Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro Hated Each Other on ‘Do the Right Thing.’ Now They Break Character to Cry Mid-Scene
Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro have reunited in *The Only Living Pickpocket in New York*, years after playing adversaries in *Do the Right Thing*. Esposito says they disliked each other during the earlier film, making their present closeness and an emotional moment on set a striking change.
In a scene for the new crime drama, Turturro stopped mid-take to tell Esposito, “You’re my uncle. You’re my father. You’re my family”; Esposito says the words brought him to tears. The film, written and directed by Noah Segan, gives Turturro his first big-screen lead role in more than 20 years, and opened the way for the former co-stars to share substantial scenes.
In short
- Esposito and Turturro once disliked each other on set.
- A scene in their new film moved both actors to tears.
- Turturro returns to a big-screen lead role after over 20 years.
Explained simply
Do the Right Thing is a 1989 film directed by Spike Lee, set in a Brooklyn neighbourhood during a hot summer. Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro played characters on opposing sides of tensions among local residents, and the actors later said they did not get along while making it.
The two actors have since worked together again in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, a crime drama written and directed by Noah Segan. It gives Turturro a leading film role, with extended scenes shared with Esposito. Their reunion matters because it brings together performers whose earlier on-screen rivalry was accompanied by real friction.