Actor John Turturro Looks Back on Career, Early Madonna Audition, and Choosing Christopher Walken for Severance

Actor John Turturro recently reflected on his extensive career, recalling an early audition with Madonna and sharing details about his work on the series Severance during an appearance at the Miami Film Festival. With over 120 acting credits, Turturro received the Creative Vanguard Award and spoke with Variety co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh.

Madonna Audition

Turturro recalled auditioning for Madonna's boyfriend in the 1985 comedic film Desperately Seeking Susan when the pop star was not yet widely famous. He admitted he did not know who she was at the time. During the audition, they had a kissing scene, and Turturro said she kissed him so deeply that he dropped all his pages on the floor, thinking it was a standard audition rather than that kind of movie. He did not get the lead romantic role, but instead played the comical club manager Ray. He claimed her interest in him lasted beyond the audition, though he preferred to remain friends to avoid being absorbed, noting that she later married multiple men while he has stayed married to one wife.

Career Choices

Throughout his decades-spanning career, Turturro has worked with major Hollywood figures like Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Spike Lee, the Coen brothers, Adam Sandler, Zoë Kravitz, and Meryl Streep. This vast experience allows him to choose between big-budget franchises and indie projects or plays. He compares franchise work to an electrical job and indie films to a plumbing job, noting that they fulfill different financial and artistic needs.

Severance and Recent Work

For Apple TV's hit series Severance, Turturro was trusted with picking his own love interest and chose his longtime friend Christopher Walken. Turturro praised Walken's underappreciated vulnerability and delicacy, which made him right for the role. Filming Season 1 during the COVID-19 pandemic under strict mask and shield conditions made the office setting particularly stressful. Turturro is also starring as Harry in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, praising the film's radical gentleness and focus on class struggles. His performance has generated early Oscar buzz, though awards are not his primary focus when selecting projects.

Context

John Turturro is a veteran American actor and filmmaker known for his versatile roles in both independent cinema and major studio films. The Miami Film Festival regularly hosts conversations and honors prominent figures in the entertainment industry. Such retrospective interviews often provide insight into the casting processes and behind-the-scenes dynamics of popular television shows and films.