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John Turturro on Nearly Robbing Someone to Practice for ‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,’ Fighting to Save His 2005 Musical ‘Romance & Cigarettes’ and the Knicks Championship
John Turturro stars in *The Only Living Pickpocket in New York* as an ageing thief caring for his disabled wife. To prepare, he trained with sleight-of-hand artist Apollo Robbins and practised on the film crew, but says he stopped short of stealing from anyone on the subway.
The 90-minute drama is written and directed by Noah Segan, with Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito also in the cast. Turturro also discusses the Knicks’ championship, his Emmy-nominated work on *The Night Of* and *Severance*, and his efforts to revive his 2005 musical *Romance & Cigarettes*, which he bought back and released himself after a studio change.
In short
- Turturro trained with a professional pickpocket for his new film.
- He came close to practising on a subway passenger, but stopped.
- He bought back and independently released *Romance & Cigarettes*.
Explained simply
John Turturro is an American actor known for roles in films such as *Do the Right Thing* and *The Big Lebowski*, as well as television dramas. His career has also included writing and directing, and he made the musical film *Romance & Cigarettes* in 2005.
The New York Knicks are the city’s professional basketball team, and a championship would be a major sporting achievement for the club and its supporters. Turturro has often worked on stories set in New York, where the city’s streets and neighbourhoods are part of the setting.