Remembering Tina Turner: her most iconic TV and movie moments

The entertainment industry finds itself grieving as the legendary Tina Turner was pronounced dead at the age of 83. Often dubbed the Queen of Rock and Roll, as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Review, she belted out hits such as "It's Gonna Work Out Fine," "River Deep – Mountain High," "Nutbush City Limits" and of course, "Proud Mary." 

Once the songstress parted ways with Ike both personally and professionally, Turner launched one of the best comebacks in music to date. She birthed chart-topping songs like "Private Dancer," "What's Love Got to Do with It," "We Don't Need Another Hero" and "The Best." 

During those times she ventured away from music, she created memorable performances in both movies and on television, most notably in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome starring alongside Mel Gibson. She went on to earn an NAACP Image award for her role. 

As the world mourns Turner's loss, she leaves behind a remarkable legacy that consists of millions of records sold, numerous sold-out concert tours, eight Grammys and a legion of supporters and fans. 

Turner is survived by her husband Erwin Bach, and her children Ike Turner Jr., Raymond Craig Turner and Michael Turner. Her other son Ronnie Turner preceded her in death in 2022. 

From The Color Purple star Ciara to rock great Mick Jagger, Hollywood has taken to Twitter to express their condolences:  

Here are just a few of our favorite TV and movie moments from Turner. 

Ike and Tina Turner perform "Proud Mary" on The Ed Sullivan Show (1970) 

Anytime Tina Turner performed the uptempo classic "Proud Mary," it was a crowd-pleasing occasion. We decided to settle on her The Ed Sullivan Show performance of the song as one of our favorites. 

Tina Turner as the Acid Queen in Tommy (1975)

Tommy is a rock opera from the band The Who, and follows the story of a mute, deaf and blind boy on his quest to become pinball wizard. It's a bit of an eclectic film, but Turner certainly played her role as the Acid Queen. Tommy can be rented on platforms like Apple TV Plus or Prime Video. 

Tina Turner as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 

Turner's performance in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is definitely her most iconic scripted role. In this sci-fi action movie, she plays Aunty Entity, the ruthless, yet glamorous, ruler of the people of Bartertown. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome can be rented on platforms like Apple TV Plus and Prime Video. 

Tina Turner performs "The Best" at Divas Live special on VH1 (1999)

In the late '90s, Divas Live was a must-see event on VH1 as it showcased the talent of several women in the music industry that reached legendary status. In 1999, Turner opened the show with a favorite of ours, "The Best" (often referred to as "Simply the Best"). 

Tina Turner performs "When the Heartache Is Over" on Ally McBeal (2000)

Although she appeared in the Ally McBeal episode titled "The Oddball Parade" as herself, that's all she needed to do to show that she was a force onscreen and still rattling off hits as a musician in 2000. You can currently watch this full episode and all episodes of Ally McBeal on Hulu. 

Tina Turner and Beyoncé perform "Proud Mary" at the 50th Grammy Awards (2008)

When you have two legends sharing one stage to perform one of the greatest rock/soul hits of all time, then you have nothing but pure magic. Beyoncé performing with Turner at the Grammys is one of those moments that will go down in history as one of the best of the music ceremony.