Kathleen Turner grew up in a household of four kids who had a difficult upbringing. Her brothers and she grew up in London and Venezuela, respectively. Her dad died suddenly while mowing the lawn of their Hampstead house when she was quite young.
A month after his passing, the foreign service ordered Kathleen and her family out of the UK. Turner and her family relocated to Springfield, Missouri, where they were all still mourning their father and their previous home.
Tuner discovered serenity as an adult after going to New York to pursue an acting career. She had modest success in theater, but her big break came when she was cast as the femme fatale in 1981’s “Body Heat.”
Three years after co-starring with William Hurt in “Romancing the Stone,” Turner was offered the opportunity to co-star with Michael Douglas in “Romancing the Stone.” At the time of the shooting, Douglas was going through a difficult divorce from his wife, Diandra, and he and Turner had developed affection for each other.
Kaleen said that they were falling in love—with their fervent, longing looks and heavy flirtation. Then Diandra appeared and reminded her that he was still married.
In 1984, she married the property developer from the film, Jay Weiss. Soon later, the couple welcomed their only child together. On October 14, 1987, Rachel Ann Weiss was born.
However, when they began to raise their daughter, the couple’s relationship began to deteriorate.
Turner played Martha in the 2005 Broadway version of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and their marital issues escalated. Turner became very busy while appearing in eight plays per week, and Weiss seemed to want little time with her when she was home.
During that time, the couple split amicably, and Turner received a Tony nomination for her role as Martha.
In 1987, she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in “Peggy Sue Got Married.” During the 1980s, her film career was thriving, and she appeared in a number of blockbusters, three of which featured Michael Douglas.
Kathleen, on the other hand, had a medical setback in the 1990s when her neck locked, preventing her from turning her head. Furthermore, her hands had swollen to the point that she could no longer use them.
Her tragedy was ultimately caused by rheumatoid arthritis, a disorder characterized by swelling of the lining of our joints. This illness, which may be difficult to treat, results in chronic pain.
Kathleen resorted to medications and booze to help her deal with her agony. While they aided her productivity, her habit of drinking vodka caused her to pass out during rehearsals for productions such as 2002’s theatrical version of “The Graduate.”
After the program ended, the actress went to treatment, only to discover that she was not an alcoholic. Rather, she was advised that she just needed to take better note of when she took her medications and how they affected her.
Today, the actress practices yoga and pilates to help manage her discomfort and stay agile.
While dealing with her agony, the actress decided to concentrate on her theater profession. While she continued to work in cinema and television on occasion, she returned to her roots as she grew older, even appearing on stage in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in her forties.
Kathleen said that since she understood that as she got older, the better roles would be in theater, which is completely accurate, so that was a little foresight on her part, of which she is fairly proud.
Concentrating on theater has also given the actress time to pursue other interests, such as volunteering for Amnesty International and working for Planned Parenthood of America.
Turner, a fervent feminist for most of her life, has dedicated her undeniable power to inspiring other women. Send Yourself Roses, Gloria Feldt’s 2008 biography about the singer, vividly depicts her ideas.
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