In The Works: Woody Allen Does More Than Star in Turturro's Upcoming 'Gigolo'

I find it fascinating that Woody Allen would be so eager to play a pimp in John Turturro's upcoming portrait of a New York male prostitute, "Fading Gigolo," which was being sold at at Toronto. Turturro wrote and will direct the project, which is slated to shoot this fall, and will star as the gigolo. Turturro woke up one morning with the idea of playing a prostitute in his head, reports the LAT: "It’s a genre you don’t see much of," Turturro said, "and when you do, maybe with the exception of 'Midnight Cowboy,' you only really see women as the hookers. Why not men?”

Allen got involved because Turturro talked about it to his barber, who in turn talked about it with other client Allen. The filmmaker and occasional actor was eager to play Turturro's pimp. But Allen wasn't about to completely cede control. He rewrote and edited sections of the script. Turturro's female clients will be played by Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis and Sharon Stone.