Kathleen Turner gained prominence in the 1980s due to her power and appearance; many consider her one of Hollywood’s most beautiful actors.
This grit has helped the actress get through the numerous positive and negative circumstances she has faced over the years.
Kathleen Turner experienced a challenging upbringing, growing up in a household with four children. She was raised in London and Venezuela with her siblings. Her father died abruptly while mowing the lawn of their Hampstead house when she was just a child.
A month after his death, the foreign service threw Kathleen and her family out of the UK. Turner and her family moved to Springfield, Missouri, still grieving over their father and their house.
Tuner ultimately found serenity as an adult when she relocated to New York to pursue an acting career. She experienced some success on stage, but her breakthrough role was as the femme fatale in 1981’s “Body Heat.”
Turner received an opportunity to co-star with Michael Douglas in the renowned “Romancing the Stone” three years after co-starring with William Hurt. Douglas was having a difficult split from his wife Diandra at the time of filming, and he and Turner developed affection for each other.
“We were in the process of falling in love—fervent, yearning stares and intense flirting.” Then Diandra came down and reminded me that he was still married,” Kathleen explained.
She married the film’s property developer, Jay Weiss, in 1984. Soon after, the couple welcomed their only daughter. Rachel Ann Weiss was born on October 14, 1987.
Unfortunately, the couple’s relationship deteriorated as they began to raise their daughter.
“I would insist that the movie companies provide me with extended weekends or additional tickets, enabling my daughter and spouse to visit me.” However, the marriage felt like his work, which made me feel bad. It was one of the reasons why it terminated. I started to feel oppressed. Kathleen stated, “I thought, ‘Hang on a minute, you’ve done very well out of being married to me, too.’”
Turner’s marital issues worsened when she played Martha in the Broadway version of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” in 2005. Turner became quite busy, performing in eight concerts per week, and it looked like Weiss wasted no time with her while she was at home.
The couple amicably split during this time, and Turner received a Tony Award nomination for her role as Martha.
In 1987, the actress received an Oscar nomination for her performance in “Peggy Sue Got Married.” She had a successful film career in the 1980s, appearing in three blockbusters starring Michael Douglas.
However, in the 1990s, Kathleen had a medical setback when her neck locked, preventing her from turning her head. In addition, her hands swelled so much that she couldn’t use them.
“It was crippling,” Kathleen added. “When you lose something, you stop taking it for granted, even if only momentarily. What I took for granted was my athleticism, ability to fling myself about, and simply being able to move wherever I wanted. When I lost it, I had a true crisis of identity: who am I if I can’t do this?
Rheumatoid arthritis, a disorder characterized by swelling of the joint lining, precipitated her tragic fate. This illness produces persistent discomfort that is difficult to treat.
“When it was first diagnosed, I was terrified because they said I’d be in a wheelchair,” Kathleen told me. “I figured, ‘If I can’t move, I can’t act.’” Acting isn’t all I want to do. I was born to do this. It is present in every aspect of my life. The discomfort and fear of failing were the scariest parts.”
Kathleen used drugs and alcohol to control her anger. While they helped her at work, her propensity to drink vodka caused her to pass out during rehearsals for productions such as 2002’s theatrical rendition of “The Graduate.”
The actress went to treatment after the program ended, only to discover that she was not an alcoholic. Instead, they informed her that she simply needed to monitor her prescription use and any adverse effects more closely.
Today, the actress does yoga and pilates to help manage her discomfort and stay agile.
While managing her agony, the actress began to concentrate on her theater profession. While she continued to work in cinema and television on occasion, she gravitated back to her origins as she grew older, even appearing on stage in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in her forties.
“I knew that the better roles as I got older would be in theater, which is absolutely true, so that was a little foresight on my part, of which I am justly proud,” Kathleen said.
Focusing on theater has also given the singer more time to pursue her hobbies, such as volunteering for Amnesty International and working for Planned Parenthood of America.
Turner has been a passionate feminist for most of her life, and she has used her undeniable power to help other women. Gloria Feldt’s 2008 memoir of the celebrity, Send Yourself Roses, clearly reflects her ideas.
“We are the first generation of women to achieve financial independence.” Women are returning to work,” Kathleen added. “They are recreating themselves. I felt that I could contribute, maybe even enhance their efforts. So it contains a great deal of philosophy, as well as many of my views.”
