John Turturro Trained as Pickpocket for New Film

John Turturro said he trained as a pickpocket for his role in the crime thriller The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, practicing on cast and crew members and coming close to trying the technique on subway commuters. He said he stopped himself and took nothing from commuters. Turturro, who plays thief Harry Lehman, said sleight-of-hand expert Apollo Robbins taught him coin exercises and how to bump someone. Robbins demonstrated how easily he could remove Turturro’s watch without him noticing, Turturro recounted in an interview. The actor said he practiced mostly on set, where some colleagues caught him and others did not. His account of trying the technique on colleagues and commuters was not independently confirmed in the reports. Turturro also described a moment on the New York subway last summer when he came close to reaching for a commuter’s wallet or phone. He said he wanted to experience the thrill and nerves of the act, but stopped himself, thinking he did not want to be arrested. He joked that saying he was researching a movie would not make a convincing explanation. The film is scheduled to open in selected U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026. It follows Lehman as he...