Daily BirthdaysJohn Turturro
Turturro entered Broadway with his performance in Death of a Salesman and kept busy in the '80s with a demanding acting career, including performances in Scorsese's drama The Color of Money and Woody Allen's comedy Hannah and Her Sisters.
Turturro's breakthrough acting achievement came in 1989 when Spike Lee cast him as the hot-tempered, racist pizza-maker Pino in Do the Right Thing. The following year, he developed a long and fruitful working relationship with Joel and Ethan Coen, beginning with his memorable performance as Bernie Bernbaum, the double-crossing Jewish gangster in Miller's Crossing. Since then, Turturro has starred in many other Spike Lee films, including Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Clockers, Girl 6, He Got Game, Summer of Sam and She Hate Me. He has also starred in several other Coen brothers' films, including Barton Fink and O Brother, Where Art Thou?. His other film and television credits include Quiz Show, The Truce, Box of Moon Light and Monday Night Mayhem, in which he played legendary sports commentator Howard Cosell.
As he expands his range beyond acting, Turturro has written and directed three feature films: Mac, Illuminata and Romance & Cigarettes. Last year, Turturro performed in Eduardo De Filippo's Souls of Naples, which opened off-Broadway in April 2005. He recently finished shooting Transformers, directed by Michael Bay, and Slipstream, directed by Anthony Hopkins. He is currently filming a limited series titled The Bronx Is Burning, based on the novel Ladies and Gentlemen, for ESPN. The Bronx Is Burning is written by Jonathan Mahler, and Turturro plays the role of Billy Martin.
John Turturro Facts
| Occupation | Actor, Director, Screenwriter |
| Birthday | February 28, 1957 (52) |
| Sign | Pisces |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Height | 6' 1" (1m85) |
| Awards | 2004 Emmy Awards: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (for Monk) |