Honestly, if you grew up in the 80s, Kathleen Turner wasn't just an actress. She was the actress. The voice that sounded like smoke and bourbon, the piercing blue eyes, and that "take no prisoners" energy in Body Heat or Romancing the Stone. But Hollywood is a fickle place, and time eventually comes for everyone. Lately, social media has been buzzing about the current picture of Kathleen Turner, mostly because she recently stepped back into the limelight for some high-profile events in late 2025 and early 2026.
Seeing her now is a bit of a shock if you still have the image of Matty Walker burned into your brain. But here's the thing: she doesn’t care if you’re shocked. Turner has always been famously blunt about aging, her health, and the way the industry treats women who don't stay frozen in their thirties.
The Latest Public Appearances: 2025 and 2026
If you're looking for the most current picture of Kathleen Turner, you have to look at the New York City premiere of The Roses in August 2025. It was a big deal. She showed up to support the remake of her 1989 classic The War of the Roses, which now stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.
She looked radiant, but she was using a cane, and later at a gala in November 2025, she was photographed in a wheelchair.
She wore this stunning emerald green outfit at the Citymeals on Wheels gala, her hair in loose, classic curls. Yeah, she’s 71 now. She looks like a woman who has lived a very full, very intense life. She isn't hiding behind plastic surgery or trying to look like a "real housewife" of anywhere. She looks like Kathleen Turner.
What People Get Wrong About Her Health
People see a celebrity in a wheelchair and immediately assume the worst. "Oh, she's frail," or "She’s fading away." With Turner, that couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is that she’s been fighting a brutal battle with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since 1992.
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Think about that for a second.
She was at the absolute peak of her powers when her body started attacking itself. For years, she kept it a secret because, as she told The Guardian back in 2023, Hollywood would hire drunks or addicts but they wouldn't hire someone they thought was "broken" by a disease. The steroids she took to manage the pain caused her face to swell, leading to nasty tabloid rumors that she had a drinking problem.
- The Diagnosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis (1992)
- The Struggle: Chronic pain, joint inflammation, and restricted mobility.
- The Treatment: Massive doses of steroids (which changed her physical appearance significantly in the 90s).
- The Present: She uses a wheelchair for long distances or major events to manage fatigue and pain, but she’s still incredibly active.
She basically told the world to "stuff it" and moved her focus to where the real work was: the stage.
Why She Still Matters in 2026
It’s easy to focus on a current picture of Kathleen Turner and talk about "then vs. now," but that misses the point of who she is today. She’s become a massive advocate for arthritis research and women's health. In late 2025, she actually testified before Congress.
She stood up (well, sat, but with immense presence) and spoke about women's survival and reproductive rights. The clips went viral, getting millions of views because that signature voice hasn't aged a day. It’s still a cello. It still commands the room.
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The Physical Transformation vs. The Creative Spirit
You might see a photo from 2026 and notice she’s heavier or that her movements are stiffer. That’s the RA. But have you seen her work lately? She’s been doing a one-woman show called Finding My Voice. She sings in it. She tells stories about Michael Douglas and the old days.
She’s also still acting. You can hear her as the voice of Benjamin the donkey in the upcoming Animal Farm adaptation, and she recently had a blast in The White House Plumbers on HBO.
She’s transitioned from being the "femme fatale" to being the "grand dame." And honestly? It suits her. There’s a weight to her presence now that’s arguably more interesting than the 1981 version of her.
What to Take Away From Her Recent Photos
When you search for a current picture of Kathleen Turner, don't look for the girl from Romancing the Stone. Look for the woman who survived a disease that was supposed to put her in a bed for the rest of her life by age forty.
She’s still here.
She’s still loud.
She’s still working.
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She once told an interviewer that Pilates saved her life. She does it twice a week. That stubbornness is what you see in her eyes in those 2026 red carpet photos. It’s not about looking "good for 71"—it's about the refusal to be invisible.
If you want to support her journey or learn more about the reality of living with RA, the best thing you can do is look into the Arthritis Foundation or Citymeals on Wheels, two organizations she’s spent decades supporting. Instead of just scrolling through photos, maybe take a page out of her book: be blunt, stay stubborn, and don't let anyone tell you when your "prime" is over.
To really appreciate where she is now, go back and watch her 2023 career retrospective with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. It gives the context that a single paparazzi photo never could.
Next Steps:
To get the full picture of her recent work, check out her official website's "News & Notable Press" section for updates on her 2026 tour dates. You can also watch her recent congressional testimony on C-SPAN's digital archives to hear that legendary voice in action.