John Turturro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Turturro
Turturro at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	John Michael Turturro (1957-02-28) February 28, 1957 (age 68) New York City, U.S.
Citizenship	United States Italy
Education	State University of New York, New Paltz (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actor director producer screenwriter
Years active	1980–present
Spouse(s)	Katherine Borowitz ​ (m. 1985)​
Children	2
Relatives	Nicholas Turturro (brother) Aida Turturro (cousin) Richard Termini (cousin)

John Michael Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is famous for playing many different characters in movies. He has often worked with well-known directors like the Coen brothers, Adam Sandler, and Spike Lee.

John Turturro has won a Primetime Emmy Award. He has also been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards. Some of his most famous roles include movies like Do the Right Thing (1989), Miller's Crossing (1990), and The Big Lebowski (1998). He also played Seymour Simmons in the Transformers movies and Carmine Falcone in The Batman (2022).

On TV, he won an Emmy for his guest role in the comedy series Monk. He has also starred in popular shows like The Night Of (2016) and Severance (2022–present).

Early life and education

John Turturro was born on February 28, 1957. His birthplace was Brooklyn, a part of New York City, New York. His parents were Katherine Florence (Incerella) and Nicholas Turturro.

His mother, Katherine, was born in the U.S. and had Sicilian family roots. She was a talented jazz singer. She also worked in a naval yard during World War II. His father, Nicholas, came to the United States from Giovinazzo, Italy, when he was six. He worked as a carpenter and construction worker. He also served in the U.S. Navy.

Turturro was raised as a Catholic. When he was six, his family moved to Rosedale, Queens, New York. He went to the State University of New York at New Paltz. In 1979, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater studies. Later, he studied at the Yale School of Drama. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1983.

Career

Turturro at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009

John Turturro's first movie role was a small, non-speaking part. It was in the film Raging Bull (1980). In 1983, he played the main character in the play Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. He won an Obie Award for this role. He also had a notable role in the action movie To Live and Die in L.A. (1985).

Director Spike Lee was impressed by Turturro's acting in Five Corners (1987). This led Lee to cast him in Do the Right Thing (1989). This movie began a long partnership between them. John Turturro has worked with Spike Lee on nine films. These include Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), and Clockers (1995).

Turturro has acted in both funny and serious movies. He also worked a lot with the Coen Brothers. He appeared in their films Miller's Crossing (1990) and Barton Fink (1991). For Barton Fink, he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. He also starred in their movies The Big Lebowski (1998) and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).

John Turturro has been in several movies with Adam Sandler. These include Mr. Deeds (2002) and You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008). He played a patient in the comedy Anger Management. He also played the bad guy in Secret Window.

In 1994, Turturro hosted Saturday Night Live. He won an Emmy Award for playing Adrian Monk's brother, Ambrose, in the TV series Monk. He played this role many times. He has also won awards from groups like the Screen Actors Guild and the Cannes Film Festival.

Turturro has also directed and produced films. He directed and acted in Illuminata (1999). His wife, Katherine Borowitz, also starred in it. He wrote and directed Romance and Cigarettes (2005). In 2006, he appeared in Robert De Niro's The Good Shepherd. He also played Agent Seymour Simmons in four of the Transformers movies.

In 2010, he directed a documentary called Passione. This film explores the rich musical history of Naples, Italy. In 2011, he directed his first Broadway play, Relatively Speaking.

In March 2014, John Turturro received a special award. It was for his career achievements at the Miami International Film Festival. In 2016, he starred in the miniseries The Night Of. For this role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2019, he played William of Baskerville in a TV show based on The Name of the Rose.

In 2022, he appeared in the movie The Batman. He played Carmine Falcone, a character from DC Comics. In 2023, he starred in an off-Broadway play called Sabbath's Theater.

Personal life

John Turturro has a brother named Nicholas Turturro, who is also an actor. His cousins are composer and director Richard Termini and actress Aida Turturro. He has two children, a son and a daughter, with his wife, Katherine Borowitz.

John Turturro is part of the Jury for the New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF). This festival shows movies for children and teens aged 3 to 18. Since January 2011, Turturro has dual citizenship for both Italy and the United States.

He has lived in Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York, since 1988.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Audiobooks

Theatre

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: John Turturro para niños