American actor (born 1957)
John Turturro
Turturro in 2025
Born John Michael Turturro
(1957-02-28 ) February 28, 1957 (age 68) Citizenship Education Occupations Actor director producer screenwriter Years active 1980–present Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) Spouse Children 2 Relatives
John Michael Turturro (/t ər ˈ t ʊər oʊ / ⓘ tər-TOOR -oh ,[ 1] Italian: [turˈturro] ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles inindependent films , as well as his frequent collaborations with theCoen brothers andSpike Lee . He has received aPrimetime Emmy Award and nominations for threeGolden Globe Awards .
He achieved 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 the 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); and portrayedSeymour Simmons in theTransformers film series (2007–2011, 2017) andCarmine Falcone inThe Batman (2022).
For his guest role in theUSA Network comedy seriesMonk , Turturro received aPrimetime Emmy Award . He has also starred in theHBO thriller miniseriesThe Night Of (2016), theHBO miniseriesThe Plot Against America (2020), and theApple TV+ thriller seriesSeverance (2022–present).
He has directed five films,Mac (1992),Illuminata (1998),Romance and Cigarettes (2005),Fading Gigolo (2013), andThe Jesus Rolls (2020).
Early life and education [ edit ] John Turturro was born on February 28, 1957 in theBrooklyn borough of New York City, the middle son of Katherine Florence (née Incerella ) and Nicholas Turturro. His mother was born in the U.S. to parents with roots inSicily , Italy, and was an amateurjazz singer who had worked in a naval yard duringWorld War II .[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] His maternal grandmother died of an unsuccessful at-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 . He died from lung cancer in 1988.[ 6]
Turturro was raised as aCatholic and moved to theRosedale section ofQueens, New York , with his family when he was 6.[ 7] He graduated from theState University of New York at New Paltz in 1979 with aBachelor of Arts in theater studies. He later did graduate study at theYale School of Drama , receiving aMaster of Fine Arts degree in 1983.
Turturro at theTribeca Film Festival in 2009 Turturro's first film appearance was a non-speakingextra role inRaging Bull (1980).[ 8] He created the title role ofJohn Patrick Shanley 'sDanny and the Deep Blue Sea at the Playwrights Conference at theEugene O'Neill Theatre Center in 1983. He repeated it the following yearOff-Broadway and won anObie Award . Turturro had a notable supporting role inWilliam Friedkin 'saction film To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), as the henchman of the villainous counterfeiter played byWillem Dafoe .
Spike Lee liked 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 thedirector and Turturro, which includes work together on a total of nine films—more than any other actor in the Leeoeuvre [ 9] —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).[ 10]
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 Management and playedJohnny Depp 's character's antagonist inSecret Window .[ 10]
Turturro hostedSaturday Night Live in 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 witnessed Turturro's test. He won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Adrian Monk's brotherAmbrose in theUSA Network seriesMonk , 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 Globes and others.[ 10]
Turturro produced and directed, as well as acted in, the filmIlluminata (1999), which also starred his wife, actressKatherine 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 Simmons in four films of theTransformers live-action series . In 2010, he directed (and had cameo on-screen appearances in)Passione , which chronicles the rich musical heritage ofNaples, Italy .[ 11] 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 .[ 9]
Turturro's fifth directorial filmFading Gigolo premiered at theToronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in mid-September 2013. Turturro also acts in the film alongsideWoody Allen , who plays a novicepimp overseeing 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".[ 8] In March 2014, Turturro received the Career Achievement tribute and award at the 31st Edition of theMiami International Film Festival at the Olympia Theater in downtownMiami .[ 12] Turturro starred in the 2016 miniseriesThe Night Of and received aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2019 Turturro played William of Baskerville ina television adaptation ofUmberto Eco 'sThe Name of the Rose .
In 2022, he appeared inMatt Reeves ' filmThe Batman based on theDC Comics character of the same name asCarmine Falcone .[ 13] In 2023 he starred as Mickey Sabbath in the off-Broadway adaptation ofPhilip Roth 's novelSabbath's Theater byThe New Group at thePershing Square Signature Center .[ 14] [ 15] Since 2022, Turturro has portrayed Irving Bailiff on the television seriesSeverance .
In spring 2025 he was filmingThe Only Living Pickpocket in New York directed byNoah Segan in New York City.[ 16] [ 17] [ 18]
Turturro's younger brother is actorNicholas Turturro . Composer and film directorRichard Termini and actressAida Turturro are his cousins.[ 19] He has two children with his wife, actress Katherine Borowitz, who moved on to a social work career in 2016.[ 7] Turturro's older brother, Ralph, resided at theCreedmoor Psychiatric Center from the early 2000s until his death in 2022.[ 6] [ 20]
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.[ 21] Turturro holds dual Italian and American citizenship as of January 2011.[ 22]
He has lived inPark Slope inBrooklyn , New York since 1988.[ 23]
Year Title Voice role Notes 2007 World War Z Serosha Garcia Alvarez
Awards and nominations [ 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.ISSN 0190-8286 .OCLC 1330888409 . ^a b The Moth (April 5, 2017).The Moth Presents: John Turturro . RetrievedMarch 16, 2025 – via YouTube. ^a b Pfefferman, Naomi (April 19, 1998)."Far Beyond Tears" .The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles . RetrievedApril 7, 2017 . ^a b Shoard, Catherine (September 12, 2013)."John Turturro on nuns, Woody Allen and middle-aged sex" .The Guardian . RetrievedSeptember 13, 2013 . ^a b Akers, W.M. (September 19, 2011). "The Long and the Short of It".The New York Observer -Fall Arts Preview . ^a b c John Turturro atIMDb ^ Scott, A. O. (June 21, 2011)."Soaring From Poverty All the Way to Ecstasy" .The New York Times .ISSN 0362-4331 . 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 . ^a b "Sabbath's Theater" .^ Alexis Soloski,"'Sabbath’s Theater' Review: John Turturro Embodies a Life and a Libido" ,The New York Times , November 3, 2023. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 9, 2025)."John Turturro To Topline MRC/T-Street Thriller 'The Only Living Pickpocket In New York' From Filmmaker Noah Segan" .Deadline . RetrievedApril 10, 2025 . ^ "What's Filming on Marine Avenue in Brooklyn - OLPNY - March 2025" . March 22, 2025. RetrievedMarch 28, 2025 .^ "The Only Living Pickpocket In New York" .Tales From The Collection . February 25, 2025. RetrievedMarch 28, 2025 .^ "Ralph Turturro" .Bergen Museum of Art and Science . 2014. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2018 .^ Lang, Brent."John Turturro on Channeling Grief for Pedro Almodovar's 'The Room Next Door' and Turning Down 'The Penguin' Because of the 'Violence Towards Women' " .Variety . Variety. RetrievedApril 10, 2025 . ^ "NYICFF Jury" . Gkids.com. RetrievedMarch 14, 2010 .^ Archived atGhostarchive and 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 . ^a b c d e "John Turturro (visual voices guide)" . Behind The Voice Actors. RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.^ Scheib, Ronnie (May 25, 2004)."Review: '2B Perfectly Honest' " .Variety . RetrievedFebruary 28, 2017 . ^ Siegel, Tatiana (May 15, 2016)."Cannes: Jenny Slate to Reunite WithObvious Child Team for ComedyLandline (Exclusive)" .The Hollywood Reporter . RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . ^ Kroll, Justin (November 16, 2017)."John Turturro and Newcomer Caren Pistorius Join Julianne Moore inGloria (EXCLUSIVE)" .Variety . RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (August 24, 2017)."Jaeden Lieberher, John Turturro to Star inThe True Adventures of Wolfboy (EXCLUSIVE)" .Variety . RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . ^ " 'Big Lebowski' Spinoff 'Going Places' Already Shooting, with John Turturro Directing and Starring as The Jesus" . indiewire.com. August 17, 2016. RetrievedAugust 17, 2016 .^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 19, 2020)."Cate Blanchett, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton & More Round Out Cast For Guillermo del Toro NetflixPinocchio Movie" .Deadline . RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . ^ Verma, Shikhar (September 29, 2022)."Forty Winks [2022] Review - A visually distinctive but inert debut feature that has nothing to say" .High On Films . RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . ^ Brooks, Xan (September 2, 2024)."The Room Next Door review – Almodóvar spins a gorgeous, fragile tale of life and death" .The Guardian . RetrievedDecember 21, 2024 . ^ Petski, Denise (October 30, 2020)." '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. Smith Amazon Series" .Variety . RetrievedJanuary 4, 2023 . ^ "John Turturro" .abouttheartists.com . RetrievedAugust 31, 2021 .^ "Critics Choice Awards: 'Nomadland', 'The Crown' Among Top Honorees – Complete Winners List" .Deadline Hollywood . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .^ "John Turturro" .Playbill . RetrievedAugust 31, 2021 .^a b c "John Turturro - Golden Globes" .Golden Globe Awards . RetrievedJuly 25, 2024 .^ "2004 Emmy Award Nominations / Winners" .Television Academy . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .^ "2017 Emmy Award Nominations / Winners" .Television Academy . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .^ "John Turturro - Emmy Awards, Nominations, and Wins" .Emmy Awards . RetrievedJuly 14, 2022 .^ "76th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF) .Television Academy . July 17, 2024. RetrievedJuly 18, 2024 .^ "2025 Emmy Award Nominations / Winners" .Television Academy . RetrievedJuly 24, 2025 .^ "John Turturro to Receive Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival" .sff.ba . July 17, 2024. RetrievedAugust 21, 2024 .^ Tinoco, Armando (August 12, 2022)."Saturn Awards Nominations: 'The Batman', 'Nightmare Alley', 'Spider-Man', 'Better Call Saul' Top List" .Deadline Hollywood . RetrievedSeptember 22, 2022 . ^ "1st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" .Screen Actors Guild Awards . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .^ "19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" .Screen Actors Guild Awards . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .^ "23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" .Screen Actors Guild Awards . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .^ "29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards" .Screen Actors Guild Awards . RetrievedJuly 25, 2025 .
Awards for John Turturro
1946–1975 1976–2000 2001–present
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