Janine Turner (née Gauntt; born December 6, 1962) is an American Emmy-nominated actress, most widely known for her starring role on the prime time television show Northern Exposure. From 2000 to 2002, she appeared on the Lifetime original series Strong Medicine. In 2008, Turner became a published author when Thomas Nelson released Holding Her Head High: Inspiration from 12 Single Mothers Who Read more...

In 1978, at the age of 15, she left home to pursue a modeling career with the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. Turner began her acting career in 1980, appearing in several episodes of Dallas. She continued to make guest appearances on popular television shows throughout the 1980s before landing the role of Maggie O'Connell on Northern Exposure in 1990, a role that earned her an Emmy nomination.

After Read more...

Turner was born Janine Loraine Gauntt in Lincoln, Nebraska, the daughter of Janice, a real estate agent, and Turner M. Gauntt, a pilot who attended West Point and flew for Braniff for 30 years. Her father is from East Texas, while her mother is from South Texas. She has a brother, Tim, and was raised in Euless, Texas.

Turner lives on a longhorn cattle ranch outside of Dallas, Texas, with Read more...