Nicholas Turturro
Encyclopedia
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.
, the son of Katherine, an amateur jazz
singer who worked in a Navy yard during World War II
, and Nicholas Turturro, Sr., a carpenter and shoemaker who emigrated from Giovinazzo
, Italy
at the age of six and fought as a Navy serviceman on D-Day. His brother, John Turturro
, is also an actor. Their cousin, Aida Turturro
, played Janice Soprano
in The Sopranos
.
nomination for playing Officer/Det./Sgt. James Martinez on the TV program NYPD Blue and was on the show for its first seven seasons. He also was a guest ring announcer at Wrestlemania XI for the main event of Shawn Michaels
vs. Diesel
. His list of credits include portraying Al Capone
in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
and playing the role of "Brucie" in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard and "Renaldo" in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
. He will star alongside Miko Hughes
, David Proval
, and Ruth Buzzi
in the upcoming comedy film, City of Shoulders and Noses. The feature film is being produced by Tommy Ardolino, Sybil Danning
, and George Parra, and will go into production in 2008. In July 2009, Turturro began co-starring in the comedy web series Dusty Peacock on Crackle
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and prolific on-stage character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
, perhaps best known for his role as James Martinez
James Martinez
James Martinez was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was portrayed by Nicholas Turturro from the first episode until midway through the seventh season. He began his run on the show as a plainclothes officer in the Anti-Crime unit who made a very positive impression with...
, on NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
from 1993 to 2000.
Early life
Turturro was born in Brooklyn, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the son of Katherine, an amateur jazz
Jazz
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, Sr., a carpenter and shoemaker who 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:...
, 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 and fought as a Navy serviceman on D-Day. His brother, John Turturro
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro is an American actor, writer and director known for his roles in the films Do the Right Thing , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Quiz Show , The Big Lebowski , O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Transformers film series...
, is also an actor. Their cousin, 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:...
, played Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano
Janice Soprano Baccalieri, played by Aida Turturro, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is Tony Soprano's elder sister. A young Janice has appeared in flashbacks, played by Madeline Blue and Juliet Fox.-Biography:...
in The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
.
Career
He garnered an EmmyEmmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for playing Officer/Det./Sgt. James Martinez on the TV program NYPD Blue and was on the show for its first seven seasons. He also was a guest ring announcer at Wrestlemania XI for the main event of Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
vs. Diesel
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
. His list of credits include portraying Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
and playing the role of "Brucie" in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard and "Renaldo" in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and...
. He will star alongside Miko Hughes
Miko Hughes
Miko John Hughes is an American actor best known for his film roles as a child actor as Gage Creed in Pet Sematary , as an autistic boy opposite Bruce Willis in Mercury Rising and as Dylan, Heather Langenkamp's son in Wes Craven's New Nightmare .-Career:Hughes started his acting career in a...
, David Proval
David Proval
David Aaron Proval is an American actor, known for his roles as Tony DeVienazo in the Martin Scorsese film Mean Streets opposite Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel and as Richie Aprile on the HBO television series The Sopranos .-Biography:Proval was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Jewish heritage,...
, and Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Ann Buzzi is an American comedienne and actress of theatre, film, and television. She is especially known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life:...
in the upcoming comedy film, City of Shoulders and Noses. The feature film is being produced by Tommy Ardolino, Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
, and George Parra, and will go into production in 2008. In July 2009, Turturro began co-starring in the comedy web series Dusty Peacock on Crackle
Crackle
Crackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
.
Filmography
- Nurse 3DNurse 3DNurse 3D is an upcoming 3D comedy horror film directed by Doug Aarniokoski and written by David Loughery. It stars Paz de la Huerta, Katrina Bowden, Corbin Bleu. The film is inspired by the photography of Lionsgate's chief marketing officer, Tim Palen...
(2012) - Blue BloodsBlue Bloods (TV series)Blue Bloods is an American police procedural/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. The show premiered on September 24, 2010, with episodes airing on Fridays at 10:00 pm Eastern and Pacific/9:00 PM Central and Mountain....
(2010- ) - Sgt. Anthony Renzulli - FancypantsFancypantsFancypants is a 2011 film directed by Joshua Russell and starring Patrick Gleason, Roddy Piper, and Robert Carradine. Featuring Nick Turturro, Richard Kind, and introducing Jackson Dunn....
(2010) - Randy - Burn NoticeBurn noticeA burn notice is an official statement issued by one intelligence agency to other agencies. It states that an individual or a group is unreliable for one or more reasons...
(2009) - Tommy - Remembering Phil (2008) - Phil Winters
- Phantom PunchPhantom Punch (film)Phantom Punch is a 2009 film directed by Robert Townsend. The film is a biopic of Sonny Liston, with Ving Rhames in the lead role. The film also stars Stacey Dash, Nicholas Turturro, Alan van Sprang, David Proval, and Bridgette Wilson....
(2008) - Caesar Novak - First SundayFirst SundayFirst Sunday is a 2008 American comedy film from Screen Gems, written, produced and directed by David E. Talbert, and is his first feature film.-Synopsis:...
(2008) - Officer D'Agostino - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and LarryI Now Pronounce You Chuck and LarryI Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and...
(2007) - Renaldo Pinera - The King of QueensThe King of QueensThe King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
(2007) (TV series) - Vince Dinelli - McBride: Semper Fi (2007) (TV) - Officer Pierce
- World Trade CenterWorld Trade Center (film)World Trade Center is a 2006 American disaster-drama film directed by Oliver Stone and based on the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. It stars Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon. The film was shot from October 19, 2005 - February 10, 2006...
(2006) - Officer Colovito - Trapped! (2006) (TV) - Travis
- Three Wise GuysThree Wise GuysThe Three Wise Guys is a 2005 USA movie, directed by Robert Iscove and starring Eddie McClintock, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Judd Nelson, Nicholas Turturro, Roddy Piper, Tom Arnold and Katey Sagal. This Christmas movie is a comedy about a the mistress of the owner of Royal Crown casino in Las Vegas, and her...
(2005) (TV) (as Nick Turturro) - Vincent - The Longest YardThe Longest Yard (2005 film)The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film remake of the 1974 film of the same name. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, a disgraced former professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, who is coerced to form a team from the prison inmates to play...
(2005) - Brucie - The HollowThe HollowThe Hollow is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1946 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.50 and the UK edition at eight shillings and sixpence...
(2004) (V) - Sheriff Duncan - The Hillside Strangler (2004) - Angelo Buono
- Third WatchThird WatchThird Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
(2003–2004) (TV series) - Aloysius 'Allie' Nardo - Tremors (2003) (TV series) - Frank
- The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
(2002) (TV series) - Speed - Touched by an AngelTouched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
(2002) (TV series) - Rolando - Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie (2002) (TV) (as Nick Turturro) - Joe Jr.
- Monday Night Mayhem (2002) (TV) - Chet Forte
- The BizThe BizThe Biz is a 1995 album by The Sea and Cake.-Track listing:# "The Biz" – 4:01# "Leeora" – 4:23# "The Kiss" – 3:46# "Station in the Valley" – 4:54# "Darkest Night" – 3:49# "Sending" – 2:29# "Escort" – 4:28# "An Assassin" – 3:07...
(2002) - Anthony - Purgatory Flats (2002) - Johnny Ramos
- The DistrictThe DistrictThe District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...
(2001) (TV series) - Officer Robert Turner - The ShipmentThe Shipment (film)The Shipment is a 2001 movie about a mob enforcer who is hired to recover a shipment of Viagra gone awry. It stars Matthew Modine, Elizabeth Berkley, Nicholas Turturro, and Robert Loggia....
(2001) - Eddie Colucci - Recess: School's OutRecess: School's OutRecess: School's Out is a 2001 animated film based on the Disney television series Recess. This film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and was released theatrically nationwide on February 16, 2001. It was released on video and DVD on August 7, 2001.-Plot:School's out at Third Street School, but...
(2001) (voice) (as Nick Turturro) - Cop #1 - Mr. Life (2001) (TV)
- Hellraiser: InfernoHellraiser: InfernoHellraiser: Inferno is the fifth installment in the Hellraiser series and the first Hellraiser film to go straight-to-DVD. It was directed by Scott Derrickson and released on October 3, 2000....
(2000) (V) - Det. Tony Nenonen - NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
(1993–2000) (TV series) - Det. James MartinezJames MartinezJames Martinez was a fictional character in the television series NYPD Blue. He was portrayed by Nicholas Turturro from the first episode until midway through the seventh season. He began his run on the show as a plainclothes officer in the Anti-Crime unit who made a very positive impression with... - Witness to the MobWitness to the MobWitness to the Mob is a made for TV film which premiered on May 10, 1998.-Plot:Film follows the rise of Sammy Gravano in ranks of NY Cosa Nostra, his turning to government witness in legal trials of John Gotti and his life in Witness protection program....
(1998) (TV) - Sammy 'The Bull' Gravano - Excess BaggageExcess BaggageExcess Baggage is a 1997 crime-comedy film written by Max D. Adams, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Marco Brambilla about a neglected young woman who stages her own kidnapping to get her father's attention, only to be literally kidnapped by a car thief...
(1997) - Stick - Oddville, MTVOddville, MTVOddville, MTV is an American variety television series starring Rich Brown. The series premiered June 16, 1997, on MTV.-History:Oddville, MTV is based on the New York City public-access television cable TV series Beyond Vaudeville that Rich Brown hosted from 1987 to 1996.-Cast:*Rich Brown as host...
(1997) - The Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
(1997) (TV series) - Det. James Martinez - Shadow ConspiracyShadow ConspiracyShadow Conspiracy is a 1997 political thriller film starring Charlie Sheen, Donald Sutherland and Linda Hamilton. Sam Waterston, famous for his role as a district attorney in Law & Order, appears in the film as the president of the United States. It is the final film directed by George P...
(1997) - Grasso - Mercenary II: Thick & Thin (1997) (TV) - Major Ray Domino
- Falling from the Sky: Flight 174Falling from the Sky: Flight 174Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 is a 1995 television movie based on the story of Air Canada Flight 143 Known as the "Gimli Glider". It follows the crew, their families and the passengers of the flight, set in 1983, from the preparations for departure to the crash landing in an abandoned airfield...
(1995) (TV) - Al Williams - In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice (1995) (TV) - Mike Garret
- Federal HillFederal Hill (movie)Federal Hill is a 1995 American drama film.Cast = Jason Andrews, Michael Corrente, Anthony DeSando, Armen Garo, Phyllis KayDirected By = Michael CorrenteWritten By = Michael CorrenteScript Development By = Robby Henson, Doron Schlair, Glyde Hart...
(1994) - Ralph - The Search for One-eye JimmyThe Search for One-eye JimmyThe Search for One-eye Jimmy is a comedy written and directed by Sam Henry Kass.-Synopsis:Set in Brooklyn, New York, the movie is the story of a California film student Les who returns to the town in which he grew up to shoot a film about it...
(1994) - Junior - Men Lie (1994)
- Cosmic SlopCosmic SlopCosmic Slop is the fifth studio album by Funkadelic, released in 1973 on Westbound Records. While it has been favorably reevaluated by critics long after its original release, the album was a commercial failure, producing no charting singles, and making only #112 on the Billboard albums...
(1994) (TV) - Father Carlos (segment "The First Commandment") - L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
(1993) (TV series) - Anthony - The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesThe Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
(1993) (TV series) - Al CaponeAl CaponeAlphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early... - Malcolm XMalcolm X (film)Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
(1992) (as Nick Turturro) - Boston Cop - MacMac (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) - Tony Gloves - Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(1992) (TV series) - Poletti - Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace (1991) (TV) - Danny D'Arcangelo
- Jungle FeverJungle FeverJungle 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) - Vinny - Men of RespectMen of RespectMen 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) - Bingo - Mo' Better BluesMo' Better BluesMo' 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) - Josh Flatbush - Do the Right ThingDo the Right ThingDo 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) (uncredited) - Extra