Actor John Turturro addressed his career trajectory, upcoming awards buzz for his lead role in Noah Segan’s The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, and a confirmed return for season three of Apple’s Severance during a masterclass at the Zurich Film Festival.
Awards Buzz and The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
Speaking with Deadline journalist Melanie Goodfellow at the Zurich Film Festival, Turturro admitted he has historically avoided aggressive campaigning. “I never really have gone the whole hog with it,” Turturro said regarding awards circuits. “But now I’m the lead in the film, so I’m going to support the film because I love the film.” He noted that while external acknowledgment is useful for securing future projects, validation remains secondary to personal artistic standards. “I don’t look upon myself as being a competitive person. I’m competitive with myself,” he added. “I want to get the most out of what I can do, but it’s not sports!” The actor expressed surprise at the positive critical reception the film garnered at the Sundance Film Festival, remarking that it was a relief to be part of a project destined for broad visibility.
Severance Season 3 and Working with Christopher Walken
Shifting to television, Turturro offered a direct confirmation regarding his return as Irving Bailiff in the upcoming third season of Apple’s Emmy-winning workplace thriller Severance, starring Adam Scott. When pressed on the continuation of his character’s arc, Turturro simply told the room, “Yeah… As long as they give me interesting things to do, then I’m interested.” Turturro used the discussion to praise his co-star Christopher Walken, whose character, Burt Goodman, shares a romance with Irving. Turturro recalled requesting Walken specifically when casting directors suggested younger romantic leads. “I said, ‘Well no, I’ve worked with Chris Walken,’ and I said, ‘I want Chris, because I love Chris.’ And I don’t have to act that I love him because I love him,” Turturro explained. Although Walken initially struggled to grasp the labyrinthine plot of the series, Turturro guided him through it by anchoring their dynamic in their real-world friendship and professional history, noting Walken’s sensitivity and childlike joy on set.
Reflecting on The Night Of and a Four-Decade Career
Turturro also reflected on his critically acclaimed turn as eczema-stricken defense attorney John Stone in HBO’s 2016 crime miniseries The Night Of, which co-starred Riz Ahmed and earned five Emmy Awards. Turturro received a warm round of applause when discussing the project, admitting he deliberately avoided watching the original British series, Criminal Justice, to prevent outside influence. Though he expressed a strong desire to return for subsequent seasons of the legal drama, creative disagreements among producers stalled the continuation. Over a career spanning four decades, Turturro has established himself as a versatile force across independent film, mainstream features, and theater, collaborating extensively with directors such as Spike Lee, the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, and Pedro Almodóvar. Looking back on his progression, Turturro credited his accumulated life experience—navigating marriage, parenthood, loss, and aging—as the primary tool that allows him to distill human emotion into his performances in ways younger actors cannot.
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