Kathleen Turner

Biography

Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. Known for her distinctive deep, husky voice, she receives two Golden Globes and nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy, and two Tony Awards. After debuting both off and on Broadway in 1977, followed by her television debut as Nola Dancy Aldrich on the NBC soap opera The Doctors (1978–1979), Turner rose to prominence with her portrayal of Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981), which brought her a reputation as a sex symbol. She worked solidly throughout the 1980s in films such as The Man with Two Brains (1983), Crimes of Passion, Romancing the Stone (both 1984), Prizzi's Honor, The Jewel of the Nile (both 1985), Switching Channels, The Accidental Tourist (both 1988), and The War of the Roses (1989). For her portrayal of the title character in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Turner was nominated for the 1987 Academy Award for Best Actress. Subsequent credits include V.I. Warshawski (1991), Serial Mom (1994), Baby Geniuses, The Virgin Suicides (both 1999), Beautiful (2000), Marley & Me (2008), and Dumb and Dumber To (2014). Outside film, Turner guest-starred as Sue Collini on Showtime's Californication (2009) and Roz Volander on Netflix's The Kominsky Method (2019–2021). She also played Charles Bing, the drag queen father of Chandler Bing, on the seventh season of Friends (2001). Turner's voice work includes Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Constance in Monster House (2006), as well as characters on television series such as The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, and Rick and Morty. In addition to her work on stage and screen, Turner has taught acting classes at New York University.

Known For

Law & Order

The Simpsons

Rick and Morty

Family Guy

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Daily Show

Friends

Saturday Night Live

All Movies (74)

• Animal Farm2026 · as Benjamin (voice)
• Shelly's Leg2025 · as Narrator
• The Long Game2025 · as Mariah McKay
• The Estate2022 · as Aunt Hilda Beauchamp
• The Swearing Jar2022 · as Bev
• The Metropolitan Opera: La Fille du Régiment2019 · as Duchess of Krakenthorp
• Jack Nicholson - The Devilish Smile of Hollywood2017 · as Self
• Another Kind of Wedding2017 · as Barbara Haines
• Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive2017 · as Narrator
• In Conversation With Director John Waters, Actress Kathleen Turner and Actress Mink Stole2016 · as Self
• America’s Diplomats2016 · as Self (voice)
• Emily & Tim2015 · as Narrator
• Fifty Shades of Erotica2015 · as (archive footage)
• "That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To'2015 · as Self
• Dumb and Dumber To2014 · as Fraida
• Gods Behaving Badly2013 · as Styx
• Nurse 3-D2013 · as Head Nurse
• The Perfect Family2011 · as Eileen Cleary
• Waking Sleeping Beauty2009 · as Self (archive footage)
• Life is a Banquet2009 · as Rosalind Russell (Voice)
• Marley & Me2008 · as Ms. Kornblut
• Monster House2006 · as Constance (voice)
• A Father… A Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood2005 · as Self
• The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch2005 · as Self
• Jack Nicholson: The Joker Is Wild2004 · as Self - Interviewee
• AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories2002 · as Self
• The Making of The Virgin Suicides2000 · as Self
• Beautiful2000 · as Verna Chickle
• Prince of Central Park2000 · as Rebecca Cairn
• National Geographic Kids: Creepy Creatures2000 · as Clawdette the Black Cat (voice)
• The Virgin Suicides2000 · as Mrs. Lisbon
• Cinderella2000 · as Claudette
• Love and Action in Chicago1999 · as Middleman
• In Bad Taste1999 · as Self
• Baby Geniuses1999 · as Elena Kinder
• Legalese1998 · as Brenda Whitlass
• The Real Blonde1998 · as Dee Dee Taylor
• A Simple Wish1997 · as Claudia
• Bad Baby1997 · as Mom (voice)
• The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful1996 · as Self
• The Best of Roger Rabbit1996 · as Jessica Rabbit (voice) (archive footage)
• Moonlight and Valentino1995 · as Alberta Trager
• Friends at Last1995 · as Fanny Connelyn
• Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!1994 · as Self (archive footage)
• Serial Mom1994 · as Beverly Sutphin
• Naked in New York1993 · as Dana Coles
• Undercover Blues1993 · as Jane Blue
• House of Cards1993 · as Ruth Matthews
• Trail Mix-Up1993 · as Jessica Rabbit (voice)
• Rabbit Ears - Rumpelstiltskin1991 · as Narrator (voice)
• V.I. Warshawski1991 · as Victoria 'V.I.' Warshawski
• Roller Coaster Rabbit1990 · as Jessica Rabbit (voice)
• Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To1990 · as Self - Host
• Night of 100 Stars III1990 · as Self
• The War of the Roses1989 · as Barbara Rose
• Tummy Trouble1989 · as Jessica Rabbit (voice)
• The Accidental Tourist1988 · as Sarah Leary
• Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town1988 · as Self
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit1988 · as Jessica Rabbit (voice) (uncredited)
• cascadeurs de stars1988 · as Self
• Switching Channels1988 · as Christy Colleran
• Julia and Julia1988 · as Giulia
• Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam1987 · as Lynda Van Devanter (voice)
• Peggy Sue Got Married1986 · as Peggy Sue
• The Jewel of the Nile1985 · as Joan Wilder
• Prizzi's Honor1985 · as Irene Walker
• Crimes of Passion1984 · as Joanna Crane / China Blue
• A Breed Apart1984 · as Stella Clayton
• Romancing the Stone1984 · as Joan Wilder
• The Man with Two Brains1983 · as Dolores Benedict
• Body Heat1981 · as Matty Walker
• La Fille du régiment - Royal Opera House— · as Duchess of Krakenthorp
• The Conspiracy of Silence— · as Self
• Joan's Teeth— · as Joan

All TV Shows (34)

• White House Plumbers2023 · as Dita Beard
• Dolly Parton's Heartstrings2019 · as Miss Mary Shaw
• The Kominsky Method2018 · as Roz
• Summer Camp Island2018 · as Mole Judge (voice)
• The Path2016 · as Brenda Roberts
• Rick and Morty2013 · as Monogatron Queen (voice)
• Mom2013 · as Cookie
• Masterclass2010 · as Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• Californication2007 · as Sue Collini
• Shrink Rap2007 · as Self
• Today with Des and Mel2004
• Nip/Tuck2003 · as Cindy Plumb
• Family Guy1999 · as Kathleen Turner disguised as Peter Griffin (voice)
• The View1997 · as Self
• King of the Hill1997 · as Miss Liz Strickland (voice)
• The Daily Show1996 · as Self
• Friends1994 · as Helena
• American Cinema1994 · as Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
• HBO First Look1992
• Law & Order1990 · as Rebecca Shane
• The Simpsons1989 · as Stacy Lovell (voice)
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self
• American Masters1986 · as Narrator (voice)
• Late Night with David Letterman1982 · as Self - Guest
• Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
• Wetten, dass..?1981 · as Self
• Please Turn the Page1977 · as Self
• Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Host
• Great Performances1971 · as Self
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Host
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• The George Lucas Talk Show: Live— · as Self