The actor gave a career retrospective as part of the Conversations at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation series. He shared the story of his audition for the Academy Award-winning boxing movie.
Robert De Niro, who plays protagonist Jake LaMotta, saw Turturro and Michael Badalucco in an Off Broadway play. The Taxi Driver star wanted to set up a meeting with both rising actors and Martin Scorsese to discuss potential roles in Raging Bull.
Turturro said he had never done a “professional audition” before this. Instead of simply going in for a conversation, he and Badalucco decided to prepare a scene. They pulled one from the real-life LaMotta’s autobiography, which was the inspiration for the film.
The Severance star was unsure if the plan would work. He said Badalucco joked that the duo would “hold them hostage” if they didn’t want to see the scene.
The two friends auditioned in front of De Niro, Scorsese, and casting director Cis Corman. They were wearing 1940s jackets. Scorsese kept asking if they had prepared a scene and informed them that the movie didn’t have a finished script.
“He was very nervous,” Turturro said.
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The Big Lebowski actor and Badalucco had five callbacks. Each got minor roles, with Turturro playing the uncredited Man at Webster Hall Table and Badalucco playing Soda Fountain Clerk.
“I guess they were taken by our chutzpah,” Turturro said.
Watch the full Conversations at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation career retrospective with John Turturro below.
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