There are characters everyone will always love, such as Ambrose Monk from the comedy-drama crime series Monk. Although he appears in only three episodes throughout the series, his character outshines the room with his intellect and fascinating quirkiness. Played by John Turturro, Ambrose is introduced as Adrian Monk’s brother in Monk season 2, episode 11, “Mr. Monk and the Three Pies.”
Ambrose Monk shares plenty of similarities to his brother and struggles with his own phobias. Turturro delivers an incredible performance as viewers learn more about his character, his quirky habits, and his relationship with his younger brother. Turturro’s portrayal of Ambrose showed how committed he was to the role, in addition to his ability to add layers to Adrian’s brother, which made him even more relatable and led to some of the best Monk episodes.
Ambrose Monk Was One Of The Show’s Greatest Characters
Ambrose was relatable and intelligent, with surprising skills introduced from his first appearance. An agoraphobic, he ended up leaving the house after years of isolation, not by personal choice, but to escape a house fire. Ambrose was a great addition to Monk because he was a missing puzzle piece to the Monk family’s backstory. The revelation of Ambrose as Adrian’s older brother pieces together questions about why they are estranged, Ambrose’s struggles, and more information about what Monk was like as a kid.
Although Adrian describes his brother as his complete opposite, Ambrose defies this with his intellectual mind and literacy in seven different languages. His qualities have shown that he is incredibly smart and no less different than his brother. He also carried a heavy burden, feeling responsible for his sister-in-law’s death, revealing the disconnect between him and Adrian. Ambrose’s optimism and caring nature are other additions to his likable character, including his consistent continuation to collect newspapers and mail addressed to his absent father, in hopes he returns home, partially explaining his severe OCD and agoraphobia.
John Turturro’s Performance As Ambrose Monk Got Him An Emmy
John Turturro committed to the role exceptionally well, creating different layers for Ambrose Monk, for which he won an Emmy in 2004. John Turturro’s Emmy win as Ambrose was well deserved due to the heartwarming performance that stole the show and arguably outshined everyone else in ” Mr. Monk and the Three Pies”. For example, in a scene when Ambrose admits his guilt to his brother about his sister-in-law’s death, Turturro embraces Ambrose’s emotions beautifully as a heartbreaking scene for viewers to sympathize with him.
John Turturro’s portrayal of Ambrose Monk was the perfect combination of humor and seriousness, contributing a balance of comedy and pathos to the role. His character transcended every appearance with his tear-jerker scenes, awkward quirky behavior, and intellectual moments. John Turturro’s performance as Ambrose Monk is flawlessly mastered through body language, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
In the episode, “Mr. Monk Goes Home Again,” Ambrose and Adrian have a heartwarming moment in the ambulance, giving a remarkable performance of someone afraid to die. As far as TV guest stars go, John Turturro as Ambrose Monk might be one of the most inspired, pitch-perfect casting I’ve ever seen. He perfectly plays opposite Tony Shalhoub’s Adrian.
The Monk Movie Didn’t Feature Ambrose (But Referenced Him)
Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie featured familiar faces from the series, although someone was missing. The Monk cast reunited for the movie, which revisited Adrian and his friends more than a decade after the end of the original series. In one scene, a neat display of multiple letters is addressed to the important people in Adrian’s life, including Ambrose. Adrian was considering taking his own life after struggling with his mental health during and after the pandemic. He was also having financial problems and couldn’t work.
Unfortunately, what is written in the letter is unknown to the audience, but this is a key reference because Ambrose is a part of Adrian’s life, despite their complex relationship. It’s difficult to imagine what Adrian would want to say to Ambrose in what was supposed to be his final message to his brother. Although Ambrose did not return for the movie, the fact that he was referenced in the Monk reunion added a lot to the film. It is unclear if a Monk movie sequel will ever happen, but if it does, I would love to see Turturro reprise his role as Ambrose.