Kathleen Turner is one of the most visible movie icons of the ’80s, and with those daring roles and outspoken character, she has proved to be very supportive when it comes to views on women’s liberation. These are the same values and beliefs that she has best instilled in her daughter, Rachel Ann Weiss. Rachel, a great artist at heart, followed her mother’s path into a career in the performing arts but created a unique identity for herself as a singer and actress in music. This paper discusses Rachel Ann Weiss, her life, and what she has achieved so far in her lifetime.
Early Life and Family Background
Rachel Ann Weiss was born in 1987 to Kathleen Turner and Jay Weiss, a real estate entrepreneur. The two first set their eyes on each other in 1983, towards the final stages of “Romancing the Stone”‘s filming. Their whirlwind romance led them to wed in 1984. Turner, having become a household name with her tough, independent screen roles in Peggy Sue Got Married, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Serial Mom, found in Jay Weiss what could best be described as a balancing influence. Though her life had been in the public eye, Turner has always acknowledged Weiss as keeping her “rooted” in the “real world.”
Rachel grew up in New York, where the family lived. Although her parents filed for divorce in 2007, they stayed very present in her life. Turner’s diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis when Rachel was young had certainly taken a heavy toll on the family. Diagnosed in her late 30s, Turner had already undergone treatments that included chemotherapy and steroids, both of which had caused physical changes in her appearance. In 2002, she chose to enter rehab because of her drinking problem so that she would be present as a mother, wife, and career woman.
Rachel Ann Weiss has always inclined towards the arts; that is definitely a trend in the family. She furthered her passion at Hampshire College for music: studying and developing that craft. In 2012, Rachel Ann Weiss showed her face as a talented singer-songwriter with the release of her debut album, Dear Love. In her rising musical career, she has already stood on stages around the United States, as well as stages across the world.
Though music is still her deal, Rachel has taken acting classes before. In the year 1989 she was in the film Little Monsters and has also done some days work on this side as listed on her resume at Backstage.com. Rachel loves acting, she has said, especially Shakespeare plays. She has only done a scene or two at private functions but would love to do more in that area down the road.
A Tight Bond with Her Mom
Theirs was also a relationship of respect, admiration, and love in a very creative direction. Turner has, from time to time, shared with her daughter never to fear and to be as bold in her choices as she had learned these tough lessons in Hollywood. Indeed, she has always been one to speak out against the double standards that prevail concerning women in the profession: appealingly, whereas assertiveness in men is found to be praiseworthy, the corresponding attitude in women is quite often frowned upon. It is this view that hugely impacted the perspective on life with Rachel and how to go about her career.
Rachel herself has been on record in several interviews saying her mother’s teachings about how to build strong character have given her plenty of impetus. Turner’s ways of telling her to not shy away and be brave enough to speak her mind have been with Rachel all through both her professional and personal life. This motherly guidance has been instrumental for Rachel in developing as an artist and as a person who is unhesitant to express herself.
Rachel’s Appearance on Friends and Other Acting Roles
Rachel Ann Weiss Even made it on one of television’s most iconic shows—Friends. Turner played a very controversial character, Chandler’s parent Helena Handbasket, who was a transgender woman. The role, which has since sparked conversations about representation, was groundbreaking for its time, though Turner herself has expressed that she might not take on such a role today. And in the classic two-parter “The One Where Monica and Chandler Get Married,” a nostalgic Rachel is in the second part as well.
Rachel remembers this fondly, having posted some nostalgic moments on social media. She once shared a picture with her younger self next to Morgan Fairchild, who appeared as Chandler’s mother.
Rachel Proudly Documents Her Mom’s Legacy
Rachel Ann Weiss is proud of her accomplishments and at the same time thankful for a fabulous and illustrious career. She posts some of the moments of the career of Kathleen Turner on social media with words of admiration and pride. One of the more public examples was in 2016, when Rachel shared a throwback picture of them in London for the Olivier Awards, commemorating the evening Turner had been awarded Best Actress for her role in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
When Turner brought her one-woman show Finding My Voice to New York in 2018, Rachel was quick to promote it, urging her followers to secure tickets, knowing it would be a sellout. A fan’s emotional letter applauding the performance of the show was posted by Rachel on Instagram, in what was a clear display of pride at the impression her mother was making on audiences.
Over the years, with certain New York theaters, Rachel Ann Weiss has always graced the red carpet alongside her mother. Whether it be the opening night of Cirque du Soleil’s Zarkana at Radio City Music Hall in 2011, the opening night of Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical on Broadway in 2011, or the 2015 Broadway re-opening of It’s Only A Play, Rachel is constantly alongside her mother. The fervency of their relationship is obvious from the way they are found supporting each other, be it in personal or professional matters.
In 2017, Rachel was with Turner at the Ms. Foundation for Women’s Gloria Awards Gala, pictured along the famous comedian Chelsea Handler. Such instances of appearances illustrate how closely the mother-daughter duo share the same path as they build their careers – and how much their foundation is always grounded in the heart of a family.
Conclusion
Rachel Ann Weiss is yet another proof for Kathleen Turner. Just like her mother, Rachel is powerful, talented as well as full of passion for the inventive and the artistic. But surprisingly, this time, Rachel was able to prove herself more as a singer/songwriter and performer in her own right after following slightly in the path of Turner. It would be a close relationship with her mother that would help lead her through life and help her become the woman she is today—fearless and immensely talented. In her pursuit of the arts, Rachel tends to carry the lessons and values of her mother that ensure the long stake in Turner-Weiss, full of strong and independent women, is able to keep on surviving.
