | The New Yorker Presents | Patient | Episode: "#1.8" |
| The Night Of | John Stone | 8 episodes | |
| 2017 | Difficult People | Dusty | Episode: "Bernie and Blythe" |
| 2019 | The Name of the Rose | William of Baskerville | 8 episodes; also writer and executive producer |
| Green Eggs and Ham | Goat (voice) | 6 episodes | |
| 2020 | The Plot Against America | Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf | 6 episodes |
| 2022–present | Severance | Irving Bailiff | Main role[21] |
| 2024 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Eric Shane | Episode: "Second Date"[22] |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Francesco Bernoulli |
Audiobooks
edit| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | World War Z | Serosha Garcia Alvarez |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Danny and the Deep Blue Sea | Danny | Circle in the Square Theatre,Off-Broadway | [23] |
| 1998 | Waiting for Godot | Estragon | Classic Stage Company,Off-Broadway | |
| 2003 | Life x 3 | Henry | Circle in the Square Theatre,Broadway | |
| 2007 | A Spanish Play | Director | Classic Stage Company,Off-Broadway | |
| 2011 | The Cherry Orchard | Yermolai Alekaseyevich Lopakhin | Classic Stage Company,Off-Broadway | |
| 2011–12 | Relatively Speaking | Director | Brooks Atkinson Theatre,Broadway | |
| 2013 | The Master Builder | Halvard Solness | Brooklyn Academy of Music,Brooklyn | |
| 2015 | Zorba! | Zorba | New York City Center,Concert Staging | |
| 2023 | Sabbath's Theater | Mickey Sabbath | Signature Theatre Company,Off-Broadway | [24] |
Awards and nominations
editThis section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitationsforverification.(January 2021) |
References
edit- ^"John Turturro's 'Passione': Going Behind the Lens With" The Big Lebowski "Actor Turned Director"onYouTube
- ^"TURTURRO BURNS THROUGH THREE VERSIONS OF REALITY IN 'LIFE (X) 3'".Saint Paul Pioneer Press. June 1, 2003.RetrievedMarch 27,2009.
- ^"John Turturro Biography - Yahoo! Movies".Movies.yahoo.com. February 28, 1957.RetrievedMarch 14,2010.
- ^Stated onFinding Your Roots,October 31, 2017
- ^John Turturro (July 8, 2022)."My grandmother's botched abortion transformed three generations".The Washington Post.Washington, D.C.ISSN0190-8286.OCLC1330888409.
- ^abPfefferman, Naomi (April 19, 1998)."Far Beyond Tears".The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.RetrievedApril 7,2017.
- ^abShoard, Catherine (September 12, 2013)."John Turturro on nuns, Woody Allen and middle-aged sex".The Guardian.RetrievedSeptember 13,2013.
- ^abAkers, W.M. (September 19, 2011). "The Long and the Short of It".The New York Observer -Fall Arts Preview.
- ^abcJohn TurturroatIMDb
- ^Scott, A. O. (June 21, 2011)."Soaring From Poverty All the Way to Ecstasy".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJanuary 28,2022.
- ^Morgenstern, Hans."John Turturro Receives Career Tribute Award at Miami International Film Festival".Miami New Times.RetrievedJanuary 28,2022.
- ^Scarnato, Ryden (March 28, 2020)."The Batman: John Turturro Opens Up About His Role As Carmine Falcone".Heroic Hollywood.RetrievedMarch 6,2022.
- ^Sabbath's Theater
- ^Alexis Soloski,"'Sabbath’s Theater' Review: John Turturro Embodies a Life and a Libido",The New York Times,November 3, 2023.
- ^"Ralph Turturro".Bergen Museum of Art and Science.2014.RetrievedFebruary 23,2018.
- ^"NYICFF Jury".Gkids.com.RetrievedMarch 14,2010.
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"John Turturro and His New Italian Passport".YouTube. January 27, 2011.RetrievedAugust 15,2012.
- ^Hettich, Colter (April 25, 2017)."John Turturro talks about Brooklyn's past and future while riding the B train".AM NY.RetrievedMarch 14,2019.
- ^Scheib, Ronnie (May 25, 2004)."Review: '2B Perfectly Honest'".Variety.RetrievedFebruary 28,2017.
- ^"'Big Lebowski' Spinoff 'Going Places' Already Shooting, with John Turturro Directing and Starring as The Jesus ".indiewire.com. August 17, 2016.RetrievedAugust 17,2016.
- ^‘Severance’: John Turturro To Star In Apple Drama Series
- ^Otterson, Joe (June 29, 2022)."Michaela Coel, John Turturro, Paul Dano Join Donald Glover & Maya Erskine inMr. and Mrs. SmithAmazon Series ".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 4,2023.
- ^"John Turturro".abouttheartists.com.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
- ^"Sabbath's Theater".
- ^"John Turturro".Playbill.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
- ^"John Turturro - Emmy Awards, Nominations, and Wins".Emmy Awards.RetrievedJuly 14,2022.
- ^Tinoco, Armando (August 12, 2022)."Saturn Awards Nominations: 'The Batman', 'Nightmare Alley', 'Spider-Man', 'Better Call Saul' Top List".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedSeptember 22,2022.
- ^"Winners & Nominees 2023".www.goldenglobes.com.RetrievedDecember 13,2022.
- ^"76th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List"(PDF).Television Academy.July 17, 2024.RetrievedJuly 18,2024.
- ^"John Turturro to Receive Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival".sff.ba.July 17, 2024.RetrievedAugust 21,2024.
External links
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