John Turturro is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer of Italian descent. Best known for participating in the films of directors Spike Lee and the Cohen brothers and the Transformers series, he also often appears in films starring Adam Sandler. Winner of the Emmy Award, nominee for the Golden Globe Award and the US Actors Guild Award.
Childhood and youth
John Turturro was born February 28, 1957 in Brooklyn, New York. Both 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 University of New York, where he studied theatrical art. After he studied at the School of Drama at the prestigious Yale University.
Carier start
John Turturro's first film was Raging Bull. In Martin Scorsese’s sports drama, which brought Robert de Niro a second Oscar, the young actor appeared as an extras actor.
In subsequent years, Turturro appeared in supporting roles in the tragicomedy Desperate for Susan, William Fridkin’s neo-noir Live and Die in Los Angeles, Martin Scorsese’s sports drama 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 It Right.
First successes
“Do it right” became a real hit of independent distribution, received several prestigious awards and subsequently entered the list of best films of all time. After that, another eight films made by Spike Lee appeared in John Turturro's filmography.
In 1990, another fruitful collaboration began in the career of an actor. He played one of the central roles in the criminal drama of the Cohen brothers "Miller's Crossroads". For this work, he was nominated for a prize by the National Council of Film Critics as the best supporting actor.
International recognition
In 1991, John Turturro starred in the Cohen Brothers film "Barton Fink." At the Cannes Film Festival, the picture received the main prize, and John himself won the award for best male role.
In 1994, Turturro played in the drama Robert Redford "Quiz." For this work, he was nominated for a Golden Globe and several other prestigious awards.
In subsequent years, the actor continued to act mainly in independent and festival films. Turturro's most striking work of the late nineties is Jesus Quintano in the cult crime comedy Big Lebowski. The actor appeared in only 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 often collaborate with comedian Adam Sandler, later he appeared in such films with the participation of the actor as “A Millionaire Involuntarily,” “Management of Anger,” “Don't Mess with Zohan,” and others.
In 2000, Turturro played a major role in the musical comedy of the Cohen brothers "Oh, where are you, brother?" At the moment, this is the last joint project of John and the director's duet.
In 2004, the actor as a guest star appeared in the comedy series Detective Monk, where he played the role of the protagonist’s brother. For this work, he received an Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.
In 2007, John Turturro appeared in Michael Bay's blockbuster Transformers as FBI Agent Seymour Simmons. He subsequently returned in three sequels to the picture.
Recent work
In 2014, the actor appeared in Ridley Scott's large-budget biblical epic, Exodus: Kings and Gods. He also acted as an actor in several animated projects, among which are Cars 2.
In 2016, a detective series was released on HBO with John Turturro starring One Night. The project was a real hit, and the actor was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe Award for his work.
In the near future, the release of the drama "Gloria Bell" is planned, where John Turturro played one of the main roles. Also in production is the Big Lebowski spin-off about Jesus Quintano, where Turturro also acts as a screenwriter and director.
Director's work
In 1992, the first directorial project of John Turturro "Mac" was released, where he himself played the main role. The film received an award for the best debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1998, Turturro again shot in his own script the romantic comedy "Illuminati", where he also played a major role. The film participated in the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005, the new work of the Turturro director, the musical Love and Cigarettes, was released. This time, the main roles were played by James Gandolfini, Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon. The film participated in the Venice Film Festival competition and received mixed reviews from critics.
In 2013, John wrote and directed the comedy Under the Mask of a Gigolo, where he starred with Woody Allen. A year later, he became the director of one of the short stories of the film almanac "Rio, I love you."
Personal life
Since 1985, John Turturro married actress Katherine Borrowitz. The couple has two children, sons Amedeo and Diego. Both starred in his father's directorial projects.
John's younger brother, Nicholas Turturro, is also an actor. Best known for starring in the series "The New York Police." The cousin Aida Turturro is also an actress, became famous thanks to the role of the sister of the protagonist in the series "Soprano Clan". Another famous cousin of John is the composer Richard Tremini, who worked with many famous musicians.