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Ann Turkel has one of the most interesting and diverse careers in the entertainment industry. A former Vogue cover girl who stands six feet tall, Ann is recognized around the world for her successes in motion pictures, television, and modeling. Born and raised in Manhattan, Ann always had a gift for entertaining. She began dance lessons at the age of five and continued her artistic studies through college. She credits her grandmother for encouraging her artistic abilities. Ann studied acting, dance, and voice throughout her formative years. By the time she reached sixteen, Ann had studied at the Musical Theatre Academy and the Neighborhood Playhouse with some of the most prominent acting coaches in the city, including Sandy Meisner and Philip Burton, foster parent of Richard Burton.
At age sixteen, Ann began singing with a rock and roll band and also performed a season of summer stock theatre at the Berkshire Playhouse in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in such plays as "The Pajama Game" and "West Side Story." It was while performing with her high school rock band at a fashion show that Ann was discovered by Gloria Schiff, an editor at Vogue Magazine. Within a week, editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland had Ann shooting her first Vogue cover with photographer Richard Avedon. Subsequently, Ann became one of the most sought after models in the country gracing the covers of the top fashion magazines, including Vogue, Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan, among others. After two years, Ann hit the international markets, modeling successfully in Europe and Japan as the face for such cosmetic giants as Max Factor, Revlon, Chanel, and the Touch of Class line for Faberge.
At the age of 19, she met a prominent Hollywood agent who asked her to audition for a movie. A week later, she left her successful career in modeling to star in her first motion picture. The film, a black comedy directed by John Frankenheimer for Twentieth Century Fox called "99 & 44/100% Dead," co-starred actor Richard Harris. Not only did Ann receive a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, she also met, fell in love with, and married her co-star. A succession of films followed, the first three in which she starred with her husband, "Cassandra Crossing, " "Golden Rendezvous," and "The Ravagers" for Columbia Pictures. She then starred with Jack Palance and Rod Steiger in "Portrait of a Hitman," the controversial feature "Humanoids From The Deep" with Doug McLure and the late Vic Morrow, and the award-winning mini-series "Samson and Delilah" for NBC.
Ann's life took another turn when she and Harris divorced in 1982. She began to focus on television and racked up an impressive and diverse body of work, including starring in the television movie "Chance of a Lifetime" with Leslie Nielsen for CBS, the Tony and Ridley Scott anthology series "The Hunger" for Showtime, and several television series pilots, including Paramount's "Modesty Blaise" and Aaron Spelling's "Hollywood Beat" for ABC, among others. Ann has also guest-starred in more than a dozen episodic series and starred in numerous feature films, such as Robert Altman's "Ready to Wear," the video hit "The Fear," the highly acclaimed "Touch Me," and the upcoming "Murder Among Friends." Ann also refocused her goals and returned to her musical aspirations. She enjoys the physical aspects involved in acting and often does her own stunts, including intricate swordwork which she showcased in a guest appearance on one of the highest rated episodes of "Highlander: The Series." In addition to being one of the highest rated, this episode set a record for garnering the most e-mail regarding an episode in 1995.
In addition to her work onscreen, Ann has written a controversial feature film screenplay, two half hour sitcom pilots, a movie of the week comedy, and a unique workout program called "Rock Your Body." She is a published photographer whose first photo sold to and was published in "Time Magazine." She is currently working on a line of photographic/hand painted greeting cards and a book of photographs titled "My Head's In The Clouds." Ann has had a consuming love of music from an early age, and her musical tastes range from Tschikovsky to jazz. During the late 80s to early 90s, Ann practically locked herself in a recording studio with rock producer Bill Wray where they produced contemporary rock and roll with the intent of releasing an album. Ann's voice can best be described as raspy and along the lines of Bob Seger and Robert Plant.
Not content to simply perform, Ann has made her mark in the business world, as well. In addition to launching a very successful and much publicized workout company called "Now or Never," Ann created and promoted the famous "unsuite," a product which made history by being the largest selling item in a single day in the garment business, a feat which made the front page of the Wall Street Journal. Her latest endeavor, the creation of an online shopping mall featuring celebrity products called Hollywood21.com, is poised to be one of the most successful online companies in history. This unique web site will raise money for charities worldwide, as well as offer shoppers the opportunity to purchase items not found elsewhere. Ann designed the concept and the logo for Hollywood21.com and has also designed logos for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Benefit.
When not working on a project, Ann can be found in the Southern California home that she designed and decorated herself. From building bookshelves, reupholstering furniture, or doing electrical work in her home, Ann takes an active part in the upkeep of her household. Her leisure time is spent reading George Sand or the Brontes and playing with her three dogs. An avid sportswoman, Ann enjoys and excels in all sports. She enjoys competing in celebrity charity sporting events from tennis, track and field, softball, and skating to beach volleyball and skiing. Ann loves the tranquility and beauty of the outdoors, which accounts for her love of photography and painting. She has a passion for cooking, but only for friends, never for herself. An avid spokesperson for animal rights and children's causes, Ann is always eager to volunteer her time to promote awareness of these issues. Ann Turkel's life can be described as very full. She believes in going to the fullest limit of her abilities whether it be in the entertainment or business field.
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