Nicholas Turturro

Italian-American actor Nicholas Turturro broke into the business in the late-1980s, riding the coattails of his older brother, actor John Turturro, but he ultimately built a lasting career on his own merits. Starting out as an extra on the set of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" (1989), Turturro eventually became part of the director's informal repertory company of actors. Despite being largely overshadowed by his older brother for most of his career, the younger Turturro gradually managed to carve out a career of his own, most notably in television. A two-time Emmy nominee for his portrayal of good-guy cop Detective James Martinez on "NYPD Blue" (ABC, 1993-2005), Turturro stuck with the venerated cop show for seven seasons before leaving in 2000 to pursue other projects, like the crime comedy "The Shipment" (2001) and the serial killer docudrama "The Hillside Strangler" (2004). Other work included a supporting role in the Oliver Stone directed "World Trade Center" (2006), frequent cameos in Adam Sandler projects like "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (2007) and a recurring character on the police-drama series "Blue Bloods" (CBS, 2010- ). Turturro's combination of average Joe appeal and volatile intensity kept him on screens as one of the more dependable character actors in the industry.