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Turturro: Coen Bros. Set Felt Like Playing Pretend
26 Oct
Summary
- John Turturro felt embarrassed by his Big Lebowski performance.
- He improvised iconic scenes like ball licking and dancing.
- Working with the Coen brothers felt like playing with friends.
John Turturro, now 69, recently discussed his role as Jesus Quintana in the 1998 crime-comedy "The Big Lebowski." He confessed to feeling initially embarrassed by his performance, particularly after improvising distinctive character traits such as licking the bowling ball and dancing.
Turturro explained that directors Joel and Ethan Coen encouraged him to "come up with stuff" during filming. He performed these actions to entertain the filmmakers, not expecting them to be included in the final movie. Seeing his improvised scenes edited together left him feeling somewhat mortified.
Despite his initial embarrassment, Turturro expressed deep admiration for the Coen brothers, stating he would "do anything" to surprise them. He characterized the collaborative process with the filmmaking duo as a joyful experience, comparing it to playing pretend as a child.
In addition to "The Big Lebowski," Turturro has a history of working with the Coen brothers, having previously collaborated on "Miller's Crossing," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," and "Barton Fink."
