John Turturro Studied Real Pickpocketing for The Only Living Pickpocket in New York

John Turturro trained in pickpocketing before playing one. He stars as Harry, the title character of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, and he studied pickpocket methods with magician and pickpocket Apollo Robbins for the part, according to Deadline.

The film is written and directed by Noah Segan. In the story, Harry lifts a flash drive from a tech guy with mob ties, a role played by Will Price. A flash drive is a small device used to store and carry digital files, so the object at the centre of the plot is a data carrier rather than cash or jewellery.

Turturro and co-star Tatiana Maslany spoke about the film at Deadline's Contenders Film Los Angeles event, a panel series where filmmakers and actors talk about their work in front of industry audiences. Maslany and Turturro share one scene together, and the way it was shot became part of the conversation.

According to Deadline, Turturro suggested to Segan that the scene be blocked but not rehearsed. "Blocked" is film-set shorthand for planning where each actor stands and moves, and where the camera goes. Skipping rehearsal means the actors work out the moment on the day, which can keep a scene feeling unpredictable. Turturro's idea was to keep it raw.

Film sets often rehearse heavily, so the choice is a notable one. It also shows how much of a finished scene depends on decisions made before the cameras roll. A plan for where people stand can be fixed in advance, while the lines and reactions are left looser.