Janine Turner is a native Texan raised by her father, Turner Maurice Gauntt, Jr., from Athens, Texas and her mother, Janice Gauntt, from San Antonio, Texas. At the age of fifteen, Janine journeyed to New York City to become the youngest model at the Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. At age seventeen, Janine was in Hollywood launching her acting career. After acclaimed success, Janine returned to Texas in 1995 to raise her beloved daughter, Juliette, on their Longhorn cattle ranch in North Texas.
Janine is an entrepreneur at heart. Besides being a single mother, she is an actress, author, speaker, singer, director, yoga enthusiast, rancher, foundation chair, columnist and political activist.
As an actress, Janine is best known for her Emmy & Golden Globe nominated role as Maggie O’Connell, the feisty bush pilot in the hit TV series, Northern Exposure, during which she was named one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful” and one of Esquire Magazine’s “Women We Love.” Other notable feature film credits include: Cliffhanger, Leave it to Beaver – as June Cleaver, Dr. T & the Women, Steel Magnolias, and the popular TV series – Friday Night Lights. Janine has recently completed three new film roles in Solace, opposite Anthony Hopkins, Occupy Texas, & Ivy League Farmer.
As a director, Janine has won multiple awards for her directorial short film debut, Trip in a Summer Dress and now is launching her first full length feature film as screenwriter, director and star in the upcoming, Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy. Amongst producing and starring in a Christian Yoga DVD, Christoga, and writing and singing songs with her daughter, Juliette, for their debut album Mockingbird Hill, Janine has authored two published books, the Washington Post Bestseller, Holding Her Head High about historical, heroic single mothers and the recently released A Little Bit Vulnerable – on Hollywood, God, Sobriety and Politics.
On fire to protect America’s Republic, Janine launched an award winning radio show, The Janine Turner Show, a foundation, Constituting America, and authored 85 essays on the Federalist. Her opinion editorials are published at the Washington Times, the Washington Examiner, Foxnews.com – and as a column at PJ Media. Appearing on The O’Reilly Factor every Friday for a year as a political pundit, Janine continues to be a frequent guest on Fox News.
Inspired by her appointment to President Bush’s Council for Service and Civic Participation, Janine created her foundation, Constituting America, which she co-chairs with Cathy Gillespie. Her mission is to educate America’s youth and citizens about the importance of the nonpartisan United States Constitution. She utilizes her Hollywood experience to encourage kids to write and direct short films, public service announcements and hit songs about how the founding document protects liberty.
Janine, inspired by her father, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, speaks across the country to school kids and adults about preserving America’s principles and the United States Constitution, including a prime time speech at the Republican National Convention in 2012.
Janine continues to inspire audiences across the country not only with her artistic talents but with her speaking talents – on tours with such issues as single motherhood, civic duty, Constitutional politics, sobriety, health, her Christian Faith and on overcoming rejection – surviving her Hollywood 10,000 no’s.