Thanks to her strength and beauty, Kathleen Turner rose to fame in the 1980s; many consider her to be one of Hollywood’s most beautiful actors.
Over the years, the actress has faced both good and bad situations, and her persistence has helped her get through both.Kathleen Turner was reared in a house with four other kids despite coming from a difficult background.
She and her siblings were raised in both London and Venezuela. She tragically witnessed her father’s sudden passing when he was mowing the lawn of their Hampstead house when she was a young child.
A month following his passing, the foreign service deported Kathleen and her family from the UK. Turner’s family relocated to Springfield, Missouri, when they were all still grieving the loss of their father and their previous home.
Tuner finally felt calm after moving to New York to pursue an acting career as an adult. Despite modest theatrical success, her major break came when she was chosen to play the femme fatale in the 1981 film “Body Heat.”
Turner was granted the opportunity to co-star with Michael Douglas in the renowned “Romancing the Stone” three years after sharing a screen with William Hurt. At the time of filming, Douglas was going through a difficult divorce from his wife Diandra, and he started to have feelings for Turner.
“We were heavily flirting and exchanging intense, longing stares as we were in the process of falling in love. Then Diandra showed up and reminded me that he was still married, said Kathleen.
In 1984, she wed Jay Weiss, the real estate developer from the movie. Soon after, the two became parents to their only daughter. The date of Rachel Ann Weiss’ birth is October 14, 1987.
Unfortunately, when they began to raise their daughter, the couple’s relationship started to break down.
“I’d demand extra tickets or long weekends from the theater chains so my daughter and spouse could see me. However, there was a feeling in the marriage that all the work was being done by him, which made me feel bad. Its conclusion was caused in part by this. I began to experience severe oppression. Hold on a second, you’ve done quite well out of being married to me too, I thought, Kathleen said.
When Turner took on the role of Martha in the 2005 Broadway revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” their marital problems came to a head. Turner was really busy with acting in eight shows a week, and it seemed Weiss didn’t want to spend any time with her when she was at home.
During that time, Turner was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Martha, and they amicably parted ways.
The actress was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 for her work in “Peggy Sue Got Married.” She continued to produce films in the 1980s and acted in other big-budget productions, three of which starred Michael Douglas.
However, Kathleen experienced a medical setback in the 1990s when her neck locked, making it impossible for her to turn her head. Additionally, the swelling in her hands prevented her from using them.
“It was crippling,” Kathleen remarked. “When you lose something, even momentarily, you stop taking it for granted. My agility, my capacity to toss myself about, and my basic freedom to move however I pleased were all things I took for granted. Who am I if I can’t do this? That was a tremendous crisis of identity for me when I lost that.
She turned revealed to be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which is characterized by an enlargement of the lining of our joints. Managing the chronic discomfort this condition causes can be difficult.
“When it was first diagnosed, I was terrified because they said I’d be in a wheelchair,” Kathleen recalled. “I reasoned, ‘If I can’t act, I can’t move.'” I don’t only want to be an actor. I was made for it. It permeates every aspect of my life. The constant discomfort and the possibility of failing were the most terrifying aspects.
Kathleen used alcohol and prescription drugs as painkillers. Despite the fact that they made her job simpler, her tendency for drinking vodka led to her passing out during dress rehearsals for plays like the 2002 staging of “The Graduate.”
Following the conclusion of the show, the actress really checked herself into recovery, where it was found that she was not an alcoholic. Instead, she was told to just remember to take her medications on time and to note any undesirable side effects.
The actress now does yoga and pilates to keep her supple and manage her discomfort.
The celebrity began to effectively manage her pain while focusing on her theatrical career. As she grew older, she usually returned to her roots, even taking the stage to star in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in her forties, but she occasionally continued to work in film and television.
“Because I knew that the better roles as I got older would be in theatre, which is absolutely true, so that was a little foresight on my part, of which I am justly proud,” Kathleen added.
By focusing on the theater, the actress has had more time to pursue her interests, which include volunteering for Amnesty International and working for Planned Parenthood of America.
Turner, a devoted feminist, has devoted her life to empowering other women and has done so for the most of her life. Gloria Feldt’s 2008 biography of the actress, Send Yourself Roses, appropriately captures her viewpoints.
“We represent the first generation of financially independent women. Women are returning to the workforce, Kathleen said. They are changing who they are. I believed I could help, maybe even make it better. Thus, it contains a lot of my beliefs and philosophy.
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