Paige Turco Explained

Paige Turco
Birth Name:Jean Paige Turco
Birth Date:17 May 1965[1] [2]
Birth Place:Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1987–present
Children:1

Jean Paige Turco (born May 17, 1965) is an American actress, best known for her role as April O'Neil in and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.[3] Other notable roles include Dinah Marler on daytime’s Guiding Light on CBS, Melanie Cortlandt on the ABC soap opera All My Children, Terri Lowell in the CBS series The Agency, Gail Emory in the CBS series American Gothic and appearances in NYPD Blue, Party of Five and Person of Interest. From 2014 to 2019 she starred as Abigail Griffin in the post-apocalyptic drama series, The 100.

Early life

Turco was born to Joyce Jean (Jodoin) and David Vincent Turco[4] in Boston, Massachusetts. At one year old her mother moved them to Springfield, Massachusetts where she was raised, after the death of her father. She is of Italian, French-Canadian and English ancestry.[5] She took ballet lessons as a little girl and planned to become a classical ballerina. She attended the Walnut Hill School in Natick, Massachusetts graduating in 1983[6] and performed as a soloist at the New England Dance Conservatory, the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company, and the Western Massachusetts Ballet Company. An ankle injury ended the possibility of professional ballet. She remarked later, "I couldn't even go to the ballet anymore. It was too painful." Turco graduated from Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Massachusetts (1987) and majored in drama at the University of Connecticut.[7]

Career

Turco made her television acting debut in 1987, on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light as Dinah Marler, and appeared on the soap opera All My Children as Melanie Cortlandt. She replaced Judith Hoag in the role of April O'Neil in (1991) and later in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993).[7] She then starred in a number of small films and returned to TV with a role in the short-lived 1994 NBC primetime soap, Winnetka Road, opposite Catherine Hicks. The following season, Turco starred in another short-lived series, CBS's cult classic American Gothic. She later had recurring roles in NYPD Blue as Officer Abby Sullivan and on Party of Five as Annie Mott, a single mother who is also a recovering alcoholic. She also played the romantic interest of real-life husband Jason O'Mara in Episode 15 of Life on Mars.

Turco starred in the CBS drama series The Agency as graphic artist Terri Lowell, from 2001 to 2003. She had a recurring role in the third season of Rescue Me as science teacher Mrs. Nell Turbody, and in 2007 was a regular cast member in the ABC series Big Shots, portraying Lisbeth, the ex-wife of Dylan McDermott's character, Duncan Collinsworth, a cosmetics company CEO. Turco also appeared in the 2006 film Invincible, playing Carol Vermeil, the wife of Dick Vermeil, and also costarred in the Walt Disney picture The Game Plan (2007). She appeared in multiple episodes of Damages, and guest-starred on The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, and .[8] She also appeared in a recurring role on Person of Interest as Zoe Morgan.

In March 2014, Turco began starring as a series regular in The CW post-apocalyptic drama series, The 100.[9] In the same year, she also was cast as the lead character's wife in CBS's .[10]

Personal life

Turco is Roman Catholic.[11] She married Irish actor Jason O'Mara in 2003 and they have one child together,[7] David (born in February 2004; named in honor of Turco's father, who died when she was an infant). On June 19, 2017, the couple announced that they had separated on May 1, 2017, and that Turco had filed for divorce.[12] [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991April O'Neil
1993Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIIApril O'Neil
1994Dead FunnyLouise
1995The Feminine TouchJennifer BarronDirect-to-video
The Pompatus of LoveGina
1996VibrationsLisaDirect-to-video
1998Dark TidesSara
1999Claire Makes It BigBronwynShort film
2000R2PC: Road to Park CityHerself
UrbaniaCassandra
AstoriaElena
2001Dead DogPerri
2003Rhinoceros EyesFran
2006Waltzing AnnaBarbara Rhoades
InvincibleCarol Vermeil
2007The Game PlanKaren Kelly
The FavorCaroline
2009The StepfatherJackie Kerns
2010The Secrets of the MountainDana James
2020Books of BloodNicole

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987–1989Guiding LightDinah ChamberlainRegular role; 36 Episodes
1989–1991All My ChildrenMelanie 'Lanie' Cortlandt RampalRegular role; 80 Episodes
1994Winnetka RoadTerry MearsMain role; 6 Episodes
1995–1996American GothicGail EmoryMain role; 19 Episodes
1996–1997NYPD BlueOfficer Abby SullivanRecurring role (season 4,5); 10 episodes
1997–1998Party of FiveAnnie MottRecurring role (season 4); 18 episodes
2000Runaway VirusJenny BlanchardTelevision film
The FugitiveLaura ChereauxEpisode: "Pilot"
2001Pam AdlerEpisode: "Ridicule"
2001–2003The AgencyTerri LowellMain role; 45 Episodes
2006Women in LawCarolyn FordhamEpisode: "Pilot"
Rescue MeNell Turbody4 episodes
2007–2008Big ShotsLisbeth HillMain role; 11 Episodes
2009Taking ChanceStacey StroblTelevision film
Life on MarsColleen McManusEpisode: "All the Young Dudes"
DamagesChristine PurcellRecurring role; 6 episodes
2010Secrets of the MountainDana JamesTelevision film
The Good WifeCaroline WilderEpisode: "Unplugged"
2011Blue BloodsDetective RyanEpisode: "My Funny Valentine"
Kathleen RainesEpisode: "Blood Brothers"
2011–2016Person of InterestZoe MorganRecurring role; 9 episodes
2014–2019The 100Dr. Abigail Griffin / Simone Lightbourne VII / The JudgeMain role (seasons 1–6); special appearance (season 7); 64 episodes
2014NCISLinda PrideEpisode: "Crescent City"
2014–2020Linda Pride2 episodes
2018Separated at BirthElizabeth MarshallTelevision film

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Today's famous birthdays list for May 17, 2019 includes celebrity Bob Saget. Rose. Mike. May 17, 2019. cleveland.com. April 25, 2024.
  2. News: Famous birthdays May 17; ‘We Live Here, You Don’t’ (aka ‘90210’) ends. Legge. Lisa. May 17, 2016. Pioneer Press. April 25, 2024.
  3. News: Paige Turco Moves From a Soap to Become the Ninja Turtles' Friend . Susan . King . . March 30, 1991 . April 19, 2022.
  4. "Miss Joyce Jean Jodoin Is Bride of David V. Turco". The Boston Globe, August 9, 1964
  5. Web site: BIOGRAPHY . January 1, 2017.
  6. Web site: Walnuts in the World - Walnut Hill School for the Arts . www.walnuthillarts.org . 9 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160319052340/https://www.walnuthillarts.org/arts/theater/walnuts-in-the-world . 19 March 2016 . dead.
  7. Paige Turco Biography . . March 1, 2014.
  8. Web site: Paige Turco to Guest-Star on Blue Bloods. TV Guide. April 19, 2022.
  9. News: Matt Webb . Mitovich . Pilot News: Paige Turco, Once Princess, Oz Alum and Leslie Bibb Among the Latest Castings . TVLine . March 8, 2013 . March 1, 2014.
  10. News: Andreeva . Nellie . Malcolm Barrett, Jonathan Slavin In 'Mission Control'; Paige Turco In 'NCIS' Spinoff . . February 18, 2014 . April 19, 2022.
  11. Matranga. Stuart. Paige Turco Interview from Stuff Magazine 2003. Stuff Magazine. March 21, 2007.
  12. Web site: Paige Turco filed for divorce from Jason O'Mara. Celebretainment. June 19, 2017. July 26, 2017.
  13. Web site: Paige Turco files for divorce from Jason O'Mara. June 19, 2017. Brampton Guardian.