GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH JANINE TURNER

Janine Turner has a lot going on these days and is more than happy to reflect on her past!

Janine is well known-for her quirky role as “Maggie” on the popular television show Northern Exposure. The entire series has gotten a new life as it is now streaming in Canada on APTN and has gained a new audience of fans who are have a great time watching her on the show.  

She also gained admiration for her co-starring role opposite Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger, which is going to see a reboot! A film and television actress, Janine has been working steadily in the entertainment industry. She is also a popular public speaker.

Janine turner as maggie, on northern exposure

A talented and versatile performer, Janine Turner is a three-time Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress who is known to millions of fans worldwide for her role as the quirky “Maggie O’Connell” for six seasons on the popular hit television series Northern Exposure.

A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Janine was raised in Ft. Worth Texas. At the age of fifteen she was discovered by model entrepreneur Wilhelmina, signed with her agency and moved to New York City.  She studied at the renowned New York City’s Professional Children’s School and acting roles soon followed starting with appearances on the television series Dallas and series work on the classic Soap Opera General Hospital.

Janine made her film debut in Young Doctors in Love for director Garry Marshall and was then cast in Dino De Laurentis’s Tai-Pan which filmed on location in China.  She would go on to appear in many other major motion pictures impressively starring alongside some of the most popular lead actors including Solace with Anthony Hopkins, Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone and  Dr. T & the Women with Richard Gere.

cliffhanger with sylvester stallone

She also appeared as “June Cleaver” in Leave it to Beaver, in The Night of the White Pants and had a star turn as “Miss Merry Christmas” in Steel Magnolias.

Janine’s additional television series work includes NBC’s Friday Night Lights, Taking the Reins for the Hallmark Channel and for Lifetime,  the No. 1 series Strong Medicine and the film Patsy and Loretta. She has recently completed the Western Birthright for Sony/Affirm.

As a filmmaker and producer Janine won Best New Director honors at both the Deep Ellum and Beverly Hills Film Festival for her short film Trip in a Summer Dress.

Janine is currently launching her star turn as “Belva Lockwood” in the Broadway-bound musical BELVA, Don’t Give Up Before the Miracle,” for which she is also the playwright and lyricist.

The founder of the non-profit Constituting America, Janine is a highly sought after and gifted speaker who is renown for bringing her non-partisan inspirational message of Constitutional and “Civil Civic Conversation” awareness and understanding to both students and adults across the country.  She has given over 600 riveting and motivating speeches through the organization.

In addition to her acting accomplishments Janine is a four-time published author of the books Holding Her Head High – 12 Single Mothers Who Championed Their Children and Changed History; A Little Bit Vulnerable; Artificial Intelligentisa vs. Primal Sense – 10 Steps to Reclaiming You; and Wisdom for Each Day – Inherited from My Great-Grandfather. Janine’s next effort is her soon to be released book of poetry entitled Gap Years, about traversing through empty nest tribulations to reclaim vigor and purpose.

I had the opportunity to catch up with the lovely and talented Janine Turner via ZOOM to talk about her career and what she is working on now.