HOLLYWOOD -- Poor Paige Turco, a beaupiful young New Yorher to a herd of turtles in her only two movies.

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Turco is a well-trained, serious performer who was forced to give up ballet after suffering a broken ankle. She turned to acting, never thinking for a moment she would be co-starring with a rowdy young bunch of mutant turtles in Ninja costumes.

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The willowy Turco portrays April O'Neil, the feminine lead in 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze' and in the new 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Turtles Are Back...In Time.'

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Only a stroke of good fortune spared her from appearance in the original turtle flick.

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Her interest in turtles as a species has not been enhanced whatever after appearing in the films. She might better have been advised to try herding Galapagos Islands turtles or even cozening a coven of Komodo dragons in Indonesia. 

 

But no, Turco went for 'Turtles III' and will be seen once again by millions of moviegoers worldwide beginning March 17, hanging out with four loud-mouthed, sewer-dwelling miscreants who have been canonized by America's sandpile set.

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The original April O'Neil was played by actress Judith Hoag who wisely decamped before the first sequel was filmed. It would seem Hoag has not surfaced since. But true turtle fans -- many of them no higher than a Ninja's kneepad -- don't seem to mind the casting change because they are far more concerned with Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael than April.

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Why, Turco was asked, had she returned to frolic with the four avenging shellbacks named for four classical Italian Renaissance artists.

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''Because April's part was expanded and more interesting in this picture than in the first sequel,' she explained during lunch in a Beverly Hills Chinese joint.''

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In truth, Turco did not see the original film of her own free will. She was taken to a theater showing the film by a bunch of friends.

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''I was dragged to the picture about three years ago,' she said with a giggle. 'It was culty and kind of funny. But it wasn't on my list of 10 best movies of all time.''

 

''At that time I was working in a soap, 'All My Children,' and I never dreamed I'd be acting in movies. I was thinking about a role in a play when I asked my agent to get me out of the soap. I was going nuts. The first thing she did was set up an audition for the Turtle sequel.''

 

''It was quite a change for me after playing a virgin for two years in 'All My Children.' During that stretch I never had a scene with Susan Lucci. I just had to escape even though it meant giving up my financial security.''

 

''I didn't expect to get the job in Ninja Turtles and I was stunned when they called me back a second time.''

 

''The soap producers gave me time off for the picture. But when I was asked to do 'Turtles III,' I offered to finish off my character gradually if they'd let me leave the show. So they wrote out my character by marrying her off.''

 

''I welcomed the chance to do the Turtle picture. It was a weird experience because all my scenes with the Turtles were silent. With those heavy mask-like headpieces on they couldn't be heard when they spoke. Their voices were dubbed later by other actors.''

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'In the first movie we had two of the original actors playing the turtles and two new guys. In my second one we had none of the originals and only one of the actors from the first sequel. It was kind of confusing.''

 

''No one ever told me why the original ones didn't stay with the sequels. Maybe they got too tall for the roles. Or maybe they didn't get enough head breaks, times out from shooting to take off those heavy, hot helmet-like things.''

 

''They're all great guys but it's torture wearing those masks and I guess it's not too satisfying to make movies and not have anyone see your face.''

 

''Believe it or not, I could tell the Turtles apart in their masks without thinking about the color of their headbands or hearing their voices. I got to know how they moved and walked.''

 

''It was interesting to me that I tried to have some physical contact with them to help me feel I was a part of the group. Just touching them helped me communicate as an actress. I wanted to be part of the gang, otherwise I'd have been a total outsider.''

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In addition to her obsession with escaping the soap, Turco was mindful of the box-office success of the first two movies. 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' grossed $138 million domestically. The first sequel grabbed a tidy $78 million.

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''While we were shooting both movies I didn't think we were creating an important work of art,'' Turco said. ''These pictures are really made for children and teenagers. They love the Turtles. So we're pleasing a big family market.''

 

''I do want people to see me as a well-rounded actress, not just someone who plays in Turtle movies. If I were asked to play April in another Turtle sequel, I don't think I would do it. At least that's how I feel now.''