John Turturro’s profound journey of grief and resilience

Sticking it out for his brother

“Do you stick it out, or do you run away?” John Turturro pondered this tough question often, especially during the difficult times spent by his brother Ralph’s side. Ralph, who battled mental illness and cancer, received constant support from John. Every time Ralph went for another round of radiation, John made sure his brother looked good by dressing him in sunglasses and a hat. “It was important to him to look good,” John recalls with a tender smile.

Turning treatments into a performance

To keep Ralph’s spirits up, John took on different voices and characters, even pretending to be Arnold Schwarzenegger. “He was my brother’s favorite,” John recalls, “I did it to distract him, to make him laugh.” His dedication never wavered, although he admits that after 12 sessions, his material started to run thin.

Channeling grief into art

Ralph’s death in 2022 deeply impacted John and shaped his approach to his role in Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door.” In the film, John plays Damian, an academic supporting his lover Ingrid (Julianne Moore) as she helps their terminally ill friend Martha (Tilda Swinton) with her decision to commit suicide.

The inevitability of grief

“Grief is part of life,” John reflects during a chat at a Brooklyn coffeehouse. “When you get older, it becomes more frequent. You don’t completely get over loss, so you have to incorporate it.” This theme resonates deeply in The Room Next Door, allowing John to explore the intersection of personal loss and professional duty.

Meeting Almodóvar

John’s collaboration with Almodóvar is a dream come true. They met years ago in Cannes when John was debuting his film “Mac,” and Almodóvar was a jury member. “We stayed in touch,” John says. “I was always eager to be part of his work, even telling him I’d learn Spanish or play a mute for a role.”

Breaking language barriers

Filming The Room Next Door was seamless, Almodóvar’s first feature in English breaking language barriers. John’s character Damian, though small, is impactful. He plays a pompous academic lecturing Martha on global warming while attempting to console her.

Relatable characters and personal growth

“I understand him,” Turturro admits. “Promoting something or delivering lectures can put you in a persona that’s hard to leave behind.” This insight mirrors his real-life experiences, where balancing personal and professional fronts becomes intricate.

Balancing work and life

Much more subdued in real life compared to his iconic roles in films like “The Big Lebowski” and “Miller’s Crossing,” John shows no signs of slowing down. He’ll return for the second season of “Severance,” loving his complex role as Irving, a stickler for company policies in a mind-bending workplace thriller.

Working with Ben Stiller

He speaks fondly of working with Ben Stiller, the creative force behind Severance. “He’s very demanding but brilliant,” John says. “Our collaboration grew stronger, finding the right rhythm. I keep joking that we need to remake ‘The Odd Couple‘ or something.”

Future projects on the horizon

Several exciting projects lie ahead for John, including an adaptation of Philip Roth’s “Sabbath’s Theater” and a film based on “Is There No Place on Earth for Me?” by Susan Sheehan.

Turning down ‘The Penguin’

However, he won’t be reprising his role as Carmine Falcone in the spinoff series “The Penguin.” Mark Strong will take over the role in “The Batman,” a performance John feels was complete. “In the show, there was a lot of violence towards women, and that’s not my thing.” He believes the implied cruelty in The Batman makes the character scarier.

Pursuing meaningful work

With more opportunities than time, John admits, “You can’t do everything you want to.” His desire to work on projects that resonate deeply drew him to “The Room Next Door.” His character faces the challenges of aging yet clings to youthful passions. “He wants to be alive,” John explains. “He still wants to have sex and be engaged. He knows the world is going to hell, but there are still things that make life worth living.”

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