John Turturro
Encyclopedia
John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing
(1989), Miller's Crossing
(1990), Barton Fink
(1991), Quiz Show
(1994), The Big Lebowski
(1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou?
(2000) and the Transformers film series
. He has appeared in over sixty films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers
, Adam Sandler
and Spike Lee
.
singer who worked in a Navy yard during World War II
, and Nicholas Turturro, a carpenter and construction worker who fought as a Navy sailor in D-Day
. Turturro's mother was Sicilian (from Aragona
near Agrigento) and his father emigrated from Giovinazzo
, Bari
, Italy
at the age of six. Turturro was raised a Roman Catholic and moved to the Rosedale
section of Queens, New York with his family when he was six. He majored in drama at the State University of New York at New Paltz
, and completed his MFA
at the Yale School of Drama
. He first appeared on film working as an extra
in Martin Scorsese
's critically acclaimed Raging Bull (1980).
's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at the Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill
Theatre Center in 1983. He repeated it the following year Off-Broadway
and won an Obie Award
. Spike Lee
liked Turturro's performance in Five Corners so much that he chose to cast him in Do the Right Thing
. This movie was the first of a long-standing collaboration between the famous director
and Turturro, which includes work together on a total of nine films--more than any other actor in the Lee oeuvre-- including Mo' Better Blues
(1990), Jungle Fever
(1991), Clockers (1995), Girl 6
(1996), He Got Game
(1998), Summer of Sam
(1999), She Hate Me
(2004), and Miracle at St. Anna
(2008).
A versatile actor comfortable with both comedy and drama, Turturro also had an extended collaboration with the Coen Brothers
, appearing in their films Miller's Crossing
(1990), Barton Fink
(1991), The Big Lebowski
(1998), and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
(2000). He has also appeared in several of Adam Sandler
's movies, such as Mr. Deeds
(2002) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan
(2008). He played a severely disturbed patient of Jack Nicholson
's in the comedy Anger Management
and played Johnny Depp
's antagonist in Secret Window
. Turturro hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994, where he spoofed his recent 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 to Joey Buttafuoco
, who was actually backstage to witness Turturro's test.
He won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Adrian Monk's brother Ambrose Monk in the USA Network
series Monk
, and has reprised the role on numerous occasions. He has also been nominated and won many awards from film organizations such as Screen Actors Guild
, Cannes Film Festival
, Golden Globes and others.
Turturro produced and directed, as well as acted in, the film Illuminata
(1999), which also starred his wife Katherine Borowitz. He wrote and directed the film Romance and Cigarettes (2005). In 2006 he appeared in Robert De Niro
's The Good Shepherd
, and as the Sector 7 agent Simmons in three films of the Transformers live-action series
. In 2010 he directed (and had cameo on-screen appearances in) Passione, which chronicles the rich musical heritage of Naples, Italy.
As a stage director, his Broadway debut is set for October 2011 with "Relatively Speaking," in which he will guide an ensemble of veteran actors in a production of three comedic one-act plays, written by Elaine May
, Woody Allen
and Ethan Coen. The cast includes Julie Kavner
, Marlo Thomas
, Mark Linn-Baker
and Steve Guttenberg
.
. Actress Aida Turturro
and artist Ralph Turturro are his cousins. He has two children, Amedeo (born 1990) and Diego (born 2000), with his wife, actress Katherine Borowitz.
Turturro participates as a member of the Jury for the NYICFF, a local New York City Film Festival dedicated to screening films for children between the ages of 3 and 18. He and his brother Nicholas are avid New York Yankees
fans.
Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing is a 1989 American dramedy produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, who is also a featured actor in the film. Other members of the cast include Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. It is also notably the...
(1989), Miller's Crossing
Miller's Crossing
Miller's Crossing is a 1990 American gangster film by the Coen brothers and starring Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden, Jon Polito and John Turturro...
(1990), Barton Fink
Barton Fink
Barton Fink is a 1991 American film, written, directed, and produced by the Coen brothers. Set in 1941, it stars John Turturro in the title role as a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts for a movie studio in Hollywood, and John Goodman as Charlie, the insurance salesman who...
(1991), Quiz Show
Quiz Show
Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...
(1994), The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
(1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely...
(2000) and the Transformers film series
Transformers (film series)
Transformers is an American film franchise directed by Michael Bay, and based on the toys created by Hasbro and Takara Tomy. The first film, Transformers, was released in 2007, the second film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, in 2009, and the third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011...
. He has appeared in over sixty films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers
Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
, Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
and Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
.
Early life
Turturro was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Katherine, an amateur jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer who worked in a Navy yard during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and Nicholas Turturro, a carpenter and construction worker who fought as a Navy sailor in D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. Turturro's mother was Sicilian (from Aragona
Aragona
Aragona is a small commune in the province of Agrigento in the Italian island of Sicily. Aragona is known in the Sicilian language as Aragunaor Raona...
near Agrigento) and his father emigrated from Giovinazzo
Giovinazzo
Giovinazzo is a port city situated on the Adriatic coast in the region of Apulia, southern Italy. Giovinazzo lies 18 km WNW of the provincial capital of Bari, and is adjacent to the city ofMolfetta.-History:...
, Bari
Province of Bari
The Province of Bari is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari.It has an area of 5,138 km², and a total population of 1,594,109 . There are 48 comuni in the province, see Comuni of the Province of Bari...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
at the age of six. Turturro was raised a Roman Catholic and moved to the Rosedale
Rosedale, Queens
Rosedale is a suburban neighborhood in Queens. The neighborhood is on the Nassau County, New York - Queens border and is part of Queens Community Board 13.- History :...
section of Queens, New York with his family when he was six. He majored in drama at the State University of New York at New Paltz
State University of New York at New Paltz
The State University of New York at New Paltz, known as SUNY New Paltz for short, is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It was founded in 1828 as the School for teaching of classics. In 1885, the New Paltz Normal and Training School was established as a school to prepare teachers for the...
, and completed his MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
at the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
. He first appeared on film working as an extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
in Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's critically acclaimed Raging Bull (1980).
Career
Turturro created the title role of John Patrick ShanleyJohn Patrick Shanley
John Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He also contributed articles on the performing arts to The New York Times among other publications.-Life and career:...
's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at the Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
Theatre Center in 1983. He repeated it the following year Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
and won an Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
. Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
liked Turturro's performance in Five Corners so much that he chose to cast him in Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing is a 1989 American dramedy produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, who is also a featured actor in the film. Other members of the cast include Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. It is also notably the...
. This movie was the first of a long-standing collaboration between the famous director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and Turturro, which includes work together on a total of nine films--more than any other actor in the Lee oeuvre-- including Mo' Better Blues
Mo' Better Blues
Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 drama film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also directed. It follows a period in the life of a fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career...
(1990), Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever is a 1991 American drama film directed by Spike Lee, starring Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra. It was Lee's fifth feature-length film. The film mainly explores interracial relationships...
(1991), Clockers (1995), Girl 6
Girl 6 (film)
Girl 6 is a 1996 American film by director Spike Lee about a phone sex operator. Theresa Randle played the title character, and playwright Suzan-Lori Parks wrote the screenplay. The soundtrack is composed entirely of songs written by Prince. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section...
(1996), He Got Game
He Got Game
He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife...
(1998), Summer of Sam
Summer of Sam
Summer of Sam is a 1999 crime-drama based around the Son of Sam serial murders. It was directed and produced by Spike Lee.-Plot:Summer of Sam is the story of a group of people in New York City in the summer of 1977, a time when the headlines were dominated by the Son of Sam serial killer...
(1999), She Hate Me
She Hate Me
She Hate Me is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling and John Turturro....
(2004), and Miracle at St. Anna
Miracle at St. Anna
Miracle at St. Anna is a 2008 war film, directed by Spike Lee and written by James McBride, based on McBride's novel of the same name. The film was released on September 26, 2008, and is set during World War II, in fall of 1944 in Tuscany and in the winter of 1983 in New York City and Rome...
(2008).
A versatile actor comfortable with both comedy and drama, Turturro also had an extended collaboration with the Coen Brothers
Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
, appearing in their films Miller's Crossing
Miller's Crossing
Miller's Crossing is a 1990 American gangster film by the Coen brothers and starring Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden, Jon Polito and John Turturro...
(1990), Barton Fink
Barton Fink
Barton Fink is a 1991 American film, written, directed, and produced by the Coen brothers. Set in 1941, it stars John Turturro in the title role as a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts for a movie studio in Hollywood, and John Goodman as Charlie, the insurance salesman who...
(1991), The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
(1998), and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely...
(2000). He has also appeared in several of Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
's movies, such as Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds
Mr. Deeds is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Steven Brill and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder. The movie, which is loosely a remake of the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, also stars Peter Gallagher, John Turturro, Allen Covert and Steve Buscemi...
(2002) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
(2008). He played a severely disturbed patient of Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's in the comedy Anger Management
Anger Management
Anger Management is a 2003 slapstick comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman...
and played Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
's antagonist in Secret Window
Secret Window
Secret Window is a 2004 psychological horror film starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. It was written and directed by David Koepp, based on the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King, featuring a musical score by Philip Glass and Geoff Zanelli. The story appeared in King's...
. Turturro hosted Saturday Night Live in 1994, where he spoofed his recent 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 to Joey Buttafuoco
Joey Buttafuoco
Joseph A. "Joey" Buttafuoco is an auto body shop owner from the USA, notable for his affair with Amy Fisher , who subsequently shot Joey's wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco , in the face.-Incident:...
, who was actually backstage to witness Turturro's test.
He won an Emmy award for his portrayal of Adrian Monk's brother Ambrose Monk in the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
series Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, and has reprised the role on numerous occasions. He has also been nominated and won many awards from film organizations such as Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
, Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, Golden Globes and others.
Turturro produced and directed, as well as acted in, the film Illuminata
Illuminata (film)
Illuminata is a 1998 romantic comedy film directed by John Turturro and written by Brandon Cole and John Turturro, based on Cole's play. The cinematographer was Harris Savides...
(1999), which also starred his wife Katherine Borowitz. He wrote and directed the film Romance and Cigarettes (2005). In 2006 he appeared in Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
's The Good Shepherd
The Good Shepherd (film)
The Good Shepherd is a 2006 spy film directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie, with an extensive supporting cast. Although it is a fictional film loosely based on real events, it is advertised as telling the untold story of the birth of counter-intelligence in the...
, and as the Sector 7 agent Simmons in three films of the Transformers live-action series
Transformers (film series)
Transformers is an American film franchise directed by Michael Bay, and based on the toys created by Hasbro and Takara Tomy. The first film, Transformers, was released in 2007, the second film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, in 2009, and the third film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2011...
. In 2010 he directed (and had cameo on-screen appearances in) Passione, which chronicles the rich musical heritage of Naples, Italy.
As a stage director, his Broadway debut is set for October 2011 with "Relatively Speaking," in which he will guide an ensemble of veteran actors in a production of three comedic one-act plays, written by Elaine May
Elaine May
Elaine May is an American film director, screenwriter and actress. She achieved her greatest fame in the 1950s from her improvisational comedy routines in partnership with Mike Nichols...
, Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
and Ethan Coen. The cast includes Julie Kavner
Julie Kavner
Julie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...
, Marlo Thomas
Marlo Thomas
Margaret Julia “Marlo” Thomas is an American actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series That Girl . She also serves as National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
, Mark Linn-Baker
Mark Linn-Baker
Mark Linn-Baker is an American actor and director famous for his role as Larry Appleton on the television sitcom Perfect Strangers.-Early life and career:...
and Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
.
Personal life
Turturro's brother is actor Nicholas TurturroNicholas Turturro
Nicholas Turturro, Jr. is an American film, television and prolific on-stage character actor, perhaps best known for his role as James Martinez, on NYPD Blue from 1993 to 2000.-Early life:...
. Actress Aida Turturro
Aida Turturro
Aida Turturro is an American actress probably best known for playing Janice Soprano, sister of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, on the HBO TV series The Sopranos .-Personal life:...
and artist Ralph Turturro are his cousins. He has two children, Amedeo (born 1990) and Diego (born 2000), with his wife, actress Katherine Borowitz.
Turturro participates as a member of the Jury for the NYICFF, a local New York City Film Festival dedicated to screening films for children between the ages of 3 and 18. He and his brother Nicholas are avid New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
fans.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raging Bull | 1980 | Man at table | Uncredited |
| Exterminator 2 Exterminator 2 Exterminator 2 is a 1984 action film written and directed by Mark Buntzman, starring Robert Ginty and Mario Van Peebles, with cameos by Arye Gross in his debut role, and John Turturro in his second role... |
1984 | Guy #1 | |
| 1984 | Ted from Pinky's | ||
| Desperately Seeking Susan Desperately Seeking Susan Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.-Plot:... |
1985 | Ray | |
| To Live and Die in L.A. | 1985 | Carl Cody | |
| Hannah and Her Sisters Hannah and Her Sisters Hannah and Her Sisters is a 1986 American comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begin and end with a family Thanksgiving dinner... |
1986 | Writer | |
| 1986 | Julian | ||
| Gung Ho Gung Ho (film) Gung Ho is a 1986 Ron Howard comedy film, released by Paramount Pictures, and starring Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe. The film's story portrayed the takeover of an American car plant by a Japanese corporation... |
1986 | Willie | |
| Off Beat Off Beat (film) Off Beat is a 1986 comedy film about a young librarian who impersonates a police officer. The film was directed by Michael Dinner, and stars Judge Reinhold, Meg Tilly, and Cleavant Derricks.... |
1986 | Neil Pepper | |
| Five Corners | 1987 | Heinz Zabantino | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male |
| 1987 | Pisciotta | ||
| Do the Right Thing Do the Right Thing Do the Right Thing is a 1989 American dramedy produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, who is also a featured actor in the film. Other members of the cast include Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. It is also notably the... |
1989 | Pino | |
| Catchfire Catchfire Catchfire is a 1990 action-thriller-drama film starring Jodie Foster, Dennis Hopper, and Fred Ward. Several other notable actors have cameos. The film was disowned by its director, Hopper, before release and he is therefore credited under the fictional pseudonym Alan Smithee... |
1990 | Pinella | |
| State of Grace State of Grace (film) State of Grace is an American neo-noir crime film starring Sean Penn, Ed Harris and Gary Oldman, and featuring Robin Wright, John Turturro and John C. Reilly. Written by Dennis McIntyre and directed by Phil Joanou, the film was executive produced by Ned Dowd, Randy Ostrow, and Ron Rotholz, and... |
1990 | Nick | |
| Mo' Better Blues Mo' Better Blues Mo' Better Blues is a 1990 drama film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also directed. It follows a period in the life of a fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam as a series of bad decisions result in his jeopardizing both his relationships and his playing career... |
1990 | Moe Flatbush | |
| Miller's Crossing Miller's Crossing Miller's Crossing is a 1990 American gangster film by the Coen brothers and starring Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, Marcia Gay Harden, Jon Polito and John Turturro... |
1990 | Bernie Bernbaum | |
| Men of Respect Men of Respect Men of Respect is a 1990 crime drama film, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth. It stars John Turturro as Mike Battaglia, a Mafia hitman who climbs his way to the top by killing his boss.... |
1991 | Mike Battaglia | |
| Jungle Fever Jungle Fever Jungle Fever is a 1991 American drama film directed by Spike Lee, starring Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra. It was Lee's fifth feature-length film. The film mainly explores interracial relationships... |
1991 | Paulie Carbone | |
| Barton Fink Barton Fink Barton Fink is a 1991 American film, written, directed, and produced by the Coen brothers. Set in 1941, it stars John Turturro in the title role as a young New York City playwright who is hired to write scripts for a movie studio in Hollywood, and John Goodman as Charlie, the insurance salesman who... |
1991 | Barton Fink | |
| Mac Mac (film) Mac is a 1992 movie co-written and directed by John Turturro. The film marks his directorial debut. The film won the Caméra d'Or award at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.-Plot:... |
1992 | Niccolò Vitelli Niccolò Vitelli Niccolò Vitelli was an Italian condottiero of the Vitelli family from Città di Castello.The son of Giovanni Vitelli and Maddalena dei Marchesi di Petriolo, he was orphaned and grew under the tutelage of his uncle Vitellozzo who introduced him into the political life of the area... |
|
| Brain Donors Brain Donors Brain Donors is an American comedy movie released by Paramount Pictures, loosely based on the Marx Brothers comedy, A Night at the Opera... |
1992 | Roland T. Flakfizer | |
| Being Human | 1993 | Lucinnius | |
| Fearless Fearless (1993 film) Fearless is a 1993 film directed by Peter Weir and written by Rafael Yglesias from his novel of the same name. It was shot entirely in California.... |
1993 | Bill Pearlman | |
| Quiz Show Quiz Show Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s... |
1994 | Herb Stempel Herb Stempel Herbert Milton "Herb" Stempel is a television game show contestant and subsequent whistle blower on the fraudulent nature of the industry, in what became known as the quiz show scandals... |
|
| 1994 | Disco Bean | ||
| Search and Destroy Search and Destroy (film) Search and Destroy is a 1995 drama film based on a stage play by Howard Korder and directed by David Salle. The film stars Griffin Dunne, repeating his role from the stage production, Rosanna Arquette, Illeana Douglas, Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, John Turturro and Christopher Walken, and features... |
1995 | Ron | |
| Unstrung Heroes Unstrung Heroes Unstrung Heroes is a 1995 American comedy-drama film directed by Diane Keaton. The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese is based on a memoir by journalist Franz Lidz.-Plot synopsis:... |
1995 | Sidney Lidz | |
| Clockers | 1995 | Det. Larry Mazilla | |
| Sugartime | 1995 | Sam Giancana Sam Giancana Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966... |
TV film |
| Girl 6 Girl 6 Girl 6 may refer to:*Girl 6, a 1996 film by Spike Lee*Girl 6 , the soundtrack for the film, composed by Prince*“Girl 6” , the title song for the soundtrack... |
1996 | Murray | |
| Box of Moon Light Box of Moon Light Box of Moonlight is a 1996 comedy-drama film starring John Turturro and Sam Rockwell. It was written and directed by Tom DiCillo.-Plot:An engineer, on the way home from work at a construction site, takes a side trip for nostalgia's sake and meets an eccentric character who gives him... |
1996 | Al Fountain | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male |
| Grace of My Heart Grace of My Heart Grace of My Heart is a 1996 film written and directed by Allison Anders, set in the pop music world, starting off in New York's Brill Building early 1960s era, weaving through the California Sound of the mid '60s and culminating with the adult-contemporary scene of the early 1970s.The plot follows... |
1996 | Joe Milner | Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor The Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actor or actors whose winning performance is voted by participating members. The Chlotrudis Awards is an annual ceremony where the best of the previous year's independent and... |
| 1997 | Primo Levi Primo Levi Primo Michele Levi was an Italian Jewish chemist and writer. He was the author of two novels and several collections of short stories, essays, and poems, but is best known for If This Is a Man, his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland... |
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| 1997 | Leon | ||
| Illuminata Illuminata (film) Illuminata is a 1998 romantic comedy film directed by John Turturro and written by Brandon Cole and John Turturro, based on Cole's play. The cinematographer was Harris Savides... |
1998 | Tuccio | |
| Rounders Rounders (film) Rounders is a 1998 film about the underground world of high-stakes poker. Directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, the movie follows two friends who need to quickly earn enough cash playing poker to pay off a large debt... |
1998 | Joey Knish | |
| He Got Game He Got Game He Got Game is a 1998 American sports-drama film written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as Jake Shuttlesworth, a prison inmate convicted for killing his wife... |
1998 | Billy Sunday | |
| O.K. Garage O.K. Garage O.K. Garage is a 1998 film written and directed by Brandon Cole. The movie won several awards at different film festivals. It premiered in the United States at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.-Plot:... |
1998 | Jonny | |
| 1998 | Jesus Quintana | ||
| Summer of Sam Summer of Sam Summer of Sam is a 1999 crime-drama based around the Son of Sam serial murders. It was directed and produced by Spike Lee.-Plot:Summer of Sam is the story of a group of people in New York City in the summer of 1977, a time when the headlines were dominated by the Son of Sam serial killer... |
1999 | Demon | Voice role |
| Cradle Will Rock Cradle Will Rock Cradle Will Rock is a 1999 drama film which chronicles the process and events that surrounded the production of the original 1937 musical The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein... |
1999 | Aldo Silvana | |
| O Brother, Where Art Thou? O Brother, Where Art Thou? O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely... |
2000 | Pete | Nominated—MTV Movie Award for On-Screen Team MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best On-Screen Duo. It was later changed to Best On-Screen Team in 2001. This award was last given out in 2006.-References:... (with George Clooney George Clooney George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award... and Tim Blake Nelson Tim Blake Nelson Tim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer, and actor.-Early life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa, and a geologist father... ) |
| 2000 | Dante Dominio | ||
| Company Man | 2000 | Crocker Johnson | |
| Two Thousand and None | 2000 | Benjamin Kasparian | |
| 2001 | Alexander Luzhin | ||
| Monkeybone Monkeybone Monkeybone is a 2001 American comedy film that combines live-action with stop-motion animation. It was based on Kaja Blackley's graphic novel Dark Town... |
2001 | Monkeybone | Voice role |
| Thirteen Conversations About One Thing Thirteen Conversations About One Thing Thirteen Conversations About One Thing is a 2001 American drama film directed by Jill Sprecher. The screenplay by Sprecher and her sister Karen focuses on five seemingly disparate individuals in search of happiness whose paths intersect in ways that unexpectedly impact their lives.-Plot:The film is... |
2001 | Walker | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast |
| Collateral Damage Collateral Damage (film) Collateral Damage is a 2002 American action film that tells the story of a Los Angeles firefighter, Gordon Brewer , who looks to avenge his son's and wife's deaths at the hands of a guerrilla commando, by traveling to Colombia and facing his family's killers.-Plot:A bomb is detonated in the plaza... |
2002 | Armstrong | |
| Monday Night Mayhem Monday Night Mayhem (film) Monday Night Mayhem is a 2002 television film about the origin of ABC's television series Monday Night Football. It debuted on the U.S. cable TV network TNT.-Cast:Legendary sportscaster Howard Cosell is portrayed by John Turturro... |
2002 | Howard Cosell Howard Cosell Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these... |
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
| Mr. Deeds Mr. Deeds Mr. Deeds is a 2002 American comedy film, directed by Steven Brill and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder. The movie, which is loosely a remake of the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, also stars Peter Gallagher, John Turturro, Allen Covert and Steve Buscemi... |
2002 | Emilio Lopez | |
| Fear X Fear X Fear X is a 2003 psychological thriller film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The first film to be produced from one of Hubert Selby Jr.'s original screenplays, its eventual box-office failure would force Refn's film company Jang Go Star into bankruptcy.-Plot:When his wife is killed in a seemingly... |
2003 | Harry | Nominated—Bodil Award for Best Actor Bodil Awards The Bodil Awards are the major Danish film awards given by Denmark's National Association of Film Critics . The awards are presented annually at a ceremony in the Imperial Cinema in Copenhagen. Established in 1948, it is one of the oldest film awards in Europe... (Bedste mandlige hovedrolle) |
| Anger Management Anger Management Anger Management is a 2003 slapstick comedy film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, directed by Peter Segal and written by David S. Dorfman... |
2003 | Chuck | |
| Opopomoz | 2003 | Voice role | |
| She Hate Me She Hate Me She Hate Me is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling and John Turturro.... |
2004 | Don Angelo Bonasera | |
| Secret Window Secret Window Secret Window is a 2004 psychological horror film starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. It was written and directed by David Koepp, based on the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King, featuring a musical score by Philip Glass and Geoff Zanelli. The story appeared in King's... |
2004 | John Shooter | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 2006 | Ray Brocco | ||
| Quelques jours en septembre | 2006 | William Pound | |
| Romance and Cigarettes | 2006 | Male dancer and singer | |
| 2006 | Billy Martin | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | |
| Transformers | 2007 | Agent Seymour Simmons | |
| Margot at the Wedding Margot at the Wedding Margot at the Wedding is a 2007 tragicomedy written and directed by Noah Baumbach.The film premiered August 31, 2007 at the 34th Telluride Film Festival.-Plot:... |
2006 | Jim | Nominated—Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City... |
| Slipstream Slipstream (2007 film) Slipstream is a 2007 American science fiction film starring, written, scored, and directed by Anthony Hopkins, which explores the premise of a screen writer who is caught in a slipstream of time, memories, fantasy and reality. The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival... |
2007 | Harvey Brickman | |
| What Just Happened | 2008 | Dick Bell | |
| You Don't Mess With The Zohan You Don't Mess with the Zohan You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan... |
2008 | Fatoush 'The Phantom' Hakbarah | |
| Miracle at St. Anna Miracle at St. Anna Miracle at St. Anna is a 2008 war film, directed by Spike Lee and written by James McBride, based on McBride's novel of the same name. The film was released on September 26, 2008, and is set during World War II, in fall of 1944 in Tuscany and in the winter of 1983 in New York City and Rome... |
2008 | Detective Antonio 'Tony' Ricci | Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films... |
| 2009 | Camonetti | ||
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series... |
2009 | Seymour Simmons | |
| Rehearsal for a Sicilian Tragedy | 2009 | Himself | Producer, screenwriter |
| Passione Passione (film 2010) Passione is a 2010 film directed by John Turturro. It was filmed on location in Naples, Italy.The film was released in the United States in June 2011.-Plot:... |
2010 | Himself/Narrator | Director, co-screenwriter |
| 2010 | The Rat King | ||
| Cars 2 Cars 2 Cars 2 is a 2011 American computer-animated action film produced by Pixar, and it is the sequel to the 2006 film, Cars. In the film, race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix, but Mater becomes sidetracked with international espionage... |
2011 | Francesco Bernoulli | |
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon | 2011 | Seymour Simmons |
Television
- Miami ViceMiami ViceMiami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, episode 1x16, 1985 - MonkMonk (TV series)Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
, as Ambrose Monk- Mr. Monk and the Three PiesMr. Monk and the Three PiesMr. Monk and the Three Pies is the eleventh episode of the second season of Monk, and is the 24th episode overall. The episode introduces Adrian Monk's brother, Ambrose. For his performance as Ambrose, John Turturro won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Tony Shalhoub...
(2004) - Mr. Monk Goes Home Again (2005)
- Mr. Monk's 100th CaseMr. Monk's 100th Case"Mr. Monk's 100th Case" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the USA Network TV series Monk, and, true to its name, it is the 100th episode overall...
(2008)
- Mr. Monk and the Three Pies
- The Bronx is BurningThe Bronx Is BurningThe Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 9, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning...
, 2007, as Billy MartinBilly MartinAlfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times... - Flight of the ConchordsFlight of the Conchords (TV series)Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that debuted on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo, Jemaine Clement...
, 2007, as himself