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Kathleen Turner on Acting: Conversations about Film, Television, and Theater
Few actors have had a career as dynamic as that Kathleen Turner's; success has followed her from the television screen to major blockbusters, from indie films to the theater stage. Over her forty-year career, Turner has developed an instinctual knowledge of what it takes to be a successful actor, and, in her conversations with esteemed film professor Dustin Morrow, she shares these lessons with the world.
With her iconic wit on full display, Turner dazzles readers with her shrewd insights on the craft of acting and charming anecdotes from her own storied career. Touching on each of her roles, she expounds on the lessons she’s learned and describes her journey of discovery in the world of acting.
An epic and intense one-on-one master class in acting from the best teacher imaginable, Kathleen Turner on Acting is a must for acting and directing students of every age, established actors and directors, filmmakers, theater pros, and artists of every stripe.
With her iconic wit on full display, Turner dazzles readers with her shrewd insights on the craft of acting and charming anecdotes from her own storied career. Touching on each of her roles, she expounds on the lessons she’s learned and describes her journey of discovery in the world of acting.
An epic and intense one-on-one master class in acting from the best teacher imaginable, Kathleen Turner on Acting is a must for acting and directing students of every age, established actors and directors, filmmakers, theater pros, and artists of every stripe.
- GenresNonfictionBook Club
400 pages, Hardcover
Published September 18, 2018
20 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Turner
33 books13 followersMary Kathleen Turner is an Academy Award-nominated American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Romancing the Stone and Prizzi's Honor.
Turner (in collaboration with Gloria Feldt) wrote her memoir Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on my Life, Love, and Leading Roles, published in 2008. The book was on the New York Times bestseller list for three weeks.
Turner (in collaboration with Gloria Feldt) wrote her memoir Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on my Life, Love, and Leading Roles, published in 2008. The book was on the New York Times bestseller list for three weeks.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 5, 2018
Kathleen Turner is one of the most iconic actors working in the business, and this book seeks to pin down her insights into her acting process. This is not necessarily something that should fill an entire book considering her mantra on acting is, “Shut up and do it.” However, Kathleen Turner is also incredibly smart, funny, and insightful, and she quickly shifts the conversation to cover her thoughts on the entire entertainment industry.
In that regard, it works. Turner is a true conversationalist and is willing to face questions head-on. The book is made up of interviews edited down to one long discussion. Sometimes this results in light anecdotes from the filming process of Romancing the Stone, and other times it results in a deep discussion of performing eight shows a week with rheumatoid arthritis. All sides of her career, from theatre and film to political activism, are on display and all are equally enthralling.
The interview is the perfect conceit to examine someone’s acting process. It’s a deeply personal way of approaching performance (as evidenced by many of Kathleen Turner’s own answers), and the back-and-forth leads to some forced introspection.
Here, the questioning is conducted by Dustin Morrow, a film professor. For the most part, his questions are both apt and interesting. He deserves credit for covering most facets of her career as well as whittling the tome down to something manageable to both theatre practitioners and general readers. Occasionally, his opinions do seem intrusive to the questioning and it derails the overall flow from question to question. As well, some of the questions on theatre don’t appear to be at the same level as the film ones. Then again, when discussing Albee or High or working in the West End, Kathleen Turner seems even more animated and takes control of the discussion.
Overall, this is a great examination of acting method from a remarkable actor.
Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres...
In that regard, it works. Turner is a true conversationalist and is willing to face questions head-on. The book is made up of interviews edited down to one long discussion. Sometimes this results in light anecdotes from the filming process of Romancing the Stone, and other times it results in a deep discussion of performing eight shows a week with rheumatoid arthritis. All sides of her career, from theatre and film to political activism, are on display and all are equally enthralling.
The interview is the perfect conceit to examine someone’s acting process. It’s a deeply personal way of approaching performance (as evidenced by many of Kathleen Turner’s own answers), and the back-and-forth leads to some forced introspection.
Here, the questioning is conducted by Dustin Morrow, a film professor. For the most part, his questions are both apt and interesting. He deserves credit for covering most facets of her career as well as whittling the tome down to something manageable to both theatre practitioners and general readers. Occasionally, his opinions do seem intrusive to the questioning and it derails the overall flow from question to question. As well, some of the questions on theatre don’t appear to be at the same level as the film ones. Then again, when discussing Albee or High or working in the West End, Kathleen Turner seems even more animated and takes control of the discussion.
Overall, this is a great examination of acting method from a remarkable actor.
Review also posted at https://pluckedfromthestacks.wordpres...
September 15, 2024
I loved listening to all the parts with Kathleen Turner. The sections about movies I haven't seen wasn't as engaging as the rest, but that's my deal, not the book's. I could have done without the part at the end with the co-author giving his take on certain roles. I bought the book for Kathleen Turner, not him.
September 18, 2018
GNab Kathleen Turner on Acting is basically an interview, albeit a long one that covers a long, varied career very thoroughly. I loved all the insights and insider jokes and especially Ms. Turner's take on her movies, her co-workers, and her methods of preparing and executing her interpretation of the great roles she has brought us over the years. I feel a binge watch coming on. She has played so many interesting characters, and seeing how she has chosen her work, how she has interacted with directors and actors to bring to the screen her version of the strong, independent women she has portrayed and is still portraying is gratifying. We all like to have our heroes presented in a good light. This book certainly does that - and in her own words.
I received free electronic copy of this biography from Netgalley, Kathleen Turner and Dustin Morrow, and Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Sept 18, 2018
Skyhorse Publishing
I received free electronic copy of this biography from Netgalley, Kathleen Turner and Dustin Morrow, and Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
pub date Sept 18, 2018
Skyhorse Publishing
September 13, 2018
I usually avoid reading about the theory of acting. I truly believe that one has to find the way one acts, that each individual actor has to find their own unique path. Of course there are tools that can help you, and maybe some of those tools will come from a teacher, or a book, or a fellow actor, but in the end it's up to each actor to build their own unique toolkit. Did I just kill your book?
I'm probably a jerk for using that as my opening quote.
Kathleen Turner is a BAMF. She's been working, on the big screen, on the small screen, on the stage, for three decades, and she's played some truly iconic characters. Her voice is recognizable from 20 paces, and her sparkling eyes and perfect timing have led to some of the best works Hollywood has ever put out.
This book is all about how she learned the skills that have kept her working for so long in an industry that wants to throw away women after 30. It's what she's learned, how she's learned it, and what she teaches other actors in the classes she teaches at NYU and Studio One on One. She only teaches a select amount of students, and they have to have proven how serious they are about the craft, but damn, would I love to sit in one of these classes.
To read about how she decides what choices to make, and how she ensures she's captured a theater audience's attention to the fullest, is absolutely fascinating. Again, I'm not an actor. I will never use the skills she references here. But I was completely captivated, and I could clearly hear the iconic voice that makes me sound like Minnie Mouse.
I have one very real complaint about this book, though. Because this isn't a memoir, or a biography, this is really and truly a conversation between Kathleen Turner and Dustin Morrow.
Who is Dustin Morrow, you may ask?
He's involved in the actor process in some way, teaching, editing, casting, watching. He has a lot of opinions.
I didn't need the Q half of this Q&A to be a famous person. I just needed them to feed the conversation, as opposed to taking it over. By the midpoint of this book, I'd taken to completely ignoring the paragraphs that started with D.M. and only focusing on Kathleen's sections. And interestingly, I missed nothing from this.
Kathleen is incredibly smart, and witty, and damn funny. She's the epitome of the term firecracker, a strong, no-holds-barred woman who knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. As she says, "I'm not famous for suffering fools gladly."
Based on this, I'm going to assume Mr. Morrow has many redeeming qualities. But his inclusion of loads of thoughts and opinions were not appreciated on this end.
I do recommend picking this book up, especially for anyone interested in an acting career of any kind, be it stage or screen, big or little, Broadway or off. She has brilliant insights and methods (not Method) that I feel would be useful to anyone. And if you're a fan of even one of her movies, you will absolutely find something to enjoy in this book.
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
I'm probably a jerk for using that as my opening quote.
Kathleen Turner is a BAMF. She's been working, on the big screen, on the small screen, on the stage, for three decades, and she's played some truly iconic characters. Her voice is recognizable from 20 paces, and her sparkling eyes and perfect timing have led to some of the best works Hollywood has ever put out.
This book is all about how she learned the skills that have kept her working for so long in an industry that wants to throw away women after 30. It's what she's learned, how she's learned it, and what she teaches other actors in the classes she teaches at NYU and Studio One on One. She only teaches a select amount of students, and they have to have proven how serious they are about the craft, but damn, would I love to sit in one of these classes.
To read about how she decides what choices to make, and how she ensures she's captured a theater audience's attention to the fullest, is absolutely fascinating. Again, I'm not an actor. I will never use the skills she references here. But I was completely captivated, and I could clearly hear the iconic voice that makes me sound like Minnie Mouse.
I have one very real complaint about this book, though. Because this isn't a memoir, or a biography, this is really and truly a conversation between Kathleen Turner and Dustin Morrow.
Who is Dustin Morrow, you may ask?
He's involved in the actor process in some way, teaching, editing, casting, watching. He has a lot of opinions.
I didn't need the Q half of this Q&A to be a famous person. I just needed them to feed the conversation, as opposed to taking it over. By the midpoint of this book, I'd taken to completely ignoring the paragraphs that started with D.M. and only focusing on Kathleen's sections. And interestingly, I missed nothing from this.
Kathleen is incredibly smart, and witty, and damn funny. She's the epitome of the term firecracker, a strong, no-holds-barred woman who knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. As she says, "I'm not famous for suffering fools gladly."
Based on this, I'm going to assume Mr. Morrow has many redeeming qualities. But his inclusion of loads of thoughts and opinions were not appreciated on this end.
I do recommend picking this book up, especially for anyone interested in an acting career of any kind, be it stage or screen, big or little, Broadway or off. She has brilliant insights and methods (not Method) that I feel would be useful to anyone. And if you're a fan of even one of her movies, you will absolutely find something to enjoy in this book.
Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
June 27, 2018
Encompassing a wide array of subjects spanning her career, her methods, and advice to today's aspiring actors in the current showbiz climate, Morrow has buttoned together an incredibly coherent and organized talk with a living legend.
Morrow primes the reader with a few quick notes, and then you're treated to the bulk of the material, which is presented in interview form. Turner gets to speak on moments across the spectrum of her life---not just what she's accomplished in the theater and on screen (although that gets plenty of discussion time). Yes, she talks about her voice. It's an awesome section.
As you'd anticipate, she's no-holds-barred; her unique personality reaches out of the pages and makes for the read that Morrow was aiming for. She relays anecdotes absolutely sure to further enrich your view of her, and the advice she's distributing, some of which that came at great cost to her, is supremely interesting in the least, and utterly gripping at best. You don't have to be clamoring to get into the film industry to discover worthwhile bits here.
The respect and admiration that Morrow has for Kathleen Turner is infectious in his work. He's quick to state that this book isn't a substitute for her biography (promptly suggesting it for further reading), and you're given ample cases in her career (specific scenes, for example) put under the microscope to display her talent for further appreciation.
I admit that I was not really privy to her theater background, and this read is worth it just for that simple discovery. I never had any doubt that Kathleen Turner was an accomplished and esteemed individual, but, presented lovingly through this medium, I finish this read with a much greater appreciation of her, actors, and, the sad cloud of knowing that she wanted to work with a certain great actor that passed in early 2016 but never got the chance to (it would've been a great pairing).
Many thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the advanced read.
Morrow primes the reader with a few quick notes, and then you're treated to the bulk of the material, which is presented in interview form. Turner gets to speak on moments across the spectrum of her life---not just what she's accomplished in the theater and on screen (although that gets plenty of discussion time). Yes, she talks about her voice. It's an awesome section.
As you'd anticipate, she's no-holds-barred; her unique personality reaches out of the pages and makes for the read that Morrow was aiming for. She relays anecdotes absolutely sure to further enrich your view of her, and the advice she's distributing, some of which that came at great cost to her, is supremely interesting in the least, and utterly gripping at best. You don't have to be clamoring to get into the film industry to discover worthwhile bits here.
The respect and admiration that Morrow has for Kathleen Turner is infectious in his work. He's quick to state that this book isn't a substitute for her biography (promptly suggesting it for further reading), and you're given ample cases in her career (specific scenes, for example) put under the microscope to display her talent for further appreciation.
I admit that I was not really privy to her theater background, and this read is worth it just for that simple discovery. I never had any doubt that Kathleen Turner was an accomplished and esteemed individual, but, presented lovingly through this medium, I finish this read with a much greater appreciation of her, actors, and, the sad cloud of knowing that she wanted to work with a certain great actor that passed in early 2016 but never got the chance to (it would've been a great pairing).
Many thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the advanced read.
January 3, 2019
Wow! just wow! I consumed this book in a matter of days!
I'm a mega fan of Kathleen and an aspiring actor! This book as inspired me! It has given me advice! It has taught me to be a better actor and a better person!
This is a must read for any actor! It doesn't follow the long winded theory of most acting books- it in facts goes against pretty much every major theory on acting- but the advice is solid and grounded in the experience of one of the worlds greatest acting legends!
I'm a mega fan of Kathleen and an aspiring actor! This book as inspired me! It has given me advice! It has taught me to be a better actor and a better person!
This is a must read for any actor! It doesn't follow the long winded theory of most acting books- it in facts goes against pretty much every major theory on acting- but the advice is solid and grounded in the experience of one of the worlds greatest acting legends!
February 5, 2019
What a beautiful and insightful book on acting as an art, a way of life, and a profession! I loved the conversational format of the book and found Dustin Morrow's contributions to be enlightening. Kathleen Turner is probably one of the single most talented actors working today, and her passion for her art and her roles comes through as she discusses them.
The book is not simply a chronological exploration of Ms Turner's career, but rather pleasantly meanders through her roles on screen and stage while mixing in her insights on a lifetime in the public eye.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of the process an actor goes through and how it evolves over time. Even those somehow unfamiliar with Kathleen Turner will find it an intelligent, thoughtful, and enjoyable read.
The book is not simply a chronological exploration of Ms Turner's career, but rather pleasantly meanders through her roles on screen and stage while mixing in her insights on a lifetime in the public eye.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants a better understanding of the process an actor goes through and how it evolves over time. Even those somehow unfamiliar with Kathleen Turner will find it an intelligent, thoughtful, and enjoyable read.
March 10, 2019
This should have been called "Kathleen Turner on Kathleen Turner." I mean no disrespect to Turner here; it is often great fun to hear what she has to say on acting, her career, her co-stars and directors, etc. And her interviewer, Dustin Morrow, does get her to delve into some interesting thoughts on the craft of acting. But despite an attempt to structure the book in short chapters on specific topics, this reads like a big, messy magazine article that should have been edited down (mostly for some repetition and occasional contradictions, especially when she talks about directing) and published in two or three parts in Vanity Fair. It does make me wish that I could have seen some of Turner's stage performances, especially in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. A fun read but not exactly what it's advertised as.
August 13, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book, Turner is one of my favorite actresses from the 1980s. She offers safe advice on most apsoects of the difficult career of show business, from auditions to proper elocution. Along the way she shares snippets of her background and experiences in film and theater. I really enjoyed reading about three of her movies that I love the best: Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, and Peggy Sue Got Married. I watched those continuously on VHS in the 80s. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.
July 21, 2019
Fun read that is a little behind the scenes of Turners work with insights on what it means to be an actor. I really appreciated the format of the book and probably could have skipped a few chapters on some of her film and theater that I haven’t seen.
January 31, 2019
Some useful tips on acting, but far too few. More about Ms. Turner's career (and ego.) I would have preferred more exercises and advice on acting.
June 5, 2020
Very informative. Listened to it on Audible and really enjoyed the comfortable and conversational feel of the dialogue.
Read
July 9, 2020Lots of repeated info from Send Yourself Roses, and a healthy dose of ego here. But great fun to read it in her voice. Not so sure its of much use to new actors, tho.
August 18, 2025
Miss Turner’s advice to those going into the acting profession is to “Just do it” which is fine advice for an actor but poor advice for a surgeon. I would also suggest patience, persistence and a large trust fund if you wish the purse acting as a career. There but a few, painfully obvious suggestions on the art of acting. Mostly it is recollection of the various movies and plays Miss Turner has appeared in.
As for the co-author, Dustin Moore the extreme fawning over everything that Miss Turner has ever done, is doing right now and will do in the future I found to be a bit much. But in his defense without her cooperation he didn’t stand a snowball chance in hell of getting published.
As for the co-author, Dustin Moore the extreme fawning over everything that Miss Turner has ever done, is doing right now and will do in the future I found to be a bit much. But in his defense without her cooperation he didn’t stand a snowball chance in hell of getting published.
October 7, 2023
Series of involved interviews with the formidable Turner in which she offers precise insights on her signature style, nuanced pointers for stage, film and TV aspirants, and the inevitable NYC vs. L.A. comparative study. Turner proves a companionable conversationalist and a natural teacher. With Morrow's probing (if talky) help, she reveals herself to be a consummate craftsperson, working from an organic confidence and a careful control.
July 6, 2024
I'm a big Kathleen Turner fan so this was a fun book for me.
First half is recommended for anyone who loves KT, and second half for anyone who wants to learn to to improve their auditions! Terrific reading.
First half is recommended for anyone who loves KT, and second half for anyone who wants to learn to to improve their auditions! Terrific reading.
Read
February 2, 2026Fascinating conversation with Ms. Turner about her craft. This is not a kiss-and-tell. Makes me want to go back and rewatch some of her classics.
September 5, 2018
This book is unique in that the Author didn't take any creative liberties. He went straight to the source, Kathleen Turner. It's not a biography, she's already written her own story. This is a question and answer format. Ms. Turner's personality and little quirks come through which is interesting, because you are actually hearing her voice in how she thinks and how she does certain things. Very enjoyable read. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews