Frances Turner: A Look at Her Vintage-Futuristic Style and Changes in Fallout
Frances Turner has returned to the Fallout universe, joining the cast as a series regular in Amazon Prime Video’s acclaimed show alongside Walton Goggins. As anticipation builds for the new season, the depth of the storyline continues to expand.
Turner reprises her role as Barb Howard, the pre-war wife of Goggins’ character, Cooper Howard, and mother to their daughter. In a surprising twist at the end of Season 1, Barb emerged as a strategic power player deeply involved in Vault-Tec’s plans for a post-apocalyptic future, challenging initial perceptions of her character and reshaping the narrative of Fallout.
Season 2, which premiered on December 17th and will continue with weekly episodes through February 4th, promises to spotlight Turner’s character further. Key episodes in late January are expected to reveal more about Barb’s ambition, intelligence, and influence. This complex characterization resonates with Turner’s own unconventional path to Hollywood. Before her acting career, she excelled as a corporate attorney, having graduated from Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center and practiced at a top law firm.
Since transitioning to acting, Turner has made a name for herself as a dynamic performer, consistently delivering both intelligence and emotional depth across a variety of roles. In addition to Fallout, her noteworthy credits include Prime Video’s The Boys, The Man in the High Castle, and New Amsterdam.
As Barb’s full backstory unfolds, Turner spoke about her excitement for fans to delve deeper into the character. “I’m really excited for fans to see more of Barb’s interior self,” she said. “We learned a lot about her in Season 1 through the point of view of, essentially, Coop. This season, we’re going to learn more about Barb from Barb. We’ll see her experiences and the decisions she makes, as well as the consequences that follow. She’s really walking a moral tightrope, which would be a lot on anyone’s shoulders.”
Turner also highlighted the challenges facing her character. “There are things she wants, and she wants to protect her family. She’s also navigating the Vault-Tec life. That’s where we’re going to find her,” she noted.
Reflecting on the reception of the show, Turner expressed her appreciation for the fan base. “It was very exciting,” she said. “The most exciting thing has been how game fans have embraced the show. Fans of video games are a tough bunch—if they don’t love a show, they’ll let you know! But they’ve embraced it, including the new characters. We’re not copying or following stories from the games, but we got the world right.”
“For fans to embrace the new characters and see the games reflected in the show is really awesome,” she continued. “We also have fans who came to the show without knowing anything about the games, and they haven’t found it confusing to get immersed—that’s a real win.”
Turner also shared insights into Barb’s iconic style. “I always say Barb is a fashion girlie because her wardrobe is incredible. Huge shout-out to our wardrobe and costumes department, led by Dayna Pink,” she remarked. “For the most part, her wardrobe is designed and built entirely by our costumes department. It’s the vintage ’50s aesthetic, but with a future spin on it. There’s very little I have to do, in my mind, to become Barb. I just put on her clothes, and then the hair goes on.”
“To me, her hair reminds me of all the icons I love … Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt. This season, Barb wears a lot of spit curls. Just stepping into the hair, the makeup, the wardrobe, and onto our sets—which are art in and of themselves—there’s very little work that your imagination has to do to get you to the place you need to be for whatever the circumstances are of the scene,” she added.
On personal care, Turner emphasized her commitment to skincare: “I wash my makeup off. I don’t sleep in makeup, so I make sure I wash it off as soon as I’m done. I have a skin-care brand that I’ve used for a really long time called Botnia. It’s small, natural, and sustainable. I just really try to take good care of my skin and keep it hydrated and moisturized.” She also uses gadgets like red light therapy to enhance her routine.
Turner highlighted the importance of inner well-being as well: “I also hydrate. I drink a lot of water—it’s great for the skin—but I also hydrate my energy and my spirit. What I’m feeding my soul gives me that glow from the inside out.”
Looking ahead, Turner expressed excitement about continuing Barb’s journey. “There are some things I’m interested in that I can’t talk about quite yet, but I’m really looking forward to diving back into Barb’s journey.” She added, “We already have a Season 3, and we’re continuing along the lines of stepping into the shoes of three-dimensional, complex, nuanced women—women who find themselves navigating the space between who they are, who they want to be, and how the world sees them.”
Turner concluded, “I love a woman who, from the outside, you think is one thing, and then you uncover layers and layers about her. Barb is not just an archetype—she holds many different parts of herself at once. I’m really looking forward to doing more of that work.”
