Kathleen Turner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kathleen Turner
Turner in 2013
Born	Mary Kathleen Turner (1954-06-19) June 19, 1954 (age 71) Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Education	Southwest Missouri State University University of Maryland, Baltimore County (BFA, 1977)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1972–present
Spouse(s)	Jay Weiss ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 2007)​
Children	1

Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She is famous for her unique deep, husky voice. Kathleen has won two Golden Globes and has been nominated for an Academy Award, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards.

She started acting on stage in 1977. Then, she made her TV debut in the soap opera The Doctors (1978–1979). Kathleen became very well known for her role as Matty Walker in the movie Body Heat (1981). Throughout the 1980s, she starred in many popular films. These included The Man with Two Brains (1983), Romancing the Stone (1984), Prizzi's Honor (1985), and The War of the Roses (1989). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986).

Later, Kathleen appeared in movies like Serial Mom (1994) and Marley & Me (2008). She also had guest roles on TV shows such as Californication (2009) and The Kominsky Method (2019–2021). Fans might also remember her as Charles Bing, the father of Chandler Bing, on Friends (2001).

Kathleen Turner is also known for her voice acting. She was the voice of Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Constance in Monster House (2006). She has also voiced characters on animated TV shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Rick and Morty. Besides acting, Kathleen has taught acting classes at New York University.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Turner was born on June 19, 1954, in Springfield, Missouri. Her parents were Patsy and Allen Richard Turner. Her father worked for the U.S. Foreign Service. This meant her family moved around a lot. Kathleen is the third of four children and the only one born in the United States.

Her parents were very strict and did not want her to become an actress. Because of her father's job, Kathleen grew up in different countries. She lived in Canada, Cuba, Venezuela, and London, England. She went to high school at The American School in London and graduated in 1972. She said that her real acting journey began in high school. Her father passed away just a week before her graduation. After that, her family moved back to Springfield, Missouri.

Kathleen studied theater at Southwest Missouri State University for two years. A director named Herbert Blau saw her perform and invited her to finish her studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree there in 1977.

Starting Her Acting Career

Turner in 1999

In 1973, Kathleen spent a summer in Midland, Texas. There, she made history at the Yucca Theater. She was the first female villain in their 1973 play, Plodding Among the Planets.

After moving to New York City in 1977, Kathleen quickly started acting. She took over a main role in the play Mister T. This was her first off-Broadway performance. A few months later, she made her Broadway debut in the play Gemini. She was also appearing in the TV soap opera The Doctors at the same time.

Moving to TV and Film

In 1978, Kathleen made her TV debut in the NBC soap opera The Doctors. She played Nola Dancy Aldrich. In 1981, she made her first movie, Body Heat. She played Matty Walker, a strong and mysterious character. This role made her famous around the world. Kathleen soon became one of the most popular actresses in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Because of her deep, unique voice, people often compared her to the famous actress Lauren Bacall.

Becoming a Star

After Body Heat, Kathleen chose different types of roles. She wanted to avoid being known only for playing mysterious female characters. Her next movie was the comedy The Man With Two Brains (1983).

She then starred with Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito in Romancing the Stone. Critics loved her performance. The movie was a big surprise hit and one of the top movies of 1984. Kathleen won a Golden Globe award for her role. She worked with Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito again in the sequel, The Jewel of the Nile. Making this movie had some challenges because Kathleen didn't like the first script. But they worked it out, and the movie was made.

Before Jewel, Kathleen starred in Prizzi's Honor with Jack Nicholson. She won another Golden Globe for this film. She also starred in Peggy Sue Got Married with Nicolas Cage. For Peggy Sue, she won the Best Actress award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

In the 1988 animated movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Kathleen was the speaking voice of the cartoon character Jessica Rabbit. She said the famous line, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." In 1989, Kathleen worked with Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito for a third time in The War of the Roses. This time, she played Michael Douglas's unhappy wife. Kathleen often did her own stunts in movies, like in The War of the Roses where she played a former gymnast.

Health Challenges and Return to Acting

In the early 1990s, Kathleen Turner was still a very popular film star. She appeared in movies like V.I. Warshawski and Undercover Blues. However, her career slowed down because she developed rheumatoid arthritis. This is a condition that causes pain and swelling in the joints. She also felt that roles for leading ladies became fewer as she got older.

Around 1992, while filming Serial Mom, she started having severe pains and fevers. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis about a year later. At one point, she could barely move and was told she might end up in a wheelchair. She described the pain as "excruciating." Her hands were so swollen she couldn't hold a pen or a glass of water. Her appearance also changed due to the condition.

Because of her health, Kathleen had to turn down big roles in movies like Ghost and The Bridges of Madison County, which became very successful. She took on smaller roles in films like House of Cards and The Virgin ... . She also voiced Stacy Lovell on The Simpsons.

Getting Better

After about eight years, thanks to new treatments, Kathleen's rheumatoid arthritis went into remission. This meant her symptoms got much better. She started appearing more on television. She was in three episodes of Friends, playing Chandler Bing's father, a drag performer.

In 2006, she guest-starred on FX's Nip/Tuck. She also had a small role in Marley & Me (2008) and appeared on Law & Order. In 2009, she played Charlie Runkle's boss in Californication.

Kathleen continued to act in independent films and supporting roles. She was in The Perfect Family (2011) and the comedy sequel Dumb and Dumber To (2014). She also appeared in the Hulu series The Path and the CBS comedy Mom. On the Netflix show The Kominsky Method, she reunited with her former co-star Michael Douglas.

Voice Acting Roles

Kathleen Turner is well-known for her voice work. She voiced Jessica Rabbit in the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit and its cartoon spin-offs. She also voiced Constance in the animated film Monster House (2006). She has lent her voice to commercials and radio dramas. Kathleen has also had guest voice roles on animated TV series like King of the Hill, Family Guy, and Rick and Morty.

Stage Performances

After acting in Broadway plays like Indiscretions and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the 1990s, Kathleen moved to London. In 2000, she starred in a stage version of The Graduate as Mrs. Robinson. The play was very popular with audiences.

In 2005, Kathleen took on the role of Martha in a Broadway revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Her performance earned her a second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play. The show later moved to London. She also toured the U.S. with her one-woman show, Tallulah.

Kathleen continued her stage career, appearing in plays like High and Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-... Wit of Molly Ivins. In 2014, she played Mother Courage in Mother Courage and Her Children. In 2019, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Personal Life

Kathleen Turner married real estate businessman Jay Weiss in 1984. They have one daughter, Rachel Ann Weiss, who was born in 1987 and is a singer. Kathleen and Jay divorced in 2007, but she has said they remain good friends.

Kathleen has spoken out about the differences in roles offered to male and female actors as they get older. She calls it a "terrible double standard."

Activism and Books

Kathleen Turner is involved in several causes. She is on the board of People for the American Way, which works to protect civil liberties. She also volunteers for Amnesty International and Citymeals-on-Wheels, which delivers meals to homebound elderly people. She has supported the Democratic Party. She also works to raise awareness about rheumatoid arthritis.

In 2008, Kathleen wrote her memoirs, Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles. In 2018, she gave an interview to Vulture magazine. In it, she shared her honest opinions on many topics, which made the interview widely discussed.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Audio

Accolades

See also

In Spanish: Kathleen Turner para niños