What Transformers' John Turturro Thinks Is The Most Important Part Of The Movies

John Turturro is a recognizable face, if for no other reason than the sheer breadth of genres that face has appeared in. The man who has played the eccentric Agent Seymour Simmons in the "Transformers" franchise has also appeared in a handful of Adam Sandler screwball comedies, as well as established a long working relationship with the Coen Brothers, and been in his fair share of small budget art films (via IMDb).

It's those big budget blockbusters that seem to cause consternation. Not necessarily with Turturro, but with a great many other figures in the world of "serious" film. Of course, as Martin Scorsese is more than happy to remind us, there are plenty out there who don't consider cinematic universes or franchises to be actual cinema (via The New York Times). Likewise, there are plenty of actors and others in film who look at the big budget studio fare as a chance for a substantial paycheck and nothing else (via FlavorWire).

Turturro, however, sees film in a different, somewhat more nuanced light. And yes, that includes "Transformers." Though it may be a big budget summer blockbuster, Turturro brings the same seriousness and respect that he brings to his other, artsier, projects.

At the r/transformers subreddit, u/NachoSenpai posted a video of John Turturro speaking about his experience making the "Transformers" movies. "I had all the stuntmen get me all the original toys," he says, "which I knew about, you know?" Turturro then claims that he –- as Agent Simmons -– pulled out one of the toys while shooting a scene, transformed it, and held it up for the other characters to see.

Though Turturro doesn't say which movie this was during, he does say that director Michael Bay yelled cut, and immediately admonished Turturro. "I said 'without this toy there's no movie.'" And while actually taking out a Transformer toy might have been a little too meta in the context of the "Transformers" universe, Turturro was getting at something deeper, it seems. "I think that kind spirit is essential when you do something like that. You have to be like a five-year-old in a way."

The title of the subreddit post reads "Props to John for respecting the source material and sticking it to Bay." Throughout the thread, there is agreement, with many comments contrasting Turturro's actions with their low opinion of how the design of the "Bayformers" strayed so far from their look in the cartoons and toys.