Guinevere Turner
A pioneering queer writer and actress who gave voice to subversive female desire, from underground lesbian films to the mainstream shock of 'American Psycho'.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American actress and screenwriter·Birthday: May 23·Generation X
Biography
Guinevere Turner carved a path through the independent film scene of the 1990s with a voice that was unapologetically queer, sharp, and darkly funny. She first made waves co-writing and starring in 'Go Fish,' a low-budget, black-and-white romance that became a landmark of New Queer Cinema. This established her as a vital chronicler of modern lesbian life, a role she expanded by helping to shape Showtime's 'The L Word' both behind the scenes and on screen as the provocative Gabby Deveaux. Her most surprising pivot was into the mainstream male psyche, co-writing the screenplay for 'American Psycho,' where she translated Bret Easton Ellis's brutal satire into a chilling cinematic script. Whether exploring BDSM in 'Preaching to the Perverted' or the life of a pin-up in 'The Notorious Bettie Page,' her work consistently centers complex, often marginalized women.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Guinevere was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Guinevere Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Guinevere's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- She co-wrote and starred in the 1994 film 'Go Fish,' a foundational work of the New Queer Cinema movement.
- She co-wrote the screenplay for the cult film 'American Psycho,' adapting Bret Easton Ellis's controversial novel.
- She was a writer, story editor, and recurring actress on the groundbreaking TV series 'The L Word.'
- She wrote the screenplay for 'The Notorious Bettie Page,' a biopic of the famous pin-up model.
Did You Know?
She was raised in a commune called Lyman Family in Massachusetts until she was 14.
Her first acting role was in the 1992 lesbian-themed film 'The Watermelon Woman.'
She is openly gay and has been an activist for LGBTQ+ rights throughout her career.
She provided additional dialogue for the video game 'The Last of Us.'
“I think the most radical thing you can do is to be exactly who you are.”
