Personal info
Known for
Actor
Gender
Male
Date of Birth
1957-02-28
Location
New York, United States
Edit pageJohn Turturro
Biography
Actor John Turturro rose to prominence as a favorite of filmmakers Spike Lee and the Coen Brothers with early roles in "Do the Right Thing" (1989) and "Miller's Crossing" (1990), making him a go-to guy for volatile, complex characters.
Because of his distinct, but indistinguishable appearance, the Yale Drama School grad was able to play a wide array of ethnic characters, giving him the opportunity to add more depth to cinema's historically two-dimensional Italians, Jews, and Latinos.
While Turturro made his home in independent film, he experienced commercial success with a starring role in "Quiz Show" (1994) and a supporting role in "The Good Shepherd" (2006). Meanwhile, as a writer and director, he helmed three original films, including his ode to 1950s working-class Queens, "Mac" (1992), and an homage to turn-of-the-century Italian theater, "Illuminata" (1999).
Despite avoiding television throughout his career, Turturro emerged in 2004 with an Emmy for a guest stint on "Monk" (USA, 2002-09), and in 2007 earned kudos from fans and critics for his portrayal of combative Yankees manager Billy Martin in the ESPN mini-series "The Bronx is Burning."
