Janine Turner

Janine Turner, born Janine Loraine Gauntt on December 6, 1962, in Lincoln, Nebraska, is an American actress, author, public speaker, and civic organizer. She is the daughter of Janice Loraine (née Agee) and Turner Maurice Gauntt Jr. Shortly after her birth, her family returned to Texas, where she was raised in the cities of Euless and Fort Worth.

In 1978, at the age of sixteen, Turner moved to New York City to begin a modeling career with the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. She began her acting career in Hollywood in 1980, making early appearances in the television series Dallas and a 1981 commercial for Buf-Puf body sponges. Throughout the 1980s, she made continuous guest appearances on television and landed the recurring role of Laura Templeton on General Hospital. Seeking more serious roles, she relocated to New York to study under Marcia Haufrecht at the Actors Studio.

In 1990, Turner secured her breakthrough role as Maggie O'Connell in the television series Northern Exposure. Her work on the show earned her an Emmy Award nomination in 1993 and three consecutive Golden Globe nominations from 1992 through 1994. Turner appreciated the role for depicting a strong, independent woman, which contrasted with the limited character types she had experienced earlier in Hollywood.

Following her success on Northern Exposure, Turner starred as Jessie Deighan in the feature film Cliffhanger alongside Sylvester Stallone. She subsequently appeared as June Cleaver in the Leave It to Beaver film adaptation, and took roles in Stolen Women: Captured Hearts, Dr. T & the Women, and No Regrets. She later appeared in the low-budget feature The Night of the White Pants in 2006, played Katie McCoy in twelve episodes of Friday Night Lights starting in 2008, and appeared in the 2015 film Solace.

Turner expanded her work into writing, producing, and directing. In 2004, she created the film Trip in a Summer Dress. She later co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the Christian Yoga DVD Christoga, and produced the album Mockingbird Hill featuring vocals by herself and her daughter. Between 2011 and 2013, she hosted the talk show The Janine Turner Show on radio stations KLIF and KPRC as well as iHeart Radio, earning the title of Best Radio Show in Dallas.

In 2010, Turner co-founded Constituting America, an organization aimed at educating adults and students about the U.S. Constitution. She also launched a national public speaking career addressing topics such as faith, heart health, sobriety, and politics. Turner has written four books, including Holding Her Head High, as well as dozens of essays on the Federalist Papers and op-eds for major news outlets. She was appointed to the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2006. Turner has one daughter, Juliette, born in 1997.