Born in Brooklyn, the son of Italian immigrants, Turturro is the typical heir to a certain American-Italian atmosphere of New York, simultaneously grotesque, sarcastic and melancholy. In over 70 films in which he has performed, the actor, who is also a screenwriter and director, has created his reputation and talent on self-ironic histrionics and dialectic versatility, quick and sharp. He has worked as protagonist and non-protagonist with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Woody Allen, Francesco Rosi, Michael Cimino, Joel and Ethan Coen, who directed, amongst others, Barton Fink, a film for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991. In 1992 he made his debut behind the camera with Mac, an independent film, inspired by his father’s life, that won the Caméra d'Or at Cannes. In 2010 he took part in the Venice International Film Festival with the documentary musical Passione. In 2015 he plays the realistic role of the whimsical, forgetful actor Barry Huggins in the film Mia Madre by Nanni Moretti.