The Turtle Was the Most Difficult Actor in Conclave

You May Be Interested In:Plane owned by Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil involved in fatal collision; he’s fine, rep says


Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

One of this year’s best film performances undoubtedly came from the turtle in Conclave, who not only served as a symbol of spiritual independence in the film but also got to be carried across the Vatican gardens by Ralph Fiennes. But the film’s director, Edward Berger, says the turtle wasn’t necessarily an easy actor to work with. “It didn’t do what I wanted!” Berger told Vulture at the National Board of Review Awards Gala on January 7, “So I was shouting at it and trying to push it and finally we got it,” he said with a laugh. It’s unclear if the same tactics work on Stanley Tucci. “It came about because I went to the Vatican gardens, I took a stroll there and I actually saw a fountain with turtles inside. A gift, I believe, from Angola, and that’s why we put it in the movie. We thought, That’s a good symbol,” Berger explained.

The turtle’s star turn comes at the end of the film, when, after the election of a new pope, Fiennes’s Cardinal Lawrence spots the trailblazing reptile in the building, and picks it up to return it to the garden where it belongs. Despite being such a strong symbol, the turtle was not present to accept the National Board of Review Award for Best Ensemble alongside its cast-mates John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, and the demure Fiennes.

share Paylaş facebook pinterest whatsapp x print

Similar Content

'SNL' recap: Bill Burr hosts first post-election episode
‘SNL’ recap: Bill Burr hosts first post-election episode
The “Nickel Boys” Director RaMell Ross on Making the Most Haunting Scene
The “Nickel Boys” Director RaMell Ross on Making the Most Haunting Scene
Robert Vargas began Fernando Valenzuela mural on the day the Dodgers great died. It's become an altar
Robert Vargas began Fernando Valenzuela mural on the day the Dodgers great died. It’s become an altar
Watch Ariana Grande and Dana Carvey channel Jennifer Coolidge on 'SNL'
Watch Ariana Grande and Dana Carvey channel Jennifer Coolidge on ‘SNL’
Jury finds CNN defamed security consultant in Afghanistan evacuation report
Jury finds CNN defamed security consultant in Afghanistan evacuation report
The Meditative Organ Soundscapes of Kali Malone
The Meditative Organ Soundscapes of Kali Malone
The Daily Dispatch | © 2025 | News