Kathleen Turner Age: How Old Is Kathleen Turner?

By looking at Kathleen Turner age, any individual can easily realize how far she has come in the Hollywood industry and how many accolades she has received till now.

Two times Golden Globe award winner, the American actress was born on June 19, 1954, in Springfield, Missouri, United States.

Kathleen Turner, a renowned film and stage actress, gained fame in the 1980s due to her exceptional beauty, intelligence, grace, and talent.

Despite objection from her conservative family, she pursued her passion for acting and received Tony Award nominations for her Broadway performances in ‘Cat On a Hot Tin Roof’ and ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’

She honed her skill by studying theater at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and acting in several stage productions directed by Steve Yeager.

Turner’s television work paved the way for her film debut in ‘Body Heat,’ where she portrayed the role of a cunning woman who set up her husband’s murder. The character exposed her adventurous spirit and raw s*xuality, making her popular with industry experts.

Did you know that Turner was famous for taking on unconventional roles in her movies?

From ‘Serial Mom’ to ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’ and ‘Prizzi’s Honor,’ she always kept her audiences on the edge of their seats!

Sadly, her health issues later limited her career growth, but Kathleen Turner age is 68 years in 2023, and she still can get into the headlines. 

Parents’ objection over acting in the early Kathleen Turner age

Kathleen Turner’s father, Allen Richard Turner, was a U.S. Foreign Service officer, and her mother was Patsy.

As a result of her father’s occupation, the family moved frequently. She was raised in a conservative Christian household.

Despite her parent’s objection, Turner had a keen interest in the performing arts from a young age.

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She completed her high school education at the American School in London in 1972 before returning to the United States.

In 1977, Kathleen obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, after enrolling at Missouri State University for two years.

During her time in college, she appeared in many stage productions directed by Steve Yeager.

When did Kathleen Turner make her debut?

Kathleen Turner age was 23 when she moved to New York in 1977 and made her off-Broadway debut as the female lead in Michael Zetter’s play ‘Mister T’ at the Soho Repertory Theatre.

A few months later, she made her Broadway debut as Judith Hastings in ‘Gemini’ at The Little Theatre.

The thriller ‘Body Heat’ marked Turner’s film debut when she was cast as the femme fatale Matty Walker in 1981.

Her portrayal of a beautiful, cunning woman who plans her husband’s murder was well-received.

After her debut, Turner actively chose a diverse range of roles, despite being labeled as a sexy seductress.

In 1983, she played a gold-digging wife in the science fiction comedy ‘The Man with Two Brains.’

Kathleen Turner played a comedic role in the romantic comedy ‘Romancing the Stone,’ which was directed by Robert Zemeckis and co-starred Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito in 1984.

The film was a commercial success and helped Turner become a star.

In 1986, she starred in the comedy-drama Peggy Sue Got Married’ as a middle-aged woman who finds herself back in her high school days.

This role earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

She also appeared alongside Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito in the 1989 black comedy ‘The War of the Roses,’ which explores the breakdown of a seemingly perfect marriage between a wealthy couple.

Throughout the 1980s, she was in high demand as an actress.

What disease does Kathleen Turner have?

In the 1990s, Kathleen began suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which severely impacted her career.

During this time, she also struggled with heavy drinking, which further hindered her professional life.

In the early 1990s, she acted in several films that were not well-received. However, she gained some success in 1994 with her role as Beverly Sutphin in the black comedy ‘Serial Mom.’

She portrays the character of a seemingly perfect housewife who turns into a serial killer and achieves fame due to her notoriety.

During the late 1990s, she did not get lead roles and acted in supporting roles in movies such as ‘A Simple Wish’ (1997), ‘The Real Blond’ (1997), ‘The Virgin Suicides’ (1999), and also lent her voice to an episode of ‘The Simpsons.’

Her health improved in the 2000s, and she worked on reviving her career. In 2002, she performed in a Broadway production of ‘The Graduate.’

Turner’s association with the play resulted in it being sold out.

Her performance in the Broadway revival of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ in 2005 as Martha earned her critical acclaim and a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

She recently worked in films such as ‘Marley & Me’ (2008) and ‘The Perfect Family’ (2011).

Kathleen Turner defies her agent’s advice over working with John Waters

Kathleen Turner said her former agent warned her about the repercussions on her career after collaborating with “B-movie director” John Waters.

During an interview, Turner recalled that her agents and other associates had advised her against working with John Waters, stating that he was a B-movie director and that it would ruin her career. She said that their advice had angered her.

However, after chatting with Waters over the script, the Body Heat actor accepted the offer.

Turner expressed her frustration, stating that she felt like she was some kind of institution that had to be put in a glass case.

She rejected the idea and stated that she was not going to comply with it by saying, “So I said, ‘Yeah, well, watch me.'”

Meanwhile, the 68-year-old, looking back on her decision, added, “Honestly, if you’d said to me, ‘You’re going to do this John Waters film,’ I’d have said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.'”

Turner was featured in Waters’ 1994 black comedy film Serial Mom.

Does Kathleen Turner smoke?

During the peak of her career, she consumed alcohol, smoked, used profanity, exhibited high intelligence, and spoke about s*x candidly, indicating her enjoyment of it.

However, she has remained single for sixteen years since her divorce from her husband. She married the real estate entrepreneur Jay Weiss in 1984. Weiss and Turner divorced in 2007.

She shares a 30-year-old daughter named Rachel Ann with her former husband. 

Did Michael Douglas marry Kathleen Turner?

Turner, who is currently 68 years old, revealed in a recent interview that her friendship with 78-year-old Douglas almost turned romantic.

During the filming of Romancing the Stone in 1983, Turner was single, and Douglas was separated from his first wife, Diandra Luker.

Turner said in an interview, “I think we might have been falling in love, But then Diandra flew down and made it clear that she did not consider Michael to be available.”

She said that it ended because she could not get involved in another woman’s relationship.