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Kathleen Turner
I know there are nights when I have power, when I could put on something and walk in somewhere, and if there is a man who doesn’t look at me, it’s because he’s gay.
— Kathleen Turner
Back in the Reagan years, Kathleen Turner was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Her star power was established in her very first movie, Body Heat, in which she made her mark as a murder-minded femme fatale; the 1981 film not only launched her career into the stratosphere, but also brought back into vogue the sort of vampish temptresses that haunt the film noir thrillers of Hollywood’s Golden Era. She demonstrated an ability to play characters other than dangerous dames in the adventure-comedy Romancing the Stone (1984), and in its sequel, Jewel of the Nile (1985), both of which co-starred Michael Douglas. (The duo would reunite for the 1989 disintegrating-marriage comedy The War of the Roses.) At her best, Turner combined a sultry voice, sexual charisma, and an enigmatic presence with a remarkable knack for comedy, both light and dark. She earned raves and a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1985 hit Prizzi’s Honor, and that same year, the National Association of Theater Owners named her Star of the Year. The 1986 time-travel comedy Peggy Sue Got Married garnered her an Oscar nomination. Turner put her trademark husky vocal cords to good use in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, voicing Jessica Rabbit, the animated sexpot unaccountably married to the nebbishy title ‘toon.
What could go wrong? Well, to begin with, a series of truly lousy scripts, a weight problem, the inevitable effects of age on her sex-kittenish persona, and a slum-lord husband who was convicted of a building-code violation that resulted in 87 deaths in a fire. That should just about do it.
Like dozens of down-on-their-luck stars before her, Turner looked to Broadway as a comeback launching pad, and earned rave reviews for her performance in a 1995 production of Indiscretions. As for the big screen, the ’90s haven’t been kind to the onetime mega-star. Her most notorious role in recent memory was that of the sweetly murderous housewife in John Water’s 1994 film Serial Mom. After a two-year sabbatical from the screen, Turner cropped up in supporting roles in the 1997 Martin Short kiddie flick A Simple Wish, and in the Tom DiCillo satire The Real Blonde. 1999 brought outings in the laughably deplorable Baby Geniuses and The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s well-received debut film based on Jeffrey Eugenides’ acclaimed novel.
Occupation: Actress
Date of Birth: June 19, 1954
Place of Birth: Springfield, Mo., USA
Sign: Sun in Gemini, Moon in Aquarius
Relations: Husband: Jay Weiss; kid: Rachel Ann
Education: Attended Southwest Missouri State University, University of Maryland (M.F.A.)
Fan Mail: C/O International Creative Management
8942 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
USA.
Kathleen Turner: Credits
MOVIES
Actor
Beautiful — 2000
The Virgin Suicides — 2000
Baby Geniuses — 1999
Bad Baby — 1997
The Real Blonde — 1998
A Simple Wish — 1997
Moonlight and Valentino — 1995
Naked in New York — 1994
Serial Mom — 1994
Undercover Blues — 1993
House of Cards — 1993
V.I. Warshawski — 1991
The War of the Roses — 1989
The Accidental Tourist — 1988
Switching Channels — 1988
Julia and Julia — 1988
Peggy Sue Got Married — 1986
Prizzi’s Honor — 1985
The Jewel of the Nile — 1985
Romancing the Stone — 1984
A Breed Apart — 1984
Crimes of Passion — 1984
The Man With Two Brains — 1983
Body Heat — 1981
Other Movie Credits
Trail Mix-Up — 1993 (Voice only)
Rollercoaster Rabbit — 1990 (Voice only)
Tummy Trouble — 1990 (Voice only)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit — 1988 (Voice only)
TV
Cinderella — 1999 (Movie)
Stories From My Childhood — 1998 (Series)
Legalese — 1998 (Movie)
Love in the Ancient World — 1997 (Host)
The Odyssey of Troy — 1995 (Special; host)
Friends at Last — 1995 (Movie; performer, producer)
American Cinema — 1995 (Series; narrator “The Star” episode)
Leslie’s Folly — 1994 (Special; performer, director)
Three Dances by Martha Graham — 1992 (Narrator)
Rumpelstiltskin — 1992 (Narrator)
The 44th Annual Tony Awards — 1990 (Host)
Myrna Loy: So Nice To Come Home To — 1990 (Host, Narrator)
The Doctors — 1987 (Series)
Dear America — 1987 (Documentary; narrator)
The Simpsons (Appearance)
Turner, Kathleen Web sites
Virgin Suicides, The audio video
Features production notes, trailer and soundtrack of the Paramount Classics/American Zoetrope film about a group of sisters in mourning over the suicide of their younger sister.
http://www.virginsuicides.com/
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Mr. Showbiz Celebrities: Kathleen Turner
Features a profile, biography, credits and related news stories.
http://mrshowbiz.go.com/people/kathleenturner/
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Romancing the Stone audio
Quotes, pictures, sounds, and summary from the movie starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, and Danny DeVito.
http://www.capecod.net/bridget/rts/
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Baby Geniuses video
Official site has movie synopsis, credits and trailer.
http://www.spe.sony.com/movies/jump/f_babygeniuses…
Last reviewed by heckmp02
Filmcritic.com Movie Review: Serial Mom
Film reviewer writes “Kathleen Turner shines as the psychopath, giving one of the most memorable performances as a villain in the 90s.”
http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/2a460f…
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Internet Movie Database: Kathleen Turner
Detailed filmography, trivia and related links.
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Turner,+Kathleen
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Rosie O’Donnell Show: Kathleen Turner audio video
Photos and video clip of Kathleen’s appearance on the Rosie O’Donnell Show.
http://rosieo.warnerbros.com/cmp/dld/turner.htm
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
RTC: Kathleen Turner Fun Page
A satirical look at Turner’s film career.
http://www.idmonsters.com/rtc/02/kathleenturner.ht…
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Star Archive: Kathleen Turner
Provides a couple of autographed photos, a filmography and an autograph address for the actress.
http://www.stararchive.com/turner.shtm
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
TV and Movie Trivia Tribute Celebrity Listing audio commerce
Photos, a couple of sound files, and related links.
http://www.geocities.com/eagle393/kathleenturner.h…
Last reviewed by DottieHinkle
Photo Gallery:
Topics: Actress, Celebrities
Tags: Actress, Golden Era, Golden Globe, Jessica Rabbit
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