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John Turturro Adds Wallet Lifting to the Actor's Training Manual
· New York time
John Turturro trained in lifting wallets for The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, in which he plays a small-time thief who is also the primary caretaker for his ailing wife. The actor told NPR that he likes trying new things, and this role gave him an unusually specific skill to explore. The character's responsibilities at home give the story a dimension beyond the mechanics of a theft. His work as a caretaker and his life as a thief sit together in the same premise, making the performance about more than nimble hands. The training supports the role; it does not turn a fictional character into a description of the actor's conduct away from the film. Acting preparation often involves learning how a character moves or carries out a task. In this case, the task happens to be one most people prefer not to see practiced near their pockets. It is a lesson in precision that could make an ordinary rehearsal room unusually protective of its belongings. There is a practical logic to the work. A performer needs an audience to believe in a character's trade, even when the larger story depends on what happens outside that trade. Turturro gets a fresh craft challenge, the film gets a character with competing demands, and the rest of the cast gets an excellent reason to keep track of its props.
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