Paige Turco

Last updated

Paige Turco
Born
Jean Paige Turco

(1965-05-17) May 17, 1965 (age 60)
OccupationActress
Years active1987–present
Spouse
(m. 2003;div. 2017)
Children1

Jean Paige Turco [1] (born May 17, 1965) is an American actress, who portrayed April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993). Other credits include Guiding Light (1987-1989), All My Children (1989-1992), Winnetka Road (1994), American Gothic (1995-1998), NYPD Blue (1996-1997), Party of Five (1997-1998), Person of Interest The Agency (2001-2003), Rescue Me (2006), Big Shots (2007-2008), Invincible (2006), The Game Plan (2007), Life on Mars (2009), Damages (2009), The Good Wife (2010), Blue Bloods (2011), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2001 & 2011), Person of Interest (2011-2015). She starred as Dr. Abigail Griffin in the post-apocalyptic drama series for 7 seasons, in The 100 (2014-2020).

Contents

Early life

Turco was born May 17, 1965, [2] [3] 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, in 1987 and majored in drama at the University of Connecticut. [1]

Career

In 1987, Turco made her television acting debut as Dinah Marler in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light (1987-1989), [7] She appeared as Melanie Cortlandt in the ABC soap opera All My Children (1989-1992). [7] She played the role of April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), [8] and later in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993). [7]

In 1994, she played Terry Mears co-starring opposite Catherine Hicks in NBC primetime soap, Winnetka Road (1994). [7] The following year, Turco starred as Gail Emory in another short-lived series, CBS's cult classic American Gothic (1995-1998). [7] She had recurring role as Officer Abby Sullivan in NYPD Blue (1996-1997), [7] and again on Party of Five (1997-1998) [7] as Annie Mott, a single mother who is also a recovering alcoholic. She starred as graphic artist Terri Lowell, in the CBS drama series The Agency (2001-2003). [7]

In 2006, Turco had a recurring role as science teacher Mrs. Nell Turbody in the third season of Rescue Me (2006), and was a regular cast member in the ABC series Big Shots (2007-2008), [7] portraying Lisbeth, the ex-wife of Dylan McDermott's character, Duncan Collinsworth, a cosmetics company CEO. Turco co-starred alongside Mark Wahlberg and Greg Kinnear, playing Carol Vermeil, the wife of Dick Vermeil, in the film Invincible (2006). [7] She worked with Dwayne Johnson in the Walt Disney picture The Game Plan (2007). [7] She also played the romantic interest of her then real-life husband Jason O'Mara in Episode 15 of Life on Mars (2009). [7]

She appeared in multiple episodes of Damages (2009), [7] and guest-starred in The Good Wife (2010), [7] Blue Bloods (2011), [7] and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2001 & 2011). [9] She also appeared as Zoe Morgan in a recurring role in Person of Interest (2011-2015). [7]

In 2014, she was cast as the lead character's wife Linda Pride in CBS's NCIS: New Orleans (2014 & 2020). [10]

From March 2014, Turco starred as Doctor Abigail Griffin, in the main cast, for 7 seasons (85 episodes) of the The CW post-apocalyptic drama series, The 100 from 2014-2020. [11] She worked alongside Eliza Taylor who played her daughter Clarke, also Henry Ian Cusick, Marie Avgeropoulos, and Lindsey Morgan. [11]

Personal life

Turco is Roman Catholic. [12] She was married to Irish actor Jason O'Mara from 2003 to 2017. They have one child together, [1] David (born in February 2004; named after Turco's father, who died when she was an infant). [13] [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze April O'Neil
1993 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III April O'Neil
1994 Dead Funny Louise
1995 The Feminine Touch Jennifer BarronDirect-to-video
The Pompatus of Love Gina
1996 Vibrations LisaDirect-to-video
1998Dark TidesSara
1999Claire Makes It BigBronwynShort film
2000R2PC: Road to Park CityHerself
Urbania Cassandra
Astoria Elena
2001Dead DogPerri
2003 Rhinoceros Eyes Fran
2006Waltzing AnnaBarbara Rhoades
Invincible Carol Vermeil
2007 The Game Plan Karen Kelly
The Favor Caroline
2009 The Stepfather Jackie Kerns
2010The Secrets of the MountainDana James
2020 Books of Blood Nicole

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987–1989 Guiding Light Dinah Chamberlain Regular role; 36 Episodes
1989–1991 All My Children Melanie 'Lanie' Cortlandt Rampal Regular role; 80 Episodes
1994 Winnetka Road Terry MearsMain role; 6 Episodes
1995–1996 American Gothic Gail EmoryMain role; 19 Episodes
1996–1997 NYPD Blue Officer Abby SullivanRecurring role (season 4,5); 10 episodes
1997–1998 Party of Five Annie MottRecurring role (season 4); 18 episodes
2000Runaway VirusJenny BlanchardTelevision film
The Fugitive Laura ChereauxEpisode: "Pilot"
2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Pam AdlerEpisode: "Ridicule"
2001–2003 The Agency Terri LowellMain role; 45 Episodes
2006Women in LawCarolyn FordhamEpisode: "Pilot"
Rescue Me Nell Turbody4 episodes
2007–2008 Big Shots Lisbeth HillMain role; 11 Episodes
2009 Taking Chance Stacey StroblTelevision film
Life on Mars Colleen McManusEpisode: "All the Young Dudes"
Damages Christine PurcellRecurring role; 6 episodes
2010 Secrets of the Mountain Dana JamesTelevision film
The Good Wife Caroline WilderEpisode: "Unplugged"
2011 Blue Bloods Detective RyanEpisode: "My Funny Valentine"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Kathleen RainesEpisode: "Blood Brothers"
2011–2016 Person of Interest Zoe MorganRecurring role; 9 episodes
2014–2020 The 100 Dr. Abigail Griffin / Simone Lightbourne VII / The JudgeMain role (seasons 1–6); special appearance (season 7); 64 episodes
2014 NCIS Linda PrideEpisode: "Crescent City"
2014–2020 NCIS: New Orleans Linda Pride2 episodes
2018Separated at BirthElizabeth MarshallTelevision film

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Paige Turco Biography". tvguide.com. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  2. Rose, Mike (May 17, 2019). "Today's famous birthdays list for May 17, 2019 includes celebrity Bob Saget". cleveland.com. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  3. Legge, Lisa (May 17, 2016). "Famous birthdays May 17; 'We Live Here, You Don't' (aka '90210') ends". Pioneer Press. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  4. "Miss Joyce Jean Jodoin Is Bride of David V. Turco". The Boston Globe, August 9, 1964
  5. "BIOGRAPHY" . Retrieved January 1, 2017.
  6. "Walnuts in the World - Walnut Hill School for the Arts". www.walnuthillarts.org. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Paige Turco Credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  8. King, Susan (March 30, 1991). "Paige Turco Moves From a Soap to Become the Ninja Turtles' Friend". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  9. "Paige Turco to Guest-Star on Blue Bloods". TV Guide. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  10. Andreeva, Nellie (February 18, 2014). "Malcolm Barrett, Jonathan Slavin In 'Mission Control'; Paige Turco In 'NCIS' Spinoff". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  11. 1 2 Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 8, 2013). "Pilot News: Paige Turco, Once Princess, Oz Alum and Leslie Bibb Among the Latest Castings". TVLine. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  12. Matranga, Stuart. "Paige Turco Interview from Stuff Magazine 2003". Stuff Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2007.
  13. "Paige Turco filed for divorce from Jason O'Mara". Celebretainment. June 19, 2017. Archived from the original on June 19, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  14. "Paige Turco files for divorce from Jason O'Mara". Brampton Guardian . June 19, 2017.