2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
John Turturro is an American actor, director, screenwriter and producer of Italian origin. Best known for his roles in films directed by Spike Lee and the Coen brothers and the Transformers film series, he also frequently appears in films starring Adam Sandler. Emmy Award Winner, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominee.
Childhood and youth
John Turturro was born on February 28, 1957 in Brooklyn, New York. Both the father and mother of the actor are purebred Italians. At the age of six, he moved with his family to the Queens area, where he spent his childhood.
After graduating from high school, he entered the State University of New York, where he studied theater arts. After studying at the School of Drama at the prestigious Yale University.
Career start
John Turturro's first film was Raging Bull. In the sports drama by Martin Scorsese, which brought Robert de Niro a second Oscar, a young actorappeared as an extra actor.
In subsequent years, Turturro appeared in supporting roles in the tragicomedy Desperately Seeking Susan, William Friedkin's neo-noir To Live and Die in L. A., Martin Scorsese's sports drama The Color of Money, and Woody Allen's comedy Hannah and her sisters.
In 1987, the young actor received one of the central roles in the crime drama Five Corners. It was after this work that he was noticed by the young director Spike Lee, who invited John Turturro to his new film Do the Right Thing.
First successes
"Do the Right Thing" became a hit in the independent box office, winning several prestigious awards and subsequently being included in the list of the best films of all time. After that, eight more films directed by Spike Lee appeared in the filmography of John Turturro.
In 1990, another fruitful collaboration in the career of an actor began. He played one of the central roles in the crime drama of the Coen brothers "Miller's Crossing". For this work, he was nominated for the National Council of Film Critics Award as the best supporting actor.
International recognition
In 1991, John Turturro starred in the Coen brothers' film "Barton Fink". At the Cannes Film Festival, the picture won the main prize, and John himself won the award for best male role.
In 1994, Turturro played in the dramaRobert Redford "TV show". For this work, he was nominated for the Golden Globe and several other prestigious awards.
In subsequent years, the actor continued to appear mainly in independent and festival films. Turturro's most striking work in the late nineties was Jesus Quintano in the cult crime comedy The Big Lebowski. The actor appeared in just one scene, but it became a real classic, which is often quoted by fans of the picture, and the photo of John Turturro in the image of Jesus became the basis for many memes on the Internet.
Also in the late nineties, the actor began to collaborate frequently with comedian Adam Sandler, later he appeared in such films with the participation of the actor as "Millionaire Reluctantly", "Anger Management", "You Don't Mess with the Zohan" and others.
In 2000, Turturro played one of the main roles in the musical comedy of the Coen brothers "Oh, where are you, brother?". At the moment, this is the last joint project between John and the director duo.
In 2004, the actor appeared as a guest star in the comedy series "Detective Monk", where he played the role of the protagonist's brother. For this performance, he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
In 2007, John Turturro appeared in the Michael Bay blockbuster "Transformers" as FBI agent Seymour Simmons. Subsequently, he returned in three sequels to the picture.
Recent work
In 2014, the actor appeared in Ridley Scott's big-budget biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings. He also acted as an actor in several animation projects, among which "Cars 2" can be distinguished.
In 2016, HBO released a detective series starring John Turturro, "Once Upon a Night". The project became a real hit, and the actor was nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe awards for his work.
In the near future, the release of the drama "Gloria Bell" is scheduled, where John Turturro played one of the main roles. Also in production is The Big Lebowski's Jesús Quintano spin-off, with Turturro also writing and directing.
Director's work
In 1992, John Turturro's first directorial project "Poppy" was released, where he himself played the main role. The film won the Best Debut Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1998, Turturro again directed the romantic comedy "Illuminata" according to his own script, where he also played the main role. The film competed in the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005, Turturro's new work, the musical Love and Cigarettes, was released. This time the main roles were played by James Gandolfini, Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon. The film competed at the Venice Film Festival and received mixed reviews from critics.
In 2013 John wrote and directed a comedy"Under the Mask of a Gigolo", where he played a major role with Woody Allen. A year later, he became the director of one of the novellas of the film almanac "Rio, I love you".
Private life
Since 1985, John Turturro has been married to actress Katherine Borrowitz. The couple have two children, sons Amedeo and Diego. Both starred in their father's directorial projects.
John's younger brother, Nicholas Turturro, is also an actor. He is best known for starring in the TV series NYPD Blue. Cousin Aida Turturro is also an actress, famous for her role as the protagonist's sister in the TV series The Sopranos. John's other famous cousin is composer Richard Tremini, who has worked with many famous musicians.
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