Factsheet
(1954-06-19) June 19, 1954 (age 71)
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (BFA)
(1954-06-19) June 19, 1954 (age 71)
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (BFA)
An Appreciation thread dedicated to the wonderful Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner was everywhere in the 1980s and early 90s, the Jennifer Lawrence of her era. Then, she got ill and it was over.
Michael Douglas & Kathleen Turner on 40-Year Friendship
Kathleen Turner was a highly regarded actress in the 80s but illness prevented her from continuing her successful career in the 90s. What are your thoughts on her?
Videos
Peggy Sue Got Married (which she got nominated for), Body Heat, The Accidental Tourist, Romancing the Stone, Crimes of Passion, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (voicing the iconic Jessica Rabbit), The War of the Roses, Prizzi's Honor.....these films showed how incredible a run Kathleen Turner had in the 1980s until she was afflicted with rheumatized arthritis which severely limited her career and drastically changed her appearance due to the medication.
Her smoky, seductive voice alongside her femme-fatale beauty was her trademark however she was superb in comedy. Starting out as a sex-symbol made her be seen in a way which made viewers assume she couldn't act when she wasn't just a good actress, she was a terrific comedienne.
It's such a sad story because I grew up in the 80s and she was a mega movie star back then. That voice, the sex appeal, the fact she was such a versatile actress, from action to comedy to drama, she was accomplished in everything. I loved her performances in Peggy Sue Got Married and The War of the Roses, so good in those movies.
Then she got sick and the medication she needed to take care of her health made her gain a lot of weight which meant she was no longer "hot" and the roles evaporated. She did a couple of decent movies, best being Serial Mom and The Virgin Suicides as well as a successful run on the West End with The Graduate but her hey day was over.
It always surprises me how you can be huge in one year and then a nobody the next. Katherine Heigl is another example, she was the Julia Roberts of the 2000s, then she got mouthy, she was over.