John Turturro Revives the Raconteur

John Turturro

The Capitale ballroom in New York was filled to the brim last week for the annual MOTH ball, with storytellers, raconteurs, and hundreds more, brought together by their shared passion to speak what’s on their mind. The MOTH was founded to revive the lost art of storytelling, hosting StorySLAM competitions, as well as releasing popular podcasts on iTunes. Their events in New York and L.A. have drawn the ranks of Margaret Cho, Gabriel Byrne, Candace Bushnell, Janeane Garofalo, Ethan Hawke, Moby, and Lili Taylor, among your average astronaut, politician, or fire fighter, hairdresser, gambler, or chef.

Lili Taylor was on hand herself to award the MOTHShop Scholarship, a $5000 prize to 10-year old Tavar Richardson, who broke down crying on the stage during her acceptance speech. Hoping to one day attend Brown, Tavar was thankful that the MOTH was investing in her future. It was an inspiring night that championed both the current and future storyteller, something that is important now more than ever in our age of technology.

The hilarious John Turturro, star of many a Coen brothers film, and most recently Transformers, hosted the evening. We spoke to John about the upcoming action sequel, which he calls “a great literary masterpiece,” what it was like to shoot on top of the Egyptian pyramids, and the best story he’s ever told.

CelebsGoneGood: So what brings you here to the Moth Ball tonight?

John Turturro: Andy Horowitz who’s my wife’s cousin, was supposed to co-host the event. And I’m a storyteller by nature. I love when people can tell a good story. I’ve only seen clips of the Moth; I’ve never actually seen it live, so I’m curious.

CGG: With technology running our lives, is it harder now to tell a story?

JT: I still think the essential thing, nothing can beat it; because the conversation—that’s where friendships happen, people fall in love, parents of children share their stories. These things are powerful.

CGG: What components make a great story?

JT: It’s someone who knows how to tell it, who knows how to keep people’s attention, who’s not in love with the sound of their voice. A good story to tell is really how you tell it. It’s how you set it up, reel them in like fish. And it’s someone who can tell a joke, someone who can tell a story.

CGG: What are you working on right now?

JT: I just finished a great literary masterpiece—a Transformers sequel that’ll come out next spring. And now I’m wrapping The Taking of Pelham 123, and a film version of The Nutcracker, which will come out next year.

CGG: Can you tell us one of your favorite stories from Transformers 2?

JT: A story about Transformers 2—well I climbed the pyramids in Egypt, so that was kind of absurd. I had climbed a fake one that was pretty small in L.A., and it was kind of an out of body experience having all these people and tourists watch me, and antiquity people follow me, the army, and my director in our movie. So every once in a while I would try to pull these people closer with my eyes the higher I went up. You’re not allowed to climb it anymore because of too many accidents and breaks, but it was really a bizarre experience.

CGG: Was it hard to get permission to climb the pyramids?

JT: They almost said no. That wasn’t really a story, but it was a little anecdote.

CGG: And you play the same character as you did in the first film, right, Agent Simmons?

JT: Yeah but I’m no longer a part of that. I’ve joined forces with the young people.

CGG: So do you think the crowd tonight is full of Transformers fans?

JT: It’s crazy. Transformers is like my other job. Kids like them. Kids took those toys and transformed them into a story.

CGG: Would you direct a film again after Romance & Cigarettes?

JT: Yeah, I mean a lot of people love that movie so I like to do this to get everyone involved. I have a story I want to do. It’s a love story/ghost story. And I can’t really announce it, but I’d like to do that.

CGG: What’s the best story you’ve ever told?

JT: Well, for most people, I did this keynote speech for the IFP at the Independent Spirit Awards in 1993, and I told a couple stories there about my experience working for no money. And I think that whole speech was, out of all these stories that I’ve told put together, it was real and people really loved it. And it was a hard thing to do because I don’t normally like doing that. I like telling a story about my strengths.

CGG: What advice do you have for kids who want to be storytellers?

JT: Pay attention to the people you’re talking to; see if they’re listening. Don’t assume they are.

CGG: Are there any other charities you’re involved with or not-for-profits?

JT: A lot of charities actually; I give to a lot of charities, a lot of theater things, Human Rights Watch. I give to so many things that I have to suffer because I don’t give anything up. I try to give to the homeless and veterans. I try to spread it out. My accountant tells me I do well.

CGG: Do you encourage your kids to get involved with the arts and storytelling?

JT: We read to each other. Storytelling is part of our lives.