No one told her life was going to be this way.
Kathleen Turner may boast several iconic roles throughout her career in TV and film, but one of her most recognizable characters as Chandler’s transgender parent in Friends might not be perceived the same as they were two decades ago.
“There was no question of casting a trans person or a drag queen…it was never considered,” Turner, who played Helena Handbasket, recently told The Guardian. “It never crossed my mind that I was taking a role from someone.”
While she admitted she would “probably not” take on such a part nowadays, Turner had nothing but positive things to say about her time on the show: “I certainly don’t regret having taken it. It was a challenge!”
Back in 2001, the now-68-year-old appeared in four episodes of the NBC sitcom, beginning with “The One with Chandler’s Dad” in season seven, when Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) invite his estranged father to take part in their wedding.