John Turturro Quotes

I love to act, and I try to be challenged by what I do.

I come from a very expressive family, so it's really not surprising that we became actors. There was a lot of real-life drama in our house. Some of it was drama, some of it was comedy and some of it was comic-tragedy.

When I see these guys write all this macho stuff I want to smash their heads.

I think you learn more from looking at how things occurred and what happened afterward, not just at the event.

Levi is one of the best authors I've ever read. It's hard not to have an immediate personal response to his work. He has such a quiet tone.

A lot of films need planning in order to survive at all. It's part of the dog and pony show.

If I was a criminal, stationery stores and bakeries would be the two kinds of places I would concentrate on.

If a film doesn't play, people aren't going to be that nice.

One thing I have is that I have never been afraid to expose myself in a way, and I really think I got that from my mother. That's a great gift you can give to a child, that they have confidence in their abilities.

I've done nudity. I'm an exhibitionist. It doesn't matter.

A lot of those people aren't their best salesmen. They're the opposite of a salesperson and I think there's something attractive about that.

You think of stars as ambitious or aggressive or self-oriented.

I play chess badly and I've been beaten by my 10-year old son.

It's great to watch someone get the most out of what they can do, whether they're a beautiful performer or just a really gritty performer. It's something to behold.

My sensitivity level is high, but I think that's one of my assets as an actor.

The nice thing about Toronto is there's not a competition.

Even people within a relationship can be really alone, and then have to go outside of it in order to find something, whatever it is. It may be very bizarre and maybe something very tender.

I make a list of what I have in common, and what I don't have in common, with someone I'm playing.

Al Michaels is a good announcer. I think Keith Jackson is a terrific announcer. I always loved him on Monday Night Football. I never understood why they got rid of him.

When the day's work is over, it's over.

The past has to inform the present.

In my first film, Five Corners, I played a very scary, violent crazed character, and it exposed me to a lot of directors.

It's nice to work with people who know and trust you.

Games sometimes can reveal things. To watch someone in movement, unconscious movement, can be very stimulating and revealing, whether they win or not.